Mark Walport is Director of The Wellcome Trust, one of the world's largest biomedical research charities. Before joining the Trust, he was Professor of Medicine and Head of the Division of Medicine at Imperial College London, where he led a research team that focused on the immunology and genetics of rheumatic diseases. He was appointed a member of the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology in 2004 and holds a number of international and national positions on science and innovation advisory boards.