Lee-Ann Coleman joined the British Library in 2007 and heads a team with a range of skills and expertise in scientific research and information provision. A key aspect of the Library’s science strategy is to work closely with the scientific research community to understand its needs and develop products and services to enable discovery of and use of information.
Lee-Ann trained as a neuroscientist, completing a PhD at the University of Western Australia, where she studied the development of the visual system. Further research was undertaken during postdoctoral positions in the United States and at Oxford. She moved from the lab bench to scientific administration at the Medical Research Council, followed by posts at King’s College London and the Association of Medical Research Charities. She is currently a Special Trustee at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
At the British Library she has been closely involved in the development of Europe PubMed Central and sits on the Europe PMC Project Board. The British Library was one of the founding members of DataCite and Lee-Ann was elected to the DataCite Board in 2012. Her team is working with a major data centres and universities in the UK to deliver DataCite services. Lee-Ann is a strong advocate of open access to research, as well as public engagement with science.