bioProcessUK

Paul Corbishley

Technical Director, AstraZeneca

No bio provided

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Bert de Vet

Head of Commercial EMEA BioProcessing , Merck

Bert de Vet has over 30 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and Life Science industries.  

Bert joined Millipore in 1998 as Account Manager in The Netherlands. He occupied several functions throughtout his carreer, like: Sales Manager UK & Netherlands for Millipore Bioprocess, Sales Director Western Europe before holding the position of Sr. Sales Director in Global Key Accounts for Process Solutions at Merck Millipore. Since 2016, he has been leading as VP & Head of Commercial EMEA for the Process Solutions business for Merck Life Science.
Next to that Bert holds the Managing Director function for Merck Life Science N.V.

Before joining Millipore, Bert worked for 9 years in a variety of roles in the pharmaceutical industry, where he acquired a deep knowledge of Biopharma processes and a solid understanding of regulatory requirements. 

Bert has an Engineer's degree in Biotechnology from the Hogeschool Arnhem, The Netherlands.

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Kit Erlebach

Senior Director, Engineering, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies

Kit is responsible for Engineering and EHS at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies in the UK. Kit has also worked as a Biochemical Engineer for 20 years and holds a Lean Six Sigma leader Master Black Belt qualification. He has applied LSS to quality, engineering and manufacturing in the course of leading laboratory construction projects totalling more than £100M. Kit has a first degree from Nottingham University in Chemical Engineering and a PhD from Cambridge University in Chemical Engineering and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. He an MBA from the Open University as part of the ATAC programme.

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Gary Finka

Senior Director, CMC Knowledge Management, GSK

No bio provided

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John Garcia

Senior Research Fellow, UCL

Dr John K. Garcia is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of Novel Technologies within the UCL CAR T-cell GMP Manufacturing Team (Royal Free Hospital), part of the most comprehensive academic CAR T-cell programme in Europe. Since joining in 2020, John has driven technology transfer, process optimisation, and the initiation of new clinical trials, helping translate early-stage research into GMP-compliant cell therapies for patients across UCL's early phase trials. His work sits at the intersection of cleanroom manufacturing, novel process development, and regulatory delivery — experience he brings to the EcoCAR consortium of academic, industry and public health experts. John will showcase the project's mission to re-engineer viral vector design and consolidate CAR T cell manufacturing into a streamlined, sustainable "one-pot" process, reducing plastic waste and clean-room energy burden. This cutting-edge work will position the UK at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing of advanced therapies.

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Cath Green

Head of Clinical BioManufacturing Facility, University of Oxford

Catherine Green is Professor of Clinical Biomanufacturing at the University of Oxford. She also heads the Nuffield Department of Medicine’s Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility and is a Fellow at Exeter College, Oxford.

Professor Green’s passion for science was solidified during her years spent studying biochemistry as an undergraduate at the University of Cambridge. She went on to receive an Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK) scholarship to complete her PhD research in the genetics of yeast DNA damage responses. Prior to joining the University of Oxford in 2012, Green held several prestigious fellowships, including a Marie Curie Fellowship at the Institut Curie in Paris, and a Cancer Research UK Research Fellowship in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, investigating the repair and replication of DNA damage in human cells.

Currently, Professor Green specialises in creating IMPs for clinical trials. She and her team at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility have developed several novel vaccines for first-in-human trials, targeting diseases such as Ebola virus, Zika virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, plague, gonorrhoea, and rabies, amongst others. The CBF aims to provide the link between academic research and clinical drug development, to allow all our collaborators to make rapid progress into clinical trials.

In 2021, Green was awarded an OBE for her services to science and public health following her significant contribution as manufacturing lead in the development of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

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Lian Ni Lee

Co-Founder & VP Preclinical, Infinitopes

No bio provided

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Daniel Markl

Professor in Pharmaceutical Product Engineering, CMAC, University of Strathclyde

No bio provided

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Ricky Martin

Founder and CEO, Hyper Recruitment Solutions (HRS)

Ricky Martin is the Founder and CEO of Hyper Recruitment Solutions (HRS), a specialist life sciences recruitment company supporting the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sectors across the UK, Europe, and the US. With a degree in Biochemistry from Cardiff University and nearly 20 years of industry experience, Ricky has built HRS into a recognised talent partner supporting organisations across bioprocessing, advanced therapies, manufacturing, and scientific leadership.

HRS was founded following investment from Lord Alan Sugar after Ricky appeared on BBC’s The Apprentice in 2012. A member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Ricky is passionate about supporting innovation, long term partnerships, and the growth of STEM careers across the life sciences industry.

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Caterina Minelli

Principal Scientist , National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

No bio provided

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Chris Molloy

CEO, BIA

Chris Molloy is a senior international life sciences executive, scientist, board director and advisor with more than 35 years’ experience across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, diagnostics, digital health, data science and healthcare innovation. 

His career has spanned leadership roles from global drug discovery at Glaxo to venture-backed biotech, R&D technology, executive search and national innovation strategy. He founded and led Medicines Discovery Catapult, the UK’s national centre for drug discovery innovation, and during the COVID-19 pandemic served as founding Director of the UK’s Lighthouse Labs network, the largest diagnostic programmes in British history. 

Chris has chaired and advised multiple biotech and healthcare companies, supported governments and investors internationally. He serves as a Trustee of The Institute of Cancer Research, is an Honorary Professor at The University of Manchester, and is Independent Chair of PharosAI. 

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Angela Osborne

Founder & Board Director, eXmoor Pharma

Angela Osborne is Founder and Board Director of eXmoor Pharma, a UK cell and gene therapy partner supporting developers from strategy through process development, GMP manufacturing and commercialisation. A biochemical engineer with a BSc Eng and PhD from University College London, Angela founded eXmoor in 2004 and has helped grow it from specialist consultancy to integrated CDMO. With more than 30 years’ experience in biopharmaceutical and advanced therapy businesses, facilities and processes, she works with clients to align technical requirements with strategic goals and meaningful patient impact. Driven by a passion for bringing life-changing therapies to patients, Angela is also co-founder of the amc (ATMP Manufacturing Community), supporting best practice across the sector. She is valued for technical depth, commercial perspective and collaborative problem-solving. Away from work, Angela enjoys the southwest coast path, campervanning, gardening on her Exmoor farm, sailing the south Devon coast and horse riding.

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Rachel Roberts

Radiochemist and Technical Lead, Health and Nuclear Medicine , United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL)

Rachel is a radiochemist and technical lead in the Health and Nuclear Medicine team at the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL). Her work focuses on the recovery and production of alpha-emitting radionuclides from legacy UK nuclear materials for medical applications, with particular expertise in ²¹²Pb derived from reprocessed uranium. She leads UKNNL's Core Science programme in medical radionuclides and previously led the organisation's contribution to the EU-funded SECURE project. Rachel is currently Principal Investigator for the UKRI-funded Project Alpha 10.6, which is the focus of this presentation.

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Annelise Soulier

Co-Founder and CSO, Neobe Therapeutics

Annelise Soulier is co-founder and CSO of Neobe Therapeutics, where she leads the company’s scientific and research activities. She is a molecular biologist with over ten years of experience in vaccine and oncology research, spanning molecular engineering, pre-clinical development and manufacturing of live bacterial vector. Previously, she was a Principal Scientist at Prokarium, where she engineered Salmonella as a delivery vector for vaccines and co-invented an oral vaccine that progressed to a Phase 1 clinical trial. Annelise holds a PhD in Microbiology.

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Anca Tacu

Senior Policy Manager, UCL

Anca is a Senior Policy Manager in the UCL Policy Impact Unit where she leads on policy engagement for a portfolio of projects and activities across healthcare engineering and manufacturing in areas including vaccine manufacturing and AI for healthcare. She is currently co-leading a policy-focussed research project examining how well-positioned the UK is to manufacture and deploy vaccines rapidly and at scale in future health emergencies.

Anca has previously worked closely with researchers in VaxHub Sustainable and VaxHub Global, two vaccine manufacturing research hubs, designing and delivering impact-oriented policy engagement strategies across multiple policy areas such as pandemic preparedness and vaccine equity.

Anca is also a doctoral student at UCL STEaPP. Her research is focusing on exploring how academic-policy engagement can enhance the adoption of long-termism in policymaking.

