Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu is the President of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, having assumed the role in 2024. A distinguished pharmaceutical scientist, she is internationally renowned for her groundbreaking work in nanoparticle drug delivery and her unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion in science and education.

She is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and serves as a Governor of the Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest biomedical science research funders. She is also the Chief Scientific Officer of Nanomerics Ltd, a pharmaceutical nanotechnology company she co-founded to develop innovative solutions for drug delivery.

Her pioneering research has led to major advances in delivering peptides and other therapeutics across biological barriers, including to the brain, resulting in the development of Envelta™, a non-opioid pain medicine candidate addressing the opioid crisis. For her scientific contributions, she has received numerous accolades, including the Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Technologies Prize and the UK Government’s Women of Outstanding Achievement in Science Award.

Professor Uchegbu has also been a transformative leader in higher education. As the UCL Provost’s Envoy for Race Equality, she initiated programmes that helped UCL achieve the Bronze Race Equality Charter Award. She has presented to the UK House of Commons on racial disparities in education and is a leading voice on equity and representation in STEM.

In recognition of her service to pharmaceutical sciences and diversity, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours.