Melanie Welham

Dame Melanie Joanne Welham (born 1964) is a British biochemist who was Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council from April 2018 to June 2023. She was previously a professor of biochemistry at the University of Bath, where she worked on stem cell biology.

Early life and education Welham was born and raised in Suffolk. Her father worked in agriculture, and she was the first member of her family to attend university. She studied biochemistry at Imperial College London, where only 15% of undergraduate students were women. She moved to University College London for doctoral research, where she studied the oncogene. She then moved to the University of British Columbia, where she worked as a postdoctoral researcher between 1989 and 1995.

Welham joined Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) on secondment in 2012. In 2018, Welham was made Executive Chair of BBSRC, two years prior to this, she served as Interim Chief Executive of the Council.

She served as Executive Champion for People, Culture and Talent at UK Research and Innovation. She was made a trustee of the Royal Society of Biology and the University of Bristol in 2023.

She was appointed a DBE for services to the biosciences in the 2023 Birthday Honours.

Welham was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Bath in January 2025. The award recognises 'her dedication to promoting the values of scientific excellence, interdisciplinary research, career development and equality, diversity and inclusivity in academia.'

Selected publications