Wellcome Trust

We were founded in 1936 after the death of Sir Henry Wellcome, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur, with a pioneering approach to drug design.

In his will, he left us three important things: his wealth; his collection of historical medical items; and our mission to improve health through research.

Since our formation, we have supported breakthroughs in scientific discoveries and advocated for policies to improve health for everyone.

Today, Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We have four programmes of work: one for discovery research, and three to find solutions for the challenges of mental health, climate and health, and infectious diseases.