I qualified in Medicine from the University of Oxford in 1980. After working around the UK in hospital medicine and research, I joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1986. I am a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. For over 30 years I have been engaged in global vaccine clinical R&D across all phases, in Lederle, Wyeth, Emergent BioSolutions, sanofi-pasteur MSD, and most recently Pfizer. I was involved with bringing some major vaccines to the clinic, including the first pneumococcal and the first meningococcal conjugate vaccines and the first modRNA COVID-19 vaccine, but have also learnt much from less successful developments. I am currently a consultant with Hurst Grange Associates, stephenlockhart@hurstgrangeassociates.co.uk.