Sarah Deakin

Sarah obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences at The University of Exeter.
Upon graduation Sarah completed a Masters Degree in Immunology at the University of Birmingham and remained to undertake a PhD in the Department of Medicine, entitled ‘Novel Mechanisms of Lymphocyte Recruitment to the Liver’, which resulted in the publication of several papers.
Sarah left academia to pursue a career in sales and prior to joining Oxford University Innovation was a Technical Sales Specialist with Invitrogen Ltd.
In her first year with Invitrogen she was awarded ‘Best New Sales Recruit’.
Sarah joined Oxford University Innovation as a Technology Transfer Manager in October 2006.
Sarah is part of the Digital Health, Medical Device and Bioinformatics team and is currently leading the strategy on data for OUI.
Sarah has a passion for social ventures, companies that put purpose before profit, and leads the team offering support to create these entities from the University.
Along with Philippa Christoforou, and in partnership with the Development Office, Sarah and Philippa run OxReach, the crowdfunding platform for social good projects from the University of Oxford.
They have supported six successful campaigns, raising over £300,000 in total for the projects which have all benefitted substantially from the public support that they received and are now creating local and international impact.
Greater Change was the first crowdfunded project to incorporate as a social enterprise.
It enables the public to donate to help a homeless person achieve long-term goals to leave homelessness behind.
Since 2019, Greater Change has supported over 200 people, out of homelessness.