I am a senior research leader with a background in neurodegenerative diseases and over a decade of experience shaping and delivering research and funding strategy at scale. As Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, I oversaw a research portfolio of approximately £30 million annually, managing several funding schemes across discovery, translational and clinical research, and leading the departmental team. I was responsible for designing funding calls, establishing new partnerships, strengthening peer review processes, and aligning investment strategy with organisational priorities to maximise scientific impact. At the Francis Crick Institute, as Head of Translation Operations, I led the operational delivery of translational programmes supporting the Crick's research groups, coordinating cross-functional teams across science, legal, finance, and industry partnerships to accelerate the progression of discoveries toward application. Currently, as a member of the senior leadership team at MIA-Portugal, I support the delivery of the institute's science strategy during a critical growth phase, with responsibility for external funding, ethics governance, training and development, and human resources. I have implemented core administrative and operational systems and focused on strengthening MIA-Portugal’s competitiveness in national and European funding frameworks, enabling our growth and international positioning.