As Head of Grants, Communications and Policy Engagement at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), she leads multidisciplinary teams spanning Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal, providing strategic oversight of grants management, research communications, and policy engagement across one of the world’s leading infectious disease research programmes.
Throughout her career, Katrina has built and led high-performing research support functions that enable researchers to secure funding, deliver complex international projects, strengthen partnerships, and maximise the societal impact of scientific research. She established OUCRU’s grants service and has played a key role in developing sustainable research management systems and professional capacity in Southeast Asia. Her expertise spans the full research lifecycle, including grant development, research governance, funder relations, programme strategy, team leadership, organisational development, stakeholder engagement, and research uptake.
Katrina is particularly recognised for her ability to bridge research management, communications, and policy engagement to ensure that research generates tangible benefits for health systems and communities. She has successfully secured and managed strategic funding initiatives, including support from Wellcome, and has led efforts to strengthen institutional engagement with policymakers, funders, and research partners across the region.
Beyond OUCRU, Katrina contributes to the advancement of the research management profession through engagement with international initiatives such as the Indian Research Management Initiative and the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI). She is a strong advocate for professionalising research management, developing local leadership capacity, and strengthening equitable research systems in low- and middle-income countries.
Katrina is widely regarded as a trusted and collaborative leader who brings together researchers, funders, institutions, and policymakers to develop sustainable research environments that support excellence, innovation, and impact.
