London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine stands in Bloomsbury, central London, on Keppel Street. Its Art Deco headquarters was completed in 1929 to house a school founded in 1899 by Sir Patrick Manson. Manson, a Scottish physician who had worked in the Far East, believed doctors needed training in tropical diseases for Britain’s colonial service. The school began at the Albert Dock Seamen’s Hospital before moving to central London in 1920. It received its Royal Charter in 1924 and became part of the University of London. Today it focuses only on postgraduate education and advanced research. The school is recognised for its role in major global health emergencies. Its scientists helped tackle the West African Ebola epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. The institution operates large research units in The Gambia and Uganda alongside sites in over a hundred countries. It employs more than 3,500 staff across three countries and trains around 1,000 postgraduate students on campus each year. Degrees are awarded under the University of London charter. Since 2021 it has been led by Director Professor Liam Smeeth CBE. Inside the Keppel Street building visitors find lecture halls, laboratories and a specialist library. The Art Deco architecture includes wide corridors and tall windows that let in natural light. Outside, the Bloomsbury streets are lined with historic institutions and quiet gardens. The school’s history is visible in its fabric, from the 1929 move to its wartime repairs. Nearby Malet Street marks the boundary of the University of London’s central campus.