Meet the senior leadership team

Besides meeting my wife and having two wonderful kids, leading Meningitis Research Foundation is the greatest privilege of my life.

The team are amazing. Our supporters are unbelievably inspiring. The cause is unquestionably important for global health.

In previous lives I have been, amongst other things, an international consultant, Chief Operating Officer, and Head of Direct Marketing for organisations as diverse as Cancer Research UK and the African Center for Economic Transformation (Ghana).

I juggle the most important things in my life (see above) alongside being a guest lecturer at the University of the West of England on organisational development; being a Steering Committee member of the Global Meningococcal Initiative; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturers; and a Trustee of Autistica.

For leisure I cycle, visit art galleries, fight the weeds at my allotment, and keep four small fish and two snails.

I joined Meningitis Research Foundation in June 2018 and feel very privileged to be working with such a great team, all of whom are dedicated and incredibly hard working.

I am a chartered accountant with many years’ experience of financial management in both the private and “not for profit” sector and have also run my own designer shoe boutique in Glasgow.

I moved to Bristol from Scotland over two years ago for family reasons and love the city. I also love spending time with my two grown up daughters, playing tennis, making cupcakes and obviously buying fabulous shoes.

I joined Meningitis Research Foundation in January 2022, having previously worked for one of the world’s leading research publishers as Digital Communications Director. I manage our Communications and Engagement team, overseeing global advocacy; all aspects of communications, content and brand; our member network CoMO; our Support Services; and our digital tools and presence.

I’ve worked in the worlds of research, education and charities for all of my career, experience which marries perfectly with my role at Meningitis Research Foundation. Since joining Meningitis Research Foundation, it’s been an exciting few years. Just a few highlights? Growing World Meningitis Day to be the world’s largest day of collective action on meningitis, developing a white paper with UNICEF (including a world-first regional communication framework), co-creating and launching the Meningitis Flag, and representing the defeating meningitis movement on a WHO taskforce.

I’m Brian and I joined Meningitis Research Foundation in July 2021. I have been Head of Health Insights and Policy since September 2023.

Before joining Meningitis Research Foundation I worked in various health policy related roles in the UK, as well as in several countries in Asia and Africa, with a focus on bringing down barriers that keep people from getting the drugs, diagnostics and vaccines they need to stay alive and healthy.

I’m fortunate to work with a team of passionate colleagues who are committed to defeating meningitis through health insights that drive meaningful change in policy.

I joined the charity back in 2004 and over the years I've worn many hats within the fundraising team. My role now as Head of Fundraising is to lead the team in Bristol to make sure that Meningitis Research Foundation is funded to continue our vital work.

Our role as fundraisers is to give people the chance to take action against these diseases and turn their hopes of a better world into reality.

Over my time here I'm incredibly proud of the impact that's been made to lives in the UK, Ireland and around the world, from the introduction of vaccines to prevent MenB, MenACWY and pneumococcal meningitis to the launch our programme of projects tackling meningitis in Africa, and none of this would be possible without the hard work, drive and dedication of our many supporters.

I oversee all areas of our CoMO global membership including strategy, member engagement, growth, governance, building our profile and global impact. I have direct experience of meningitis and am passionate about making sure the voices of people like me are heard by policy makers, governments and scientists. We are not just numbers; we’re real people with real stories and experiences.

Over my career, I have developed expertise in global marketing, PR and communications, working with membership organisations, commercial businesses and charities. I love travelling and speaking languages, and my jobs have taken me all over the world – to India, South America and across Europe.

My passion for using science to improve people’s lives and their commitment to an evidence-based approach was what drew me to the Meningitis Research Foundation.

I joined the Meningitis Research Foundation in June 2025. Previously, I worked in strategy and funding on vaccines and global health research at the Wellcome Trust.

I have a PhD in Infection and Immunology from Imperial College London where I worked on “what does flu do to your poo”, and “should you starve a fever or feed a cold”? although, it was more professionally described as “understanding the host immune response to respiratory viral infections”.

At the Meningitis Research Foundation, I lead our Research Strategy. The research team works closely with our Scientific Advisory Panel to develop and deliver the only global international research conference on meningitis, bringing together over 300 experts in science, medicine and public health from all over the world. We also run research grant funding rounds that address the priorities of people with lived experience of meningitis, be they survivors, families or carers.

Besides work, I look after my menagerie of cats, chickens, bees, and a toddler (more work than the rest combined) and trying to accomplish the Peak District Trig Challenge.