Press release

Wellcome Trust appoints new Head of Medical Humanities

The Wellcome Trust has appointed a new Head of Medical Humanities. Dr Dan O'Connor joins from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and will be working to enhance the impact of the Trust's recently expanded Medical Humanities portfolio.

As a faculty member at the Berman Institute, Dan was responsible for public engagement alongside his teaching and academic work. He has a PhD in the History of Medicine (University of Warwick) and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioethics and the History of Medicine (Johns Hopkins University), as well as experience in the commercial sector, where he translated academic research into strategic action plans for social media

Clare Matterson, Director of Medical Humanities and Engagement at the Wellcome Trust, says: "It's an exciting time for medical humanities, both as part of the wider field and at the Wellcome Trust, with our ever-evolving portfolio and now this excellent appointment. The Trust is very much looking forward to welcoming Dan to lead our Medical Humanities team. His experience and enthusiasm will be a huge asset to the Trust's ambitions and to the field in general."

Dan adds: "The Wellcome Trust funds an astonishing array of truly world-class research in the medical humanities. I look forward to working with the team and our academic partners to further strengthen support for the very best researchers and scholarship in this fast-developing and essential field."

Over the past five years, the Trust has built on its long-standing focus on the history of medicine and biomedical ethics by enabling scholars from across the humanities and social sciences to apply for funding. This spring the remit of the Medical Humanities funding schemes expanded to support awards across a broader range of humanities. Next year, the Trust will launch The Hub, an exciting new interdisciplinary space at Wellcome Collection.

Dan has started in his new position today.

About the Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust’s breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests.