Originally from Benin City, Nigeria, Franklin obtained a BSc (Hons) in chemistry from the University of East Anglia and a DPhil from the University of Sussex. He joined Cambridge in 1997, where he is Professor of Molecular Imaging Chemistry within its School of Clinical Medicine and was for a significant period the university's only Black professor. He is a Senior Research Fellow at Magdalene College Cambridge, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Fellow and council member of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He previously co-chaired Cambridge's Race Equality Network and currently serves as Diversity Champion for the Academy of Medical Sciences and Co-Chair of the MRC Black in Biomedical Research Advisory Group.

Tomi Akingbade is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge investigating inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, and the Founder of the Black Women in Science (BWiS) Network. During her undergraduate degree, her passion for equity and representation in the scientific industry led her to create BWiS Network. Since its launch, BWiS Network has grown to be a safe space for Black women in Science; a global platform providing networking and career opportunities; as well as a contributing voice to legislative movements towards equity in the Sciences. She is also Deputy Chair of the Black in Biomedical Research Group.