Camilla Simpson – BioLeader Interview
Camilla Simpson BioLeader Interview - Camilla Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, Zehna Therapeutics (April 2022) Camilla Simpson has over two decades of business and strategy experience across a diverse group of organizations: from seed investments to public companies. Camilla has demonstrated a proven track record in delivering novel products for multiple disease indications to global markets in areas of high unmet medical need throughout her career. Currently, Camilla is CEO of Zehna Therapeutics, Inc a seed stage startup and spin out of the Cleveland Clinic. Prior to this, Camilla founded Rare Strategic LLC where she provided strategic advice to early-stage [...]
Susan Hill – BioLeader Interview
Susan Hill BioLeader Interview - Susan Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Mestag Therapeutics and Venture Partner with SV Health Investors (February 2022) Susan Hill is founding Chief Executive Officer of Mestag Therapeutics, a Cambridge (UK)- based biotech company developing new therapeutics for inflammatory disease and cancer. Mestag explores the role of fibroblasts in influencing the immune environment in disease, supported by leading global investors SV Health Investors, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Forbion, GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Northpond Ventures. The company raised seed financing of $45m in 2021 and was recognized on the 2021 Fierce 15 list of [...]
Billy Boyle – BioLeader Interview
Billy Boyle BioLeader Interview - Billy Boyle, Chief Executive Officer, Owlstone Medical (January 2022) Billy Boyle is an engineering graduate from the University of Cambridge. He is one of the original co-founders of Owlstone Inc, spun out of Cambridge in 2004 with the goal of developing the applications of field asymmetric ion mobility spectroscopy (FAIMS). Billy started to focus on the medical applications of FAIMS technology after his wife, Kate, was diagnosed and later died of colon cancer as a result of a late diagnosis. He worked closely with clinical partners who integrated FAIMS technology across a broad spectrum [...]
Neelam Patel – BioLeader Interview
Neelam Patel BioLeader Interview - Neelam Patel, Chief Executive Officer MedCity (January 2022) Neelam is CEO of MedCity, the life sciences cluster organisation for London, which plays a pivotal role in bridging industry, NHS and academia to boost innovation and economic growth. Neelam’s extensive experience spans the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She has worked with the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, the European Innovative Medicines Initiative and collaborated with NHS England, NICE and Public Health England. Neelam regularly supports companies with R&D, advising on the UK regulatory and access landscape, and is actively working to shape delivery of [...]
Helen Slaski – BioLeader Interview
Helen Slaski BioLeader Interview - Helen Slaski, Chief Executive Officer Cambridge Science Centre (October 2021) Qualifying as a Pharmacist from London School of Pharmacy (now UCL) and specialising in Pharmaceutical Engineering Sciences, I started my working career with GSK in operations management, moving to international production support and subsequently as Executive Assistant to the Group Technical Director. Escaping to complete an MBA at London Business School, I have since had forays into strategic consultancy, newspaper and magazine publishing, FMCG manufacturing, medical device design and development and an organisation of international language schools. I was thrilled to join Cambridge Science [...]
Fiona Nielsen – BioLeader Interview
Fiona Nielsen BioLeader Interview - Fiona Nielsen, Chief Operating Officer at o2h Technology (October 2021) Fiona Nielsen is the Chief Operating Officer at o2h Technology, the software services arm of o2h Group. The o2h Technology team of expert engineers are specialised in building web and mobile app MVPs for start-ups primarily in life sciences, health tech and green tech. Fiona got her degrees in computer science and bioinformatics in Denmark and the Netherlands. She moved to Cambridge to specialise in genomics and next-generation sequencing, working for Illumina. She left Illumina to found the charity DNAdigest and the company Repositive [...]
Alex Leech – BioLeader Interview
Alex Leech BioLeader Interview - Alex Leech, Chair at 2N Pharma, Company Builder and CEO (September 2021) An experienced company creator and CEO with a successful track record. Key milestones in your career journey to date? As CEO, raising $82m in 2020 for Alchemab, which we built in 16 months from a standing start; as a result of having a world-class team and a great concept. This and our timing created a great UK company and strong investment opportunity. Leading Creabilis between 2015-2017, as CEO; with the remit to exit; during which we explored listing and ultimately sold the [...]
Barbara Domayne-Hayman – BioLeader Interview
Barbara Domayne-Hayman BioLeader Interview - Barbara Domayne-Hayman, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at The Francis Crick Institute and Board Director (August 2021) I am a company builder and deal-maker in biotech, who has successfully transitioned from working in large organisations to an entrepreneurial environment and mindset. I want to make a real contribution to society through the commercialisation of new science. I also have a passion for opera and playing the harp and piano. Key milestones in your career journey to date? I received amazing support from my parents to pursue whatever career route I chose - which was initially a difficult decision [...]
Dr. David Atkins – BioLeader Interview
Dr. David Atkins BioLeader Interview - Dr. David Atkins, CEO Congenica (August 2021) Accomplished global healthcare leader with strong emerging markets experience in a broad range of medical device sectors and specialty clinical services. Expertise includes clinical and molecular diagnostics, anatomic pathology, wound management, minimally invasive and general surgery, orthopaedics, sterilisation, aesthetics and cellular diagnostics. Business leadership Internationally in US, Canada, EU, Emerging Markets (Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America). Start-up ventures, turnaround and high-growth enterprise expertise. Broad functional expertise in sales and marketing, R&D pipeline, product development, QRC and operations and business development. Key milestones in your career [...]
Dr. Kevin Pojasek – BioLeader Interview
Dr. Kevin Pojasek BioLeader Interview - Dr. Kevin Pojasek, CEO Enara Bio (July 2021) Dr. Pojasek is a biotech executive with nearly 20 years’ experience founding and leading companies in the US and UK. Dr. Pojasek is currently President and CEO of Enara Bio, as well as Founder and Director of Catamaran Bio and Venture Partner for SV Health Investors. Prior to joining SV, Dr. Pojasek was Chief Strategy and Business Officer and a member of the executive leadership team at Immunocore Ltd. Prior to joining Immunocore, Dr. Pojasek was President, Chief Executive Officer of Quartet Medicine, a company [...]