Athena Lecture: Overcoming challenges in the pandemic
Celebrating the achievements of women in leadership at our annual Athena lecture with Dame Kate Bingham
Abstract
Overcoming challenges in the pandemic
This lecture will explore the lasting impact of women’s leadership and resilience during the pandemic, overcoming barriers and managing crises with precision and care.
Biography
Kate Bingham has spent over 30 years building and investing in biotech companies as Managing Partner at SV Health Investors, one of the longest tenured biotechnology investors globally. These investments have resulted in the launch of 26 new innovative drugs including 6 new drug classes each addressing a major unmet medical need. Kate played an active role in setting up the Dementia Discovery Fund in 2017, focused on developing novel drugs targeting new biological mechanisms to treat dementia.
In May 2020 Kate was appointed Chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce, reporting to the Prime Minster to lead UK efforts to find and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine. It was a six-month engagement and she stepped down as Chair in December 2020. On 8 December 2020 the UK started COVID-19 vaccinations – the first western country to do so. She serves on the board of the Francis Crick Institute and ARIA.