Jeremy Farrar

In 2003, when bird flu reemerged in humans, studies at a key lab in Vietnam run by a British clinician gave the world deep insights into the virus. When that same physician, Jeremy Farrar, became head of the Wellcome Trust and its $26 billion endowment two years ago, infectious disease research got a new global champion. Under Farrar, Wellcome has not only doubled down on Ebola research but also fast tracked clinical trials of potential treatments.