Sarah Cossey
Chief Operating Officer
Advanced Training
The Advanced Training programme at the Earlham Institute delivers high-quality, specialist training and development opportunities to the UK and international research community.
The Operations Division at Earlham Institute brings together specialist expertise to provide support across all our main activities and infrastructure, enabling us to deliver world-class science and innovation.
About the division.
At Earlham Institute we believe we can achieve more if we work together. The Operations Group brings together interdisciplinary expertise across infrastructure, commercialisation and impact, skills development and training, communications, and corporate services to support and drive economic and social impact from our science.
We work with our scientific colleagues to deliver and maintain the cutting-edge computing infrastructure and technology platforms needed to enable our research.
Through a diverse programme of training and support, committees and working groups, and a commitment to learning and improving, we strive to nurture and develop an environment and culture where everyone at Earlham Institute can thrive.
Key areas.
Business Development & Impact
Delivering long-term social and economic impact from our research, world class science and capability and supporting with knowledge exchange and commercialisation across a range of stakeholders.
Business Support
The Business Support team are the first point of contact for the Earlham Institute, and provide essential day-to-day support to colleagues and visitors at the Institute.
Communications
The communications team works across digital, creative design and public engagement to communicate our research to a range of audiences both locally and internationally.
Inclusivity, equality, diversity and accessibility
We are committed to building and maintaining a workplace that treats every individual with dignity and respect. By taking an active approach to fostering inclusivity, diversity, equality and accessibility, we will empower our community to achieve more.
Operational and Laboratory Management
We work to ensure efficient and smooth running of the Institute facilities and safe operations of the cutting-edge genome laboratoris.
Policy Impact and Advocacy
We engage with policy makers at all levels of government and across the political spectrum to exchange knowledge and inform public policy decisions.
Team members.
Related reading.
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27 July 2026
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Unlocking the agricultural value of clover
Across fields and grasslands, clovers often go unnoticed beneath our feet, but for PhD researcher Jhih-Sheng Liu, they provide a fascinating opportunity to understand how genomics can deliver tangible benefits for farmers and the environment.
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The lab is my happy place: What I've learnt from a decade of long-read sequencing
Specialising in long-read sequencing, Naomi has been at the forefront of developing this groundbreaking technology. Her work has unlocked hidden parts of the genome and created brand new reference genomes as part of the European Genome Reference Atlas.
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02 July 2026
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Boundless curiosity and the desire to make a difference are often the twin pillars that drive scientists in their career. And this is especially true for Chinemerem Akamihe, whose passion for learning and helping others has already set her on a fantastic path for success.
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24 June 2026
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The Making of a Computational Biologist: Dr Graham Etherington
Dr Graham Etherington, senior computational biologist at the Earlham Institute, brings warmth and humour to everything he does. However, behind the smile is a strong determination to succeed which has propelled Graham throughout his career.
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11 June 2026
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Together towards FAIR: the community behind the data
Cataloguing and pooling vast life science datasets across disciplines, institutes and infrastructure is no mean feat. Yet this is precisely the task facing the ambitious BioFAIR team.
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07 May 2026
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Advancing understanding of rare liver diseases through clinical and genomic collaboration
Dr Meha Patel, a Wellcome Trust Clinical PhD Fellow in the Macaulay group at the Earlham Institute, exemplifies the power of collaborative research at the Norwich Research Park.
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05 May 2026
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Breaking the silos: How open collaboration is transforming plant pangenomics
Pangenomes are transforming plant genomic research by capturing the vast genetic diversity that traditional, single reference genomes often miss.
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11 March 2026
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Fourteen things we learned about organising an inclusive conference
In March 2025, the first BBSRC-funded Connecting Research Culture Conference was held at Norwich Research Park, organised by the Earlham Institute.
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February 11, 2026
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I told myself science wasn’t for me. I was wrong.
Today we celebrate International Women and Girls in Science Day - a powerful call to advocate for women's representation in STEM. Sarah Brady, Head of Communications at the Earlham Institute, reflects on her personal journey into the world of science and the impact it has had on her life.