Spring Conference 2018 Speakers

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Dr. Frank Allison

Frank is managing director of FIS360 Ltd. which has a successful track record of supporting the commercialisation of early stage technologies for academic institutions, SME’s and large corporates. Frank also leads, on behalf of FIS360, the delivery of Game Changers nuclear innovation programme for Sellafield.
Previously, Frank worked in the Middle East for Dhahran Techno Valley Company (DTVC) to support the establishment of a technology commercialisation business unit and building a multi-disciplinary team to facilitate the commercialisation of technologies which generate revenues and maximise social and economic benefit for Saudi Arabia. Prior to this Frank spent over 10 years working at The University of Manchester Intellectual Property (UMIP), with responsibility for managing a portfolio of spin-out companies and licensing opportunities. Frank has also held a number of board positions for spin-out companies, been a committee member on a variety of steering and energy foresight groups and devised and delivered a number of regional innovation funding initiatives (Innovus and a Co-Managed Energy Innovation Fund). Frank’s career started in the steel industry before moving to California to work as an engineer in the space and aerospace industries. Frank graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a BEng (Hons) in Materials Science and a PhD in Biomaterials Science from the University of Nottingham.

John Anderson

John has worked at the College since 1994 and has played a key role in the evolution of the College’s Financial Strategy since 2000 including the establishment of the College's Endowment Fund which now stands at just under half a billion pounds; the development of the Non-Core property portfolio (£8m in 2005 to £135m in 2015) and the development of the GradPad Postgraduate student accommodation portfolio and ThinkSpace’s emerging co-location operation.

John initiated the new Imperial West campus at White City – enabling the College’s acquisition of the various land assets and establishing consents for 3 million sq ft of mixed use development to date. The main objective is to maintain a viable financial strategy for the College to achieve its long term growth ambitions.

Dr. Mark Ashton

Dr Mark Ashton joined UniQuest in 2010 and is currently the Executive Director of Intellectual Property Commercialisation. Prior to this he was the Manager of Innovation and Commercial Development for The Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Health Sciences at The University of Queensland. Before joining UniQuest Dr Ashton was the Executive Vice President, Business Development at the international biotech, Evotec AG, a company that focuses on drug discovery alliances and development partnerships with the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Prior to leading the business development group at Evotec, Dr Ashton was President, Discovery Services at Evotec, responsible for the company’s Drug Discovery division, a division that carried out projects involving high throughput screening, parallel synthesis and medicinal chemistry to pre-clinical development. Dr Ashton has worked within the biotech and pharmaceutical industry since the early 1990’s and has both operational and commercial experience of a wide range of life science projects. He has worked with most of the major pharmaceutical companies and a number of biotech companies around the world negotiating agreements totalling in excess of $100M. Dr Ashton is the author and co-author of a number of peer reviewed scientific publications and patents including new chemical entities that have progressed to human clinical trials. He has a PhD in chemistry having worked on a medicinal chemistry focussed project sponsored by an international pharmaceutical company.

Ms. Yanina Aubrey

Yanina is a senior leader, strategist, researcher and entrepreneur, passionate about achieving transformational change through knowledge exchange, purposeful entrepreneurship and systemic research-led innovation. She has extensive experience in senior roles in the private sector and higher education leadership, covering a broad range of areas from R&D, strategic planning, sustainable business models research, to capacity building, change management and commercial operations. She is currently University of Hertfordshire's Head of Business & Entrepreneurship, where she has strategic oversight over the University's business support provision for external businesses, including the University's Incubator and Accelerator programmes as well as local growth and regeneration engagement with local stakeholders. She also has oversight of the University's enterprise and entrepreneurship provision for students and graduates and leads on knowledge exchange internal capacity building and training.

Ana Avaliani

Ana is responsible for the development and implementation of the Enterprise Hub strategy. Having started her career in a technology start up Ana has worked in public and private sector organisations in policy, R&D and consulting roles.

Ana’s expertise is in operations, change management and innovation management.

Prof. Sue Baines

I have many years' experience of multi-disciplinary research, evaluation and knowledge exchange. My main interests are the social economy, social enterprise, and the
application of digital technologies in public services. I have researched and
published extensively on these themes, with funding from sponsors including UK
research Councils and the European Commission. I joined the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) in 2017 to lead projects around social enterprise and social innovation.

