In 2020, the world stopped when the deadly novel coronavirus swept the planet. In a matter of weeks, society was brought to a standstill, economies shut down, and families were separated, as we were all confined to our homes. A year later, we find ourselves still confined, with over 100 million cases confirmed worldwide, and over 2.5 million dead from Covid-19.

A successful vaccination programme is the only way out. Only through a combination of cutting-edge science, collective effort, and individual sacrifice, will we be able to see loved ones again, to resume our lives, and to save lives.

Our 2021 Rosalind Franklin Lecturer is Professor Sarah Gilbert, Oxford Project Leader for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which was approved in the UK in late December and has since contributed to the first-dose vaccination of over 20 million of the most vulnerable people in the country. Her lecture, Racing against the virus, charts the incredible work undertaken to bring about a life-saving – and hopefully, soon, liberating – vaccine in the space of less than a year, part of an unprecedented global scientific response to the coronavirus challenge.

The Rosalind Franklin Lecture, held to mark International Women’s Day, took place on Friday 5 March 2021, and was chaired by Samira Ahmed.

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