Biochemist and entrepreneur, Dame Kate was appointed chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce reporting to the Prime Minister to lead UK efforts to find and manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine. She was awarded a DBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2021 for services to the procurement, manufacture, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
In her lecture – entitled the application of a venture capital approach to addressing the COVID-19 global health crisis and the pioneering role of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in responding to the pandemic – Dame Kate recalled the initial setting up of the vaccine taskforce and spoke of some of the challenges facing the team.
She was awarded a DBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021 for services to the procurement, manufacture, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
