Julian C. Rayner

Julian C. Rayner is Professor and Director of the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research (CIMR) at the University of Cambridge. He is also Honorary Faculty at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, where he previously served as Senior Group Leader (2008–2020) and Director of Wellcome Connecting Science (2014–2024). His research deciphers host–parasite interactions in malaria with the goal of identifying new drug and vaccine targets.

Education & Career Path:

• Undergraduate studies in New Zealand
• PhD with Dr Hugh Pelham, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge University
• Post-doctoral fellow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA (1998)
• Assistant Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
• Group Leader → Senior Group Leader, Wellcome Sanger Institute (2008–2020)
• Director, Wellcome Genome Campus Connecting Science (2014–2024)
• Director, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge (2019–present)

Research Focus
Rayner’s laboratory investigates how Plasmodium parasites recognise and invade human red blood cells. Combining large-scale genetic screens, proteomics, and genomics, the team has:

• Identified essential invasion complexes (e.g., RH5-basigin) now entering human vaccine trials.
• Performed the first genome-scale mutagenesis screens in P. falciparum to prioritise drug targets.
• Used primate malaria parasites to uncover the evolutionary origins of human Plasmodium species.

Scientific Awards & Recognition

• CA Wright Medal for Parasitology, British Society for Parasitology
• Elected President, American Council for Molecular, Cellular and Immunoparasitology, ASTMH

Collaborations & Capacity Building
Rayner co-leads the Malaria Genomic Epidemiology Network (MalariaGEN) and the Plasmodium Genetic Modification Project (PlasmoGEM), fostering partnerships in Kenya, Ghana, India, Colombia and beyond. He has mentored numerous PhD students and post-docs, many from malaria-endemic countries, and champions public engagement through art, literature and global training programmes.

Laboratory & Platforms

• Rayner Group at CIMR – core malaria biology and translational research
• Wellcome Connecting Science – learning, training and public engagement in genomics
• PlasmoGEM – community resource for large-scale Plasmodium genetics
• MalariaGEN – genomic epidemiology consortium spanning >20 countries