A remarkable year

From driving major breakthroughs in research to advancing clinical care and widening access to education, the power of philanthropic partnership has enabled UCL to bring about real and lasting impact over the last 12 months. 

It has been an exceptional year in terms of philanthropy, with projects across UCL benefitting from the support of far-sighted donors, Trusts and Foundations, and partners in research and industry. 

Of course, the true value of your generosity is not in the money we raise but in what it enables us to achieve for the world. In this report, we are proud to share just some examples of where we work side-by-side to push the frontiers of knowledge and save or change millions of lives. 

As ever, these stories are a snapshot in time. The full impact of what we do will not be felt this year or next, but over the course of decades to come: in novel treatments for devastating diseases, powerful insights to tip the balance of the climate crisis, and the achievements of the UCL students whose talents are nurtured by your giving. 

The last few weeks have also given us powerful examples of how a philanthropist with a long-term vision can truly transform our world, with two members of the UCL community awarded Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work in AI. 

Professor Geoffrey Hinton and Sir Demis Hassabis CBE (Cognitive Neuroscience, PhD, 2009) both worked at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit at UCL, established with generous funding from The Gatsby Foundation in 1998. 

The Unit was founded to enable a critical mass of theoreticians to interact closely with each other and UCL’s other world-class research groups in neuroscience and related areas. For not one but two Nobel Laureates to have developed their ideas at the centre is testament to the power that philanthropy has to catalyse the fundamental ideas and discoveries that shape our world. 

From the successes that we share on the global stage, to the individual and more personal achievements of students succeeding in their studies or patients given new hope, our 2023-24 report is an opportunity to take stock of what has been – and will be – achieved by our unique partnership of world-leading experts and those who share our commitment to a healthier, fairer and more sustainable world.  

For all that you do, thank you. 

Dr Michael Spence, UCL President and Provost 
and  
Angharad Milenkovic, UCL Vice-President (Advancement) 

"The true value of your generosity is not in the money we raise but in what it enables us to achieve for the world."

Gift left in will brings new hope to Huntington’s research

Huntington’s Disease is an inherited condition marked by worsening co-ordination, involuntary movements and diminishing mental abilities. At UCL, philanthropy is supporting research leaders in their fight for families affected by this degenerative illness. 

Professor Sarah Tabrizi works at the forefront of research into the basic cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Huntington’s and is leading a comprehensive translational research programme working towards finding effective disease-modifying treatments for the condition. 

Now, a gift left to the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology in a donor’s will is enabling the Tabrizi Laboratory to recruit talented researchers as part of the Walkingshaw-Hugh Fellowship programme. 

Upon joining UCL in 2025, they will help to pave the way for first in-human trials of novel therapies by identifying target engagement and efficacy markers in young adults with the inherited gene which causes Huntington’s. 

Having supervised 17 clinicians and more than 30 doctoral students over the last two decades, Sarah knows the value of this legacy. 

“Huntington’s research is not a one-person race,” she says. “To really make a difference to people’s lives, we need to build our research capacity and embrace the power of collaboration across different specialisms. That’s exactly what this gift enables us to do.” 

For her, the receipt of a gift which invests in her team is a deeply significant moment. 

“I am absolutely committed to finding a treatment for Huntington's disease,” she adds. “It is my life’s work. So, for others to see what we are doing here and want to support it even after they have gone means something very special to me.”  

"For others to see what we are doing here and want to support it even after they have gone means something very special to me."

A lifeline for students in housing crisis

The lingering impact of the pandemic and rising cost-of-living have combined to increase financial pressure on vulnerable students. However, visionary philanthropy is enabling UCL to support our bright minds and allow them to thrive in their studies. 

Financial pressure is the single most common obstacle to participation in higher education, with vulnerable individuals from low-income backgrounds at particular risk of ending their studies because of changes in circumstance.

This significantly undermines the ability of our highly talented students to fulfil their immense potential - both at UCL and in their future careers - and deprives society of their abilities and contributions.

Global events since 2020 – such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and international conflicts – have served to worsen this issue and led to a sustained rise in complex referrals to the Student Support and Wellbeing service at UCL. 

In a growing proportion of cases, students have required immediate interventions to avoid homelessness. In response, student accommodation provider urbanest has committed to supporting the UCL Specialist Housing Advice Team over the next 15 years.

Designed to meet short-term housing needs while students navigate access to long-term support, the urbanest Accommodation Bursary will provide a vital lifeline in scenarios involving domestic violence, familial estrangement, and crime. 

“Many students manage to sail through their studies without any support,” said Denise Long, Director of UCL Student Support and Wellbeing. “But for some, things happen in life that are very challenging and particularly so for students from groups who need extra guidance and help.” 

“Philanthropy has been so powerful in this domain and has a real legacy in what our students can go on to achieve.” 

Supported by our donors, student services at UCL are continually evolving to meet the needs of our community and ensure that the choice to learn is always open to those who have the ability. 

"Philanthropy has been so powerful in this domain and has a real legacy in what our students can go on to achieve."

Tan family’s generous gift to transform women’s health

Women’s health has long been an underserved area of medical research and education, with significant challenges in reproductive health, maternal care, and gender inequity in healthcare persistent in different contexts around the world.  

At UCL, philanthropy plays a critical role in advancing research and transforming healthcare practices in these vital areas. 

In 2024, a significant gift from Professor Tan Seang Lin and Dr Grace Tan established an endowed chair dedicated to women’s health at the UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health. The Professor Tan Seang Lin, Dr Grace Tan and Originelle Fertility distinguished Chair in Women’s Health will be held by Anna David, Professor in Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine and Director of the Institute.  

At the time of the award, Professor David said: “By supporting our work at the Institute, Professor and Dr Tan are advancing the health of future generations. Their gift will ensure that UCL continues to be a world-leader in clinical practice, research, education and training in women’s health.” 

The Institute’s internationally recognised ‘Life-Course’ approach, which addresses women’s health at every stage, from infancy through to old age, has already spurred remarkable advancements: from shaping national and international sexual health policy to performing the first spina bifida surgeries on babies in the womb in the UK.  

Support from the Tan family will accelerate progress at the Institute, helping UCL researchers and clinicians to deliver cutting-edge care and improve health outcomes for women, babies and their families.  

"By supporting our work at the Institute, Professor and Dr Tan are advancing the health of future generations."

Support from Simons Foundation advances research on the origins of life

Every moment of life is powered by molecular processes that have remained constant for billions of years, and perhaps since the very first living organisms existed on Earth. Thanks to research led by UCL scientists and the long-term support of the Simons Foundation, we are edging ever closer to understanding how life came to exist. 

Led by Professor Matthew Powner (UCL Chemistry), the team have successfully synthesised pantetheine, a compound that plays an essential role in metabolism and is present in every living thing on Earth. They created this compound in water at room temperature using molecules formed from hydrogen cyanide, which was likely abundant on early Earth.  

By examining how this compound spontaneously assembles and catalyses reactions, the researchers said it is possible to predict how pantetheine might have aided chemical reactions that turned simple forerunners of protein and RNA molecules into the first organisms – a transition thought to have occurred around 4 billion years ago. 

The study challenges the view among some researchers that water is too destructive for life to originate in it and that life was more likely created in pools that periodically dried out. 

“This work has convinced me that rather than life being preceded by one molecule such as RNA, and there being an ‘RNA world’ before life began, the basic molecules of biology emerged alongside each other – a network of RNAs, proteins, enzymes and cofactors leading to the first living organisms,” said Professor Powner.  

These findings build on previous work by UCL researchers that used similar methods to demonstrate how other key biological ingredients could have first been created on Earth, including peptides (protein-creating chains of amino acids) and nucleotides (the building blocks of RNA and DNA).  

The Simons Foundation has been a key funder of this project since 2013, providing a unique platform to advance our understanding of the processes that led to the emergence of life.   

“Thanks to the Simons Foundation, we have had the flexibility to adapt our research to pursue the most promising avenues of discovery and make progress on big, challenging questions,” said Professor Powner. “This is possible because the Foundation directly engages with our project and our goals, with an understanding of what we discover and the science behind it." 

As a result of this work, Professor Powner was named a finalist in the 2021 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, which recognises those whose research “is already transforming technology and our understanding of the world”. He was also awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Robert Robinson prize in 2024 for “outstanding contributions to organic chemistry”. 

"We have had the flexibility to adapt our research to pursue the most promising avenues of discovery and make progress on big, challenging questions."

Collaboration, community and the Class of ‘81

In 2024, members of the Class of 1981 in Chemical Engineering met again during the department’s celebration of its centenary. Inspired by a desire to give back to the community that shaped their lives and formed the foundation of their friendship, they made contact with UCL and the department.  

After a few conversations, their decision was – as a collective – to sponsor an Annual Prize for students at the UCL Department of Chemical Engineering, which will begin in 2025.

Group member Guy Jefferies had long taken note of the cutting-edge research emerging from his alma mater and felt increasingly compelled to support the department in its work training the next generation of chemical engineers.   

“I hope that the Prize will highlight the other important skills – aside from academic studies – that go into being a success,” he shared, highlighting the value of collaboration as a key reason that the Class of 1981 have forged such an enduring relationship.  

Fellow member Hugh Leonard also co-sponsors the Prize on the basis of the connections he made at UCL. Reflecting on the Centenary reunion, he was struck by how impactful his links have proven to be.   

“The Prize is our way of ensuring that the spirit of community remains strong,” he said.  

For Andrew Hyde, the impact of a UCL education on his subsequent career was another major factor. He aims to encourage the current generation of students to embrace learning with the same sense of purpose that was instilled in him and sees the Prize as a reward for the pursuit of excellence through collaboration.   

"As I looked back, I realised how significant my time at UCL had been in forming me into an inquisitive engineer,” he recalled. "My strongest leadership skills in business were collaboration and developing others; skills that are also reflected in the Prize.”  

Jagruti Oza also has fond memories of the tight-knit nature of the Chemical Engineering department in the early 1980s. She believes that students learnt as much from their interactions with one another as they did from their academic studies, and found her enthusiasm ignited by the Centenary dinner.  

“I was amazed by the department’s evolution,” she said. “The scale of the research being conducted was staggering and innovative – from mimicking nature to nanomedicine and CO₂ capture,’’ she said. “Each contribution we can make strengthens the university in navigating an increasingly complex world.”  

Kevin Baker was also impressed by UCL’s commitment to tackling global challenges. With issues such as climate change and the continued roll-out of renewable energy so vital, he hopes to inspire students to embrace their societal mission and contribute to a community which makes a difference.   

“I’m proud to be a small part of the current legacy of both UCL and UCL Chemical Engineering,” he said. “When I think about the future, I believe that the world will be an even better place because of the contribution the people of UCL Engineering have made.”  

“I am incredibly grateful to the Class of 1981,” said Professor Eva Sorensen, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. “It has been a pleasure to establish this new Prize thanks to their collective support. The willingness to also make their donation to our departmental endowment ensures that this Prize can be awarded for at least 20 years and will benefit numerous generations of Chemical Engineering students at UCL.” 

43 years after graduation, the Class of 1981 are making their own invaluable contribution to the values of collaboration and community that have bonded them for so long. 

“When I think about the future, I believe that the world will be an even better place because of the contribution the people of UCL Engineering have made.”