Trusted global research conference 2025

Jamie was appointed Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) in November 2022. Prior to taking on this role, Jamie led Universities UK’s research and innovation policy programme (2014-2017) before becoming Assistant Director for Policy Engagement at UUKi (2017-2022).  Before joining Universities UK in 2010, Jamie was a research associate and ESRC research fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Education and Social Research Institute.

Chris is responsible for the security compliance, risk and governance architectures operating across Cranfield University.  With 18 years’ experience of managing and implementing effective security frameworks Chris also Chairs a number of national sector initiatives in collaboration with government and industry, including the Higher Education Export Control Association (HEECA) and the Universities Forum which compromises the top 40 STEM intensive UK HE institutions.  In addition Chris is responsible for various commercial frameworks delivering effective routes to market and technology exploitation pathways for various industry and government organisations.  

Professor Dame Karen Holford is Chief Executive & Vice-Chancellor at Cranfield University. Prior to this, Karen was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Cardiff University, her alma mater. 

Karen is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering & since 2020 a member of the National Physical Laboratory Science & Technology Advisory Council.  Karen serves on the Oxford-Cambridge Arc Universities Group Board & Oxford Cambridge Supercluster Board.  In 2023, Karen became Chair of the Midlands Innovation University Partnership Board & joined the Boards of Universities UK & Renishaw plc. In 2024 Karen received a Damehood for her contribution to Engineering. 

Andrew James is Professor of Innovation Management & Policy, Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK. Andrew's research and teaching interests focus on corporate technology strategy, innovation management and science and technology policy. He has a particular interest in the geopolitics of science, technology and innovation, especially research security issues in international research collaborations. He is leading a study for the UK government’s Science & Innovation Network mapping threats and opportunities to UK security in European security research focusing on research security policies and practices in universities and public research institutes.

Professor Jennings is Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University. He was previously the Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise at Imperial College London, the UK Government’s first Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security, and Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton. His research focuses on developing AI systems for large-scale, open and dynamic environments. In particular, he is interested in how to endow individual autonomous agents with the ability to act and interact in flexible ways and with effectively engineering systems that contain both humans and software agents. He is passionate about the real-world impact of research and his systems have been deployed to save lives in the aftermath of disasters, to win Olympic medals for TeamGB, and to monitor the impact of climate change on glaciers.

 Jennifer is Director of the Research and Innovation Office at Loughborough University with responsibility for a wide range of research & innovation strategy, policy and operational functions including research security. 

​ Jennifer was Chair of the Association for Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) in the UK from 2020-23 and continues to work with ARMA on matters of research security. Jennifer regularly presents at international events and works with international groups on projects relating to research security.  She has been Principal Investigator on two Research England and two FCDO funded projects regarding trusted research and due diligence including ‘Complex Collaborations’ – a project which made recommendations for UK academia regarding how to operatlionalise our response to research security threats. 

  Jennifer is committed to the professionalisation and recognition of the research management and administration sector, and to improving the way in which we work together across the sector, locally, nationally and globally. Jennifer is Chair of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Working Group and a member of INORMS Council.​ 

Alan provides strategic leadership on internationalisation and directs the University’s international operation. He has an undergraduate degree in Public Policy and Management, Postgraduate Diploma in European Policy and Law and is an alumnus of Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Institute for Educational Management. He served as a Trustee for UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) from 2015-2023 and is a member of the British Council Scotland Advisory Committee and a Trustee of the Council for At Risk Academics

Professor Ciaran Martin, CB, is a Professor of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, as well as a managing director at Paladin Capital and the holder of several other advisory roles in private sector cyber security. He writes and speaks frequently on cyber security in major outlets across the world, and was named on of the most influential people in European technology by Politico in 2022. 

From 2014 until 2020 he set up and then led the United Kingdom’s world-leading National Cyber Security Centre, within the intelligence agency GCHQ on whose board he sat. 

This was the culmination of a 23-year career in UK public service which saw him serve in senior roles in national security, constitutional and economic policy. 

Sapna combines her expertise as a lawyer, research manager, and consultant to help universities and non-profits navigate complex regulatory environments. As former Deputy Chair of the Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA), she led on national responses to regulatory change, co-authored the Complex Collaborations report and collaborated globally. 

Sapna leads transformation programs for emerging regulations, ensuring change is culturally embedded. As well as founder and Managing Director of Formation Consultancy, she is a development board member of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Science and Health, trustee of Research Data Scotland and co-chair of NHS Blood and Transplant's R&D Steering Group.

Professor Mathieson was the first in his family to go to university. He achieved First Class Honours in Medicine in 1983. He obtained a research training fellowship at the University of Cambridge, leading to a PhD in 1992. He became Director of Studies for Clinical Medicine at Christ’s College, Cambridge. In 1995, Peter began teaching at the University of Bristol and became an Honorary Consultant Nephrologist, North Bristol NHS Trust. In 1999, he was elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.  In 2007, Peter was elected President of the Renal Association, becoming the youngest President in its history. In 2008 Peter was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bristol.  Between 1999 and 2013 he taught Medicine annually in Uganda and conducted some clinical research there. He taught in Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa either as part of International Society of Nephrology delegations or representing the University of Bristol.  In 2014, Peter became the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong until January 2018. In February 2018 he took up his present post at the University of Edinburgh. In 2021 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

In addition to his duties as Deputy Chair of the HEECA Secretariat, Diran’s present role involves raising awareness and developing capability to facilitate Imperial’s response to research security considerations and requirements. This includes managing a growing team of professionals supporting responsible management of Imperial’s research and innovation activity. Diran has extensive experience in research operations, policy and strategy, having previously worked at the University of Cambridge and at UCL in both research contracting and senior research management roles before joining Imperial. He is currently a member of the management team within Imperial’s Research Office.

Marijke Wahlers is Deputy Secretary-General of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and heads its international department. Before joining the HRK, she was head of international relations at the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences and coordinator of international relations at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto in Japan. Marijke Wahlers holds a master’s degree in English linguistics, Japanese studies and business administration. She studied at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the University of Washington in Seattle and at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University in Great Britain.