Prof Sir Jim Smith joined the Institute in 2026 as Interim Director.
Professor Smith is currently Chair of the Council of the Zoological Society of London and Emeritus Scientist at the Francis Crick Institute. His research focussed on cell-cell interactions in early vertebrate development and in stem cell differentiation. He has been Director of the Gurdon Institute and a member of the Babraham Board, and more recently was Director of Research at the Francis Crick Institute, Deputy CEO of the Medical Research Council, and Director of Science at the Wellcome Trust.