Mrs Kate Rowlands

Kate Rowlands is the Programme Officer for MalariaGEN and joined LSTM in 2025 when the administrative home of MalariaGEN relocated. MalariaGEN is a global network of researchers using genomic data to advance malaria control. In her role, Kate oversees the project portfolio of the UK‑based team, leads project management activities, supports business and grant development and maintains strategic relationships across a broad international community, with a particular focus on collaborators in Africa and Southeast Asia.

Although MalariaGEN was formally founded in 2005, Kate has been part of the same global health team since 2000. She began her career establishing an RSV bronchiolitis genetic study, before quickly moving into the malaria research space. At the University of Oxford’s high‑throughput laboratory, she managed and processed large volumes of samples and contributed to the generation of genomic data that formed a foundation for MalariaGEN’s vision. She later transitioned into project management at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, supporting a wide range of MalariaGEN‑related research programmes and operational initiatives.

During the COVID‑19 pandemic, Kate briefly stepped away from malaria to support the UK’s genomic surveillance response to SARS‑CoV‑2, coordinating operations within one of the country’s largest testing laboratories. Her career reflects a long‑standing commitment to global health, deep expertise within the MalariaGEN community, and strong experience in large‑scale scientific collaboration and the effective delivery of complex research programmes.