Dr Matt Webster became Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University in September 2022. Prior to joining the University of Winchester, Matt held academic leadership roles at Anglia Ruskin University.

Matt brings a leadership perspective developed from his time across a range of commercial, charity and health sectors and is proud to be a part of the University of Winchester.

Matt is a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a Chartered Scientist. His scientific career began with research and leadership roles within the pharmaceutical sector- specifically with teams supporting drug discovery and automation. Matt completed his PhD in Protein X-ray Crystallography with the University of London and was awarded a Research Fellowship at the Cancer Research UK London laboratories focusing on the biological processes of DNA repair and maintenance.

Matt’s passion is for the social mobility that university education can bring and the positive legacy this leaves within families. To follow this passion, Matt left the bench to establish and deliver accessible science education in low participation areas of Essex. This role led to academic positions with ARU and progression through the academic career pathway to the senior leadership team.

Matt has devoted significant time to serve the academic and wider community and is most proud of the impact achieved in widening participation, through supporting the Advance HE Aurora project, NHS Governorship and as a founding member of the Inner-London mentorship pathways project.

Support, mentorship and development are key pillars to Matt’s leadership approach, and he believes in providing colleagues with opportunities to be innovative and entrepreneurial in their work.