Michael Bath RTTP

Michael is past Chair of the PraxisAuril Conference Committee. He has worked in Technology Transfer since September 1999. Currently employed by Durham University, he previously worked for five years at RTC North (an independent TT company)Prior to RTC North, he worked for twelve years in various manufacturing and materials management roles, mainly at Rolls-Royce.

Recent work includes the creation of Applied Graphene Materials (AGM) PLC - originally Durham Graphene Science Ltd (DGS). Alongside the academic inventor, Michael served on the Board of Directors for three years, building the business from scratch, securing V.C. investments and winning multiple grants, awards and contracts. AGM floated on AIM in 2013 and now employs 34 staff.

Tim Brown

Tim is the majority shareholder and CEO of the Garrandale group of companies.
Working initial in the metals finishing machinery industry completing a MBO of the employer business in 1999. Owner manager for 10 years during which time won SMART funding for new product development of a flat strip metal levelling machine. Several patents granted. Successfully completed a KTP with Aston University 2006/7.
Moved to the Railways industry sector 2008 becoming CEO of Garrandale 2015. Became a shareholding partner 2016 and majority shareholder 2017. Currently working with Cranfield University on two projects involving product development research, PhD sponsorship and KTP for two associates.

Dr. Sean Butler

Dr Sean Butler runs Cambridge Agritech, an investment syndicate which invests in early stage agritech companies. He has law degrees from Oxford and the LSE, a postgraduate diploma in plant genetics from Cambridge, and a PhD from Imperial College in the commercialisation of agricultural research from the public sector. He is a Fellow at St Edmund's College, Cambridge, and teaches entrepreneurship in agritech on both the Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Studies in Entrepreneurship at the Judge Business School, Cambridge.

Mark Chapman

MY BACKGROUND

I graduated from Bath in ’92 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and since then I’ve been lucky enough to work on a wide range of projects, from designing the rotor control actuators for the AB139 helicopter, to a sewage works in Totnes, though this perhaps was pushing the limits for what could be termed fluid dynamics!.

However, for the main I’ve been involved with aerospace projects including a couple of years out in Seattle for Boeing with their Propulsion Systems Division, and quite a portion based at Rolls Royce in Bristol. Most recently I’ve spent nearly 4 years as part of the design team on the STOVL system for the F-35 Lightning II, the Joint Strike Fighter.

BLOODHOUND...AND OTHER 'PROJECTS'
I’ve been involved with Richard on a couple of previous ventures, and I can safely say that they’ve never been dull. So when I had a call about whether I’d be interested in being involved in a car based project, it didn’t take long to say yes.

This is my first foray into the world of motorsport, apart from my own attempts at driving a rally car – I managed to convince Katia (after a little wine or two) that for our honeymoon it would be a great idea to enter a Lancia Stratos’ replica into the London-Athens World Cup rally, which was, how shall I put it, character forming – just don’t mention Albania.

I live in a fantastic, slightly ramshackle, old farm cottage with Katia and our three children Thomas, Sophie and Peter, surrounded by what Katia variously describes as “projects” or scrap. An old car I started to restore has spawned into several more, so suddenly I find myself with a garage and yard full, and seem to be project rich but time poor. A toddler, a two year old and a leaky, drafty house don’t seem to be lending themselves to evenings with a welder, so best keep an eye on eBay.

Prof. Karl Coleman

Karl is the founder of Applied Graphene Materials PLC and has served on the AGM Board for eight years. He is AGM’s Chief Scientific Officer and is also a Professor and Head of Chemistry at Durham University. His research is focused on nanomaterials in particular the chemistry of carbon nanotubes and graphene. His work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the international Royal Society of Chemistry Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011 for his work on graphene, the Times Higher Education Research and Innovation Award 2012 and more recently the Royal Society of Chemistry 2017 Materials for Industry – Derek Birchall Award. He is the Chair of the Chemical Nanosciences and Nanotechnology subject group of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
AGM PLC employs around 40 people in Redcar, Teesside, making and formulating graphene and helping customers incorporate graphene into new products. Karl’s work overlapping AGM and Durham University makes him particularly aware of the tensions that exist at the intersection of business and academia. He is also interested challenging universities to help businesses gain better access to funds like the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Bruce Colley

I am the Access to Finance Manager at Innovate UK.

My role is to help the SMEs and early-stage businesses we support at Innovate UK to connect with sources of private sector debt and equity finance (and other forms of business support such as coaching and mentoring). This in turn enabling them them to commercialise their innovations and grow their businesses.

Dr. Glenn Crocker MBE

Dr Glenn Crocker is Executive Director of Pioneer Group, a company that creates human and planetary health ecosystems through venture building and real estate.

With over £1 billion of life science assets under management it is the largest fully integrated business of its kind in Europe. At Pioneer, Glenn is responsible for the venture building and investment business. Over 30 years in the industry, he has co-founded and/or invested in many life science companies, especially in the discovery and development services sector.

As founding CEO of BioCity Group, he built a successful business that was acquired by Trinity Investment Management in 2021, providing an excellent exit for shareholders and leading to the formation of Pioneer Group.

He has a D Phil in Immunology from Oxford University and qualified as a chartered accountant with EY, where he ran the UK Biotech practice. In 2014 he was awarded an MBE for services to the biotechnology industry.

Nafeesa Dajda

Nafeesa is Head of Partnerships and Engagement, at the Satellite Applications Catapult. Her role involves creating partnerships between the research base and businesses working on all aspects of satellite technology and data. Nafeesa manages Business Engagement, the Catapult Centres of Excellence Programme, Knowledge Exchange Fellowships, PhD studentships, Space Placements in Industry scheme, and skills engagement. She worked previously at BlackBerry managing Global University Relations and at Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Chris Danks

Chris has extensive experience across the Agri-Food sector, including 10 years with the Food and Environment Research Agency and senior-level roles in knowledge transfer and health-care innovation

Sarah Duckering

Sarah is the Director of Research and Innovation Services, leading the department that provides strategic insight and supporting activities that underpin the ambitious growth targets for research and innovation at the Univeristy.

Prior to this, she was the Head of Business Engagement at the University of Portsmouth, with a remit to support, develop and grow significantly the volume and quality business engagement activity carried out by the University. This involved developing and implementing strategies for improving industry access to the resources, facilities and knowledge base of the University; actively initiating and developing relationships with local authorities, other universities and businesses to encourage collaborative working; supporting academic staff develop and commercialise their research and helping business access university assistance to support economic growth. During this time she was responsible for developing and delivering projects worth approximately £4.5million and increased the HEIF allocation by 50%.

Dr. Rebecca Edwards

I lead the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team to work across BU through a series of corporate level initiatives designed to ensure our research activities are informed by society for the benefit of society. This role builds on my previous experience at BU as Public Engagement and Impact Manager/Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Manager.

My passion for research and knowledge exchange stems from my time as a researcher dating back over the last decade or so. After completing a BSc in Geography from Royal Holloway, University of London, at the same institution I was awarded an ESRC CASE Studentship to explore the impacts of public space policy – co-funded by Grosvenor Estates and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This triggered my dual passions of understanding the impacts of national government policy at a localised level and how society engages within the public sphere. I was then appointed as a Research Associate at Cardiff University, first as part of the Regeneration Institute and latterly the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research (WISERD). Here I had a diverse and varied role, working on multiple research and knowledge exchange projects – often at the same time!

Through funders including the ESRC and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), I explored my passion for governance and policy through research into social housing, urban regeneration and safeguarding young people. After three years at Cardiff, I then spent the next three at University of Southampton as a Research Fellow within the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC), funded by the ESRC, Office for Civil Society and Barrow Cadbury Trust. Here, I project managed a work stream of three interrelated projects which focused around the environment and the third sector.

Other interests include supporting local charities, having fun on the beach (and sometimes in the sea), walking (preferably up mountains), hanging out with my friends/family (one baby boy, one husband, one Jack Russell and two cats), experimenting with new recipes, going to gigs and trying to understand rugby.

Rebecca Endean

Rebecca Endean was appointed as the Strategy Director for UK Research and Innovation in March 2017. She works with the UK Research and Innovation’s design project to develop the plans for the strategic centre. She has a particular focus on supporting the new Board and developing key functions such as analysis and communications.

Rebecca is also building a small strategy and analytical team in the transition phase. This will work closely with the nine constituent parts of UK Research and Innovation to develop advice on how to invest the additional research and innovation funds announced in the Autumn Statement 2016.

She was previously Director of Research and Innovation Reform, Business and Science at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with overall responsibility for the Higher Education and Research Bill that created UK Research and Innovation.

She has a background in research, science and innovation. Originally trained as an economist, Rebecca has considerable expertise on a wide range of economic and social policy issues, in particular poverty, family policy, the labour market and justice. She has worked in a number of Government departments in policy and analysis roles, including as the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Ministry of Justice.

Mr. Bruce Etherington
Mr. Robert Evans

Rob is currently Technology Transfer Manager at Cranfield University.
He graduated from the University of Leeds many years ago then worked for a while looking for oil reserves in the UK before completing an MBA at Bradford, and became a management consultant specialising in business strategy, working for a diverse collection of clients from industries such as the mobile telephones, agrichemicals, caravans, the motor trade. He also co-ordinated one of the first consumer trials of video-on-demand technology in the UK using the (then) new ADSL technology. Rob joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2002 in a business development and advisory role, and moved into IP management where he was a Technology Transfer Manager for 12 years, and took on the role to head technology transfer at Cranfield University in 2017. He has extensive experience in licensing and spinning out engineering and physical sciences technologies, and represents Cranfield in the MICRA consortium which links technology transfer office of 8 Midlands Universities. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys.

Tim Francis

Tim started working in technology transfer in 2005, joining the University of Warwick from an R&D background in the life science sector. This was followed by four years at a technology consultancy. Here he led a cross-disciplinary team of sector analysts producing in-depth technology and market intelligence for organisations that ranged from SMEs to multinationals. Tim then worked at the NC3Rs (Medical Research Council) managing a large open innovation programme in partnership with global pharmaceutical and chemical companies. In 2012 Tim moved back into technology transfer, first at Coventry University and subsequently at the University of Warwick.

Jan Gilder

Jan Gilder is the Director of Project Support at the University of Wolverhampton to develop research and enterprise partnerships that maximise the potential of others to deliver successful projects.
Working on European projects since 1994, she has extensive experience of managing complex, high profile funded projects both with Brussels and in the UK. Jan is most familiar with the delivery of University projects that have economic and social impact and enjoys the opportunity afforded to others when introducing them to partners with complementary ideas.

Jan believes Knowledge Exchange is a partnership opportunity to generate innovative ideas and personal growth - “Interesting things happen at a point of overlap, when you think of this point as an opportunity rather than potential duplication”. That said, the best impact of a project-facilitated partnership is the application or exploitation of those ideas.

This is the purpose of Jan’s department that works closely with the University’s research community is to help the University Knowledge Base to have more impact on industry and societal challenges. Between 2003 and 2017 Jan instigated the development, winning and delivery (to closure) of £90M worth of EU projects at the University. By adopting a co-creative approach to projects the University is able to concentrate on what Jan calls “really useful research” - that's team work!

Sam Gray

Sam is the Head of Research Environment and Impact at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has enjoyed a wide variety of external engagement roles at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) over the past decade specialising in regional development, 2-way community engagement, research administration and knowledge exchange.

From 2008 – 2012 he was MMU’s project manager on the Manchester Beacon initiative – leading a successful change agenda around the recognition, reward and support for public engagement across the university. More recently he has been responsible for the project management of MMU’s REF2014 submission; particularly offering guidance, support and advice around the impact agenda.

He was awarded a fellowship of the Royal Society of the Arts in 2011 and acts as a reviewer for various engagement and science communication grants for the Royal Academy of Engineering and The Swiss National Science Foundation. Sam has presented sessions on public engagement and its contribution to research impact at various conferences and events.

Dr. Tim Hammond

Tim is Director of Commercialisation and Economic Development with a portfolio that includes strategic leadership of Durham University’s knowledge transfer activity, commercialisation of opportunities arising from the research base and the University’s economic development portfolio. He also is lead for a number of strategic partnerships for the University including the global strategic partnership with Procter and Gamble, a partnership model that is being recognised both nationally and internationally as an exemplar of best practice within this sector. A chemist by original background, Tim has broad industrial experience working within research and product development within large corporates including ICI and Astra Zeneca, and at Technical Director Level, within a local plc

Mark Hammond

Director at Deep Science Ventures where we build ventures to solve major global challenges at the convergence of the sciences. Previously founded Imperial’s high tech accelerator whilst shaping early strategy on the board of academic spin-outs across engineering and healthcare, including key roles in numerous funding rounds and exits.

Paul Harrod

Paul Harrod is the chief executive of Decipher Impact, a social enterprise spin-out from Cardiff and Bristol Universities. Previously Paul was the founder of the Together Social Business Group, a social enterprise that created full-time jobs for former prisoners. He also spent six years working with the division of Research and Enterprise Development at the University of Bristol. Paul is a trustee of the Castle School Education Trust, the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, and Wesport.

Dr. Simon Hepworth

Simon is seeking to connect more of Imperial’s academics, students and discoveries with leading entrepreneurs and pioneers from industry. His ultimate goal is to generate more opportunities for collaboration that make a real world impact.

Simon joined Imperial College in September 2009 with 14 years corporate experience in the automotive and electronics sectors. He was a founder of the Corporate Partnerships activity at Imperial, and led the development of the Imperial Business Partners membership programme and the Foresight Practice. He is currently Chairman of the board of Imperial College Consultants Ltd (ICON) and sits on the Innovations Partnership Board, which oversees the technology transfer operations of the university.

Prior to joining Imperial, Simon held engineering and commercial roles at Visteon and Ford Motor Company in the UK and overseas. He is an Engineer by training, with a DPhil in neural network based control from Oxford University and a BEng in systems engineering from Salford University.

Mr. Tony Hickson RTTP

Tony Hickson BSc, MBA, CLP, RTTP is the Chief Business Officer for Cancer Research UK. He leads the Commercial Partnerships team responsible for the commercialisation of IP from CRUK funded projects, new start-up creation, licences and corporate alliances. Prior to this Tony was the Managing Director of Imperial Innovations Ltd, responsible for intellectual property sourcing, licensing and spin-out creation for technologies arising from Imperial College London. Tony has sat on the Executive Committee of IP Group and spent 5 years as an executive director on the board of Touchstone Innovations PLC, a company listed on the London Stock exchange investing in deep science projects from UK universities. Prior to joining Imperial Innovations, Tony had acquired 15 years of commercial and business development experience in bioscience companies including Wellcome Group R&D, Murex Biotech, Abbott Laboratories and Kalibrant Limited. He has acted as a board director or observer for a number of start-up companies including Polytherics (now Abzena), Catapult Therapy TCR, Zihipp and Precision Robotics, and was instrumental in the creation & development of companies such as Thiakis (sold to Wyeth/Pfizer in 2008), Respivert (sold to J&J in 2010), Circassia (listed on LSE in 2014), EMcision (sold to Boston Scientific in 2018) and Cell Medica (in advanced clinical studies). Tony has sat on the IP boards of two European Institutes of Technology (Healthcare and Climate Change), is a member of the BBSRC industry advisory panel and a board director of PraxisAuril. He has a diploma in company direction from the Institute of Directors and is a Certified Licensing Professional.

Alison John

Alison John is producer at yello brick (www.yellobrick.co.uk) a creative agency that creates immersive experiences through digital platforms and live events. In the past yello brick has made an epic urban adventure game in the streets of Cardiff, a site specific storytelling app for cycle routes in Wales and an online interactive event for new opera audiences. The company has worked with such clients as Clear Channel, Welsh National Opera, National Museum of Wales, National Library of Wales, National Theatre of Wales, Design Commission for Wales, Sustrans. Cardiff University, Welsh Language Commission and Taikabox.

Over the last few years other highlights have included producing BAFTA Games Commended multiplatform game REVERIE. Alison is also co-producer of playARK Festival, an annual event in Cardiff that explores story, games and playful experiences in theory and practice (www.playARK.co.uk) and was Director of ARK LAB, a company that creates projects for social good. She is recognised as one of a cohort of digital producers practicing in Wales by Watershed, National Theatre Wales and Arts Council of Wales.

Rob Johnson

I lead our work in the areas of research management and open science, and ensure that all our projects are undertaken to the highest professional standards. I am committed to helping research organisations increase their effectiveness and impact, and to making the knowledge arising from research as open as possible.

I began my career in the Education practice at KPMG, working with clients in higher education and industry in both the UK and New Zealand. I then spent a number of years at the University of Nottingham as Head of Research Operations, before founding Research Consulting in 2013. Since then I have led projects for more than 80 clients across government, academia and the private and not-for-profit sectors. I am a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, a member of the leadership group for the Open Scholarship Initiative, and serve as an independent reviewer and evaluator for the European Commission.

To find out more about my past experience, please look me up on LinkedIn, or check out some of our projects and testimonials. If you’d like to know more about what we have to offer please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Helen Johnstone

After returning to university and gaining an MBA with distinction from Leeds University, Helen took up the position of Deputy Head of the Patents Department at Reckitt Benckiser before joining Potter Clarkson in January 2001. Prior to studying for her MBA, Helen had worked for British Telecommunications plc, and another UK firm of Patent Attorneys. Since joining Potter Clarkson, Helen has continued to specialise in the mechanical, electro-optical and electro-mechanical areas, as well as medical devices. Helen also has extensive experience in the design field, dealing with all aspects of design protection, both registered and unregistered. In addition, Helen represents clients at hearings before the European Patent Office and has been involved in litigation before the UK Intellectual Property Office and the Patents County Court. In addition she regularly advises clients on IP strategy issues such as global filing strategies, and has been involved in due diligence exercises. She also has extensive experience of working with academic institutions and associated technology transfer departments. Helen became a partner in 2007.
Helen is a member of the Education Committee of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys. She has recently qualified as a Patent Attorney Litigator, having been awarded a Certificate in Intellectual Property Litigation and Advocacy Certificate with commendation, by Nottingham Trent University.

When not at work, Helen enjoys spending time with her young family and running in an attempt to keep fit.

Dr. Olga Kozlova RTTP

Olga is the Director of Innovation and Industry Engagement at the University of Strathclyde where she leads entrepreneurship and investment functions, industrial engagement and the development of the Technology and Innovation Centre Zone within the Glasgow City Innovation District.
Olga has a substantial track record in delivering successful translation of innovative research into economic growth and societal impact. She started her career as a RSE Enterprise Fellow and then moved on to become a founder and the CEO of a biotechnology start-up company. Subsequently Olga worked in a variety of roles supporting industry-university collaborations. In her previous role she founded Converge Challenge and grown it to become the largest Scotland-wide programme for converting university know-how and intellectual property into company creation.
She has worked extensively with small companies providing training and mentoring to the Converge participants and for the RSE Enterprise Fellowship Programme.
She is a Trustee of Young Enterprise Scotland, Governing Board member of the Scotland’s 5G Centre and a Board Member of PraxisAuril.
Olga is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and a Registered Technology Transfer Professional.

Dr. Wen Hwa Lee

Dr Lee directs the Disease Foundations Network at the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), based at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford. Presently Dr Lee also leads SGC’s strategic alliances efforts, alongside a Work Package with the the European Commission Innovative Medicines Initiative’s (EC/IMI) project ‘Unrestricted Leveraging of Targets for Research Advancement and Drug Discovery’ (ULTRA-DD: http://www.ultra-dd.org/ ). He also represents the University of Oxford in the EC/ IMI project ‘European Lead Factory’ (ELF: http://www.europeanleadfactory.eu/ ) and he is also a member of management committee of the European Screening Centre (https://www.europeanleadfactory.eu/about/assets/eu-screening-centre/).

Dr Lee is trained in Biology, Molecular and Structural Biology, Protein Crystallography, Computational Biology and Drug Discovery in diverse places such as Brazil (University of Campinas, Brazilian Synchrotron Source), USA (Scripps Research Institute) and France (Université Paris V).

Dr Lee joined the SGC at its inception in 2004 and has since been involved in the planning of scientific strategies, communications, and alliances with external collaborators and partners. He has been working with multiple institutions to facilitate the exchange of expertise and establishment of joint research programmes with SGC’s international partners, including charities, academia, industry and government agencies – always exploring the potentials of Open Access models. Most recently, Lee co-led the establishment a new SGC laboratory in Brazil – the first node of an international effort focused on novel kinases. He is now committed to create new frameworks and partnerships with patient and disease foundations to bridge the basic science to patient-driven drug discovery efforts.

