Post by Allan Driver

Last week I attended Queen Mary University of London's Founders Day 2026, now in its third year and held in the iconic Octagon Room. Over 250 guests gathered to celebrate a heritage spanning more than 240 years across four founding institutions, each built on the same mission: to open the doors of opportunity to those who needed it most. The evening honoured two outstanding alumni. Jo Parker-Swift, Founder and CEO of SOLIVUS, received an Honorary Doctor of Sciences for her work in clean energy and inclusive engineering. Dr Gerard Lyons, economist and policy voice, received an Honorary Doctor of Letters for decades of contribution to global finance and economics. A lovely touch was the video message from his daughter Elf Lyons, herself a Queen Mary alumna, who was unable to attend due to an international tour but who also received the Honorary Doctor of Letters. Beyond the ceremony, the interactive research stalls were genuinely inspiring. From seaweed-based materials tackling plastic pollution to virtual reality amplifying Indigenous voices at COP30, the breadth of impact coming out of a single institution is remarkable. In a moment that felt almost scripted, a PETA protestor arrived at the event to challenge the University's use of animals in research. The irony was not lost on anyone in the room: one of the evening's featured research stalls was showcasing Queen Mary's organ-on-a-chip technology, a pioneering approach that replicates human organ function in the lab and is actively reducing the need for animal testing altogether. Sometimes the timing writes itself. The highlight for me personally was meeting the team at nattüra, a Queen Mary Innovation spin-out currently raising their seed round. Their lead product is a peptide-powered toothpaste tablet using gamma-PGA peptides and fluoride to strengthen enamel, reduce staining, and deliver long-lasting oral care whilst eliminating the plastic tube entirely. Sharp science, clean positioning, and exactly the kind of real-world spin-out that makes Queen Mary's innovation mission tangible. To the nattüra team and everyone at Queen Mary University of London, thank you for a truly memorable evening.