Dr Annabel Smith

Postgraduate Programme Lead

An experienced Programme Manager with many years’ experience and knowledge in the field of postgraduate student training and support. I lead the strategic and operational management of the Institute’s MPhil and PhD Programmes, including student recruitment, onboarding, training, progress monitoring and pastoral support, together with budget oversight, report writing and strategic planning.

I lead the Postgraduate Programme Office and we act as the first port of call to provide guidance and advice to the Institute’s postgraduate students and their supervisors. I also chair the Committee of Postgraduate Studies, which oversees postgraduate student training at the Institute.

My role also involves building successful and strategic relationships with key internal stakeholders and ensuring that the Postgraduate Programmes and students are fully considered in Institute-wide policymaking and decisions. I also maintain strong relationships between the Postgraduate Office Team and external stakeholders such as the University of Cambridge (Postgraduate Admissions, Degree Committee, Student Registry, Faculty of Biology Directors of Postgraduate Education Committee, Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre, Departments, Colleges and partner PhD Programmes), funding bodies and the MPhil Programme’s international partner institutions.

I am always looking for ways to develop and incorporate new ideas and initiatives into our Postgraduate Programmes to drive improvement and respond to changes in the postgraduate training sector and the needs of postgraduate students.

My commitment and passion for postgraduate training is driven by my own 20-year scientific career in renowned UK medical research institutes including the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics and the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research.

My timeline

• Postgraduate Programme Lead

• Started as the Postgraduate Programme Manager at the Wellcome Sanger Institute

• Started as a Senior Research Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge

• The research group moved to the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge at the end of September

• Started as a Research Associate at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford

• Started as a Research Associate at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford

• Started PhD research at the University of Leicester

• Started BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Leicester