Diego Baptista

Diego Baptista is the Head of Research and Funding Equity at Wellcome Trust, a position he has held since September 2021.1 In this role, he leads a team focused on increasing diversity in Wellcome's funding recipients and ensuring that research is inclusive in both design and practice.2

Professional Background

Diego has been with Wellcome Trust since October 2019, initially serving as a Diversity and Inclusion Policy Adviser on Research Culture before transitioning to his current position.1 His work involves:

• Developing programs and initiatives to make Wellcome a more inclusive and supportive funder
• Ensuring funded research is inclusive in its design and practice
• Working on processes for delivering funding and experimenting with new approaches to reduce funding inequities
• Collaborating with internal and external teams to build inclusive and equitable funding tools and research programs2

Education

Diego Baptista has a strong academic background in science:

• PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Harvard University (2012-2018)
• MA in Biology from Harvard University (2012-2014)
• Master of Science in Chemistry with a Biochemistry emphasis from San Francisco State University (2010-2012)
• Bachelor of Science degrees in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2004-2008)1

Research Experience

Prior to his role at Wellcome Trust, Diego gained research experience in various laboratory settings:

• Graduate Research Associate at San Francisco State University (2010-2012)
• Research Associate at Cal Poly State University (2006)1

Expertise and Focus

Diego has a background in experimental biophysics and biochemistry. He has been involved in activities aimed at increasing diversity in research participation and has worked on influencing research culture positively to ensure research is open and accessible.2

In his current role, Diego is committed to advancing racial equity in research funding, as evidenced by his correspondence in The Lancet on this topic.3