Sharon Ellis

Dr Sharon Ellis first joined Queen Mary University of London in November 2018 and was the Director of Research & Innovation prior to her current role. In her time at Queen Mary she has played a key role in delivering the University’s strategic research and innovation ambitions. She supported high quality, impactful research and innovation, and helped ensure Queen Mary maintains and grows from its position as one of the leading research-intensive universities.

Before entering higher education, Sharon built a wealth of previous senior leadership experience from her roles in several central Civil Service Departments (Environment, Transport, and Business). As a Director, she led a wide range of policy agendas both domestic and international, several public body reforms and a range of short-term postings in response to national emergencies, to lead in preparations for issues such as nationwide flood recovery.

Sharon holds a PhD in Climate Change from the University of Birmingham. She is a graduate of the UK Civil Service’s Senior Leaders Scheme, an accelerated development programme for leaders, and a current University of Cambridge policy fellow. She is a Governor at Homerton University NHS Trust. She is also a lead Reviewer for Public Body Reviews for the Cabinet Office and External Review for the Cabinet Office Infrastructure projects Authority.