Speakers
Maria Koufali
Panel discussion
Dr Maria Koufali is the Life Sciences Industry Director at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and formerly led the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway as Head of the programme.
Maria Koufali, is an experienced senior leader in life sciences research and innovation, bringing over 20 years of cross-sector expertise in working with global pharmaceutical companies, digital health firms, diagnostics developers, and MedTech SMEs. She holds a PhD in Pharmacology and Neuroscience, an MBA (Distinction), and is the first NHS R&D Director nationally to be awarded the Nye Bevan Executive Health Leadership Award. Maria currently leads the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway at NIHR/DHSC, a nationally mandated clinical trials accelerator. Maria currently serves as Trustee and Chair of the Industry Advisory Board at the BBSRC-funded Quadram Institute, where she shapes translational and commercial strategy. She brings to the new contract a proven ability to develop national infrastructure, deliver commercial growth, and work across government and industry to accelerate innovation that benefits patients and the UK economy.
James Pound joined the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2008. He has worked in a variety of roles within the MHRA and is an executive leader within the Agency with responsibility for our Innovation Accelerator (the home of our innovative pathways for medicines and medical devices), the clinical investigations and trials group and the standards and compliance function which includes our Medicines GXP compliance teams, British Pharmacopoeia and medical devices audit and compliance. James led the cross-Agency response to clinical trial assessment delays in 2023 which were successfully eliminated in Autumn 2023 with sustained performance by the Agency since then.
He holds an honours degree in Chemistry and has previously worked in a variety of roles in development and manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry.