Applications for the Annabel Griffiths Rare Disease Project are now closed. We are grateful to all applicants and will be in touch with shortlisted partners to discuss next steps.
If you think that Costello Medical may be able to provide support that would help to advance your aims or tackle a challenge that you are facing, our Expression of Interest form is open throughout the year.
Annabel joined Costello Medical in 2015. Annabel was a truly phenomenal force; most notably, it was Annabel who spearheaded our Rare Diseases services and established the division back in 2018. As Global Head of Rare Diseases, she played a critical role in supporting our academic research efforts and had a huge positive impact on the rare disease sector.
Following a diagnosis of a rare cancer in early 2024, Annabel died in March 2025.
Annabel approached her life with bravery, positivity, humour, ambition, compassion, and selflessness and she forever changed the direction of Costello Medical for the better. The Annabel Griffiths Rare Disease Project has been established in her name – to honour this incredible person and to ensure Annabel’s impact in rare diseases continues.
Costello Medical provides scientific support to the healthcare industry in the analysis, interpretation and communication of clinical and health economic data. The majority of our clients are pharmaceutical and MedTech companies, but we recognise that commercial channels are not the only route to improving health. We therefore devote ourselves to non-profit projects in which our knowledge can be applied to effect real benefits to public and mental health. In 2021, this commitment to supporting non-profit projects led to the development of a dedicated pro bono division at Costello Medical.
For more information about our services and expertise, please take a look at What We Do and visit our portfolio for recent examples of projects that we have completed on a pro bono basis.
In line with our other pro bono projects, we offered our services, free of charge, to support charities and non-profit organisations working in rare diseases. In addition to our services, we offered a one-off donation up to a total of £50,000.
We were seeking projects where our scientific support and our financial donation could be used together to drive forward an initiative and the impact of a charity. Given Annabel’s incredible professional and personal bravery, we were particularly looking for projects that pushed an organisation outside its comfort zone.
As this was the inaugural year of this project, we provided illustrative examples that could be a good fit. Please note that the following examples were illustrative only – we would consider all projects that demonstrate innovation and impact:
