Charlotte Summers

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT CHARLOTTE SUMMERS

I am a senior academic leader with extensive experience in research strategy, governance, and innovation across life sciences, healthcare, and higher education. As Director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute (450-person cross-sector institute holding ~£250 million in research funding) and Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at the University of Cambridge, I lead multidisciplinary programmes that transform care through science, policy, and partnership. In parallel, I serve as Chair of the UKRI-MRC Experimental Medicine Panel, providing strategic oversight of national research investment to ensure excellence, accountability, and impact. I am also a Trustee of the Science Media Centre UK, the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC), and Selwyn College, Cambridge. These leadership roles have strengthened my expertise in governance, financial stewardship, and high-level decision-making. I have a strong record of securing major research and philanthropic funding, building cross-sector collaborations, and mentoring the next generation of scientific leaders. My work bridges research, policy, and practice — creating partnerships that deliver measurable outcomes for institutions, governments, and society, which led to me being recognised as a \"Changemaker\" by Wired Magazine in 2021.