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Kayleigh Thirlwell

Senior Director, Resolution Therapeutics

No bio provided

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Clare Trippett

Principal Strategic Opportunities Manager, CPI

Clare Trippett is Principal Strategic Opportunities Manager at CPI, a deep tech innovation centre that helps companies to develop, scale up and commercialise new products and processes. Clare holds a PhD in microbiome science and has worked in the biopharma and biotech industry for over 20 years. She has served on multiple advisory committees focused on engineering biology, microbiome and phage innovations, and has given evidence in the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s session on the antimicrobial potential of bacteriophages. In her current role at CPI Clare’s focus is on building large scale strategic opportunities to address industry challenges, support long term business growth and have a positive impact on society.

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Paul Varley

Chief Development Officer, Alchemab Therapeutics

Paul is currently Chief Development Officer at Alchemab Therapeutics in Cambridge. He is an expert in biopharmaceutical development with more than 30 years’ experience of developing antibodies, proteins and other biological medicines from Research into the Clinic and through to commercialization.    Previously Paul held similar roles in Cambridge Antibody Technology, Astra Zeneca, MedImmune and most recently Kymab.  Paul has also worked at British Biotech, the UK National Institute of Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He holds a degree in Biomolecular Sciences from Portsmouth Polytechnic and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Paul was also a founder member of the UK BIA COVID-19 Antibody Task Force which spun out as RQ Biotech and was a member of the BIA Manufacturing Advisory group supporting the UK Vaccines task force. He also currently chairs a MHRA/BP working party on new standards for Biological Medicines (DPS), was previously a member of the European Pharmacopeia (EP) Expert Committee on Monoclonal Antibodies and the British Pharmacopoeia Commission.

Paul is also a member of the SAB’s of Audax, Spirea and Spliceor and has contributed to many other Advisory Boards and related activities during his career.

Paul also acts as an advisory consultant to multiple biotechs, typically in the startup / early development phase with a strong focus on product development strategy and line of sight to development and commercialization.   

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Joanna Weicek

Co-Founder & CEO, GutSee Health

Dr Joanna Wiecek is a biotech leader with over 15 years of experience in innovation, R&D, microbiome science and antimicrobial resistance. She previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at CircaGene and has worked with organisations including Dyson, GSK, P&G, Wellcome Trust, LGC and CARB-X. 

As Clinical Study Lead at Covance, Joanna led large multinational, multicentre clinical studies in collaboration with companies such as Bayer and Sanofi. At Wellcome, she managed and de-risked the CARB-X research portfolio, providing scientific and technical support to life sciences start-ups including T2 Biosystems and HelixBind. 

Joanna also contributed to the development of the WHO Essential Diagnostics List and helped deliver Target Product Profiles for infectious disease diagnostic devices, with related guidelines published by WHO in January 2020.

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Adam Wilkinson

VP, Pre-Clinical Development, Microbiotica

Adam has been involved in the development of novel live biological medicines for over 20 years, including both live bacterial therapeutics and phage-based therapies across IBD, oncology and infectious disease areas. He advanced the first engineered phage-based therapy into clinical development, targeting multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. At Microbiotica he leads all aspects of pre-clinical development, including the manufacturing of their defined live bacterial therapeutics, with a combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs for the treatment of advanced melanoma, and a therapy for the treatment of ulcerative colitis currently in clinical development.

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Chris Williams

Chief Business Officer, Autolus

In February 2024 Dr Chris Williams was promoted to Chief Business Officer. Chris was part of the team that founded Autolus in 2014 and he initially served on the Company’s board as a Non-Executive Director. In 2016, Chris transitioned into the Company to establish Autolus’ business development function.

Previously he worked at UCL Business where he led the establishment of strategic collaborations, licensing deals, new companies, and financing transactions across a portfolio of cell and gene therapies in oncology and rare diseases. Prior to that he served as non-executive director of Orchard Therapeutics, another company he founded during his tenure at UCL Business, and has worked in business development roles at Thiologics, Canbex and Eli Lilly.

He has also worked in research roles at GSK, Inpharmatica and Imperial College London and holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Imperial College London.

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Danny Wright

Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, Oxford University

No bio provided

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