Wellcome boss takes top World Health Organisation role

Jeremy Farrar, the director of Wellcome is to leave next year to become chief scientist at the World Health Organisation.

He is to leave after a decade as director of the foundation. The search for a permanent chief executive officer to replace him is already underway.

From February next year he is to be replaced on an interim basis by Wellcome chief operating officer Paul Schreier.

“We congratulate Jeremy on his new appointment and thank him for the legacy and vision which Wellcome will continue to take forward, with a clear focus on support for discovery research and science to solve the urgent health challenges facing us all,” said Schreier, who joined Wellcome in 2019 and is a former advisor to the Australian Prime Minister and Cabinet.



Wellcome chair Julia Gillard said: “Jeremy’s leadership and insight have seen Wellcome achieve remarkable growth, realising ambitions in science and health on a scale not previously possible.”

“The Board and I thank Jeremy for his outstanding contribution to Wellcome and our mission to improve health and save lives around the world,” she added.

“We are delighted that the global health and science community will continue to benefit from his expertise and wisdom in his new role at the World Health Organisation.”

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