Professor Sharon Peacock

Sharon Peacock has built a diverse career in healthcare, driven by a deep passion for learning. After training as a doctor and specialising in clinical microbiology, she pursued a PhD and entered the rewarding world of clinical academia. Over the past 15 years, she has focused on transitioning microbial sequencing from research into routine clinical use, aiming to improve outcomes for patients and populations. Her leadership of the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) for three

years demonstrated the power of large-scale SARS-CoV-2 sequencing, fundamentally shifting perceptions of microbial sequencing as an essential tool rather than an academic luxury.

Her commitment to the NHS led her to train with the Financial Times as a Non-Executive Director. Since 2015, she has served on the board of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, currently as Senior Independent Director. Sharon is passionate about equipping future generations to tackle global challenges through fair access to education and opportunity. She has supervised numerous postgraduate students over 25 years and now contributes through leadership and governance.

She is Master of Churchill College, member of Council at the University of Cambridge and actively mentors across STEM and other disciplines.