Women In Innovation Purple Plaque Unveiled At St Swithun’s, Winchester

Claire Trant, the co-founder and CEO of Untap Health, visited her former school St Swithun’s earlier this week to unveil a purple plaque after winning a national Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Dr Trant was joined by members of her family, St Swithun’s headmistress Jane Gandee, Richard Roberts from Innovate UK and some of the school community to unveil the plaque outside of the science department before speaking to students to help inspire the next generation.

‘It was an honour to return to St Swithun’s to receive a plaque,’ explained Dr Trant. ‘The school supported me in my most formative years, from eight to 18, both through my academic growth and extra-curricular.’

Beyond obtaining a PhD in AeroEngine development, Dr Trant has over eight years of experience in wastewater research and innovation. She also has a degree in Physics and a Master’s in Petroleum GeoPhysics from Imperial College London. Perhaps her most notable project, though, is Untap Health, for which she won the aforementioned Women in Innovation Award. 

Untap Health provides an early warning system for viral and bacteria outbreaks, detecting all kinds of pathogens from Covid-19, to MRSA and E Coli, using cutting-edge proprietary wastewater surveillance hardware and software.

Purple plaques have been unveiled in schools since 2022 to recognise the achievements of Women in Innovation Award winners, to inspire more girls into STEM.

Talking to pupils at the school, Dr Trant said: ‘Supporting young women in STEM is crucial for a balanced society. We’ve offered internships to help them develop business skills before entering the job market. STEM sectors need diversity for true innovation that reflects society. Viral transmission affects us all, and though sewage technology may seem unappealing, I aim to inspire more women to explore these vital, yet overlooked, fields.’

Jane Gandee, Headmistress of St Swithun’s, a Winchester girls’ school, founded in 1884, said: ‘We believe that all of our students should have the opportunity to pursue their interests and passions, and not be confined by outdated gender stereotypes of what women should or should not do. It is inspiring for them to see the success Claire has had through her own grit and invention. We are very proud of her and what she has gone on to achieve.’