The Wellcame Trust Network

Abstract

The Wellcome Trust very much appreciates being described as having a network of parasitological research. We are bound to say, however, that we do not equate tropical medicine with parasitology nor did we have it in mind to create a network when we started building up our programme in tropical medicine. We take our basis of tropical medicine as the scientific study of diseases that occur in the tropics. In particular, we feel that there are two new major opportunities that have occurred in tropical medicine in recent years. First, the application of modern methodology to basic problems as is so well illustrated by the interests developed through the Rockefeller programme, and second, the application of modern science to the clinical investigation of patients. Our philosophy is that we should support individuals of appropriate quality to undertake the work in which they are interested. We are anxious to encourage them to undertake work on the problems as they occur in man in endemic regions and to maintain their links with home bases in the North. While this is our philosophy, I must admit that we do not adhere to it rigidly and we are expedient according to the circumstances.