Dr. Mark Mann RTTP

After a degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in carbon nanotubes and electron emission, Mark continued as a Research Associate at Cambridge University Engineering Department, diversifying into nanotechnology, thin films, devices and displays. Whilst there he also undertook undergraduate teaching of both Physics and Electrical Engineering, project-managed UK government and EU-sponsored collaborative projects and undertook a variety of graduate and undergraduate teaching.

In 2010, Mark left Cambridge to join the BBC’s Research & Development Department where he retrained as a software engineer and conducted research in music information retrieval, audio broadcasting, and mobile and second screen applications. His research then focussed on image processing, especially with regard to sport. He then moved into technology transfer, covering all the technology the BBC had to license before joining Oxford University Innovation (OUI) as a Technology Transfer Manager in 2015.

At OUI after intially specialising in physical sciences commercialisation, he set up and grew the Humanities and Social Sciences commercialisation operation growing the portfolio to over a hundred projects. He then set up the social enterprise operations, designing the template documents, raising translational funds and built partnerships across the sector. He has contributed to teaching, special interest groups and conferences organised by PraxisAuril and ASTP.

He left OUI in January 2022 to set up a consultancy business focussed on strategic innovation.

Paul Manners

Paul is responsible for the strategic direction of The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) which has an international reputation for inspiring and supporting universities to engage with the public. Paul originally trained as a secondary English teacher, he worked for twelve years at the Open University as a producer of TV, radio and multimedia before joining the BBC as an executive producer of a number of national public engagement campaigns. He advises a number of national organisations on learning and engagement, including the National Trust and the Science Museum, and attempts to relax through a combination of playing blues guitar, football, reading, sharing music and pottering in the garden.

Gabriela Matouskova

Gabriela Matouskova, MBA - Business Development Manager, CU Social Enterprise CIC (CUSE). Gabriela has over 20 years of experience working across Europe, including 11 years of income generation, project management, and collaborations building in the UK and internationally. Gabriela’s role is centred on income generation and business development, focussing on partnership building for joint opportunities across HE and VCSE sectors. Gabriela is passionate about creating social value and Coventry being a Social Enterprise City and a City of Culture 2021. She advises number of social enterprises in the community and works with university researchers to extend their impact through sustainable social enterprise models.

Dr. Edward Maughfling
Dr. Hamish McAlpine
Dr. Roisin McCallion
Mrs. Nicola McConville

Nicola is a lawyer with a passion for advising spin outs and start ups from universities and research institutions.

Alongside Oxford University Innovation, Nicola has curated the Structuring for Success programme. Structuring for Success if a free programme with a mixture of online and in-person events designed for Founders of early stage tech companies to navigate the legal, accounting and commercial challenges that lie ahead as the venture grows.

Nicola is a mentor and advisor to many accelerator programmes including ARC and The Foundry and is always keen to be part of the wider eco system. This includes advisory roles with Venturefest, Innovation Taskforce at the LEP, Advanced Oxford and Oxford Investment Opportunity Network.

Prof. Paul Moore

Professor Paul Moore joined the University in 1999 and is currently Head of the School of Creative Arts. Today he receives a Distinguished Teaching Fellowship in recognition of his work.

The key theme in his teaching and learning work has been the relationship between theory and practice, a focus which led to the development of the Creative Technologies degree on the Magee campus in 2007.

His main research interests are sound art, the digital arts and, in particular, the relationship between sonic experience and identity. Most recently his research work has become more exhibition-based which has included extensive work on how emerging technologies have impacted on teaching and learning in England, South Africa and Namibia.

Professor Moore has been a member of key committees, boards and panels both at national and international level. He has helped shape policies through his membership of the Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission (now Screen NI), the Ofcom Content Board, and as a member of the government’s Digital Britain Media Literacy Working Group. The Digital Participation Strategy for NI, which he wrote in collaboration with Ofcom, was published in April 2010.

He has delivered a number of digital learning workshops at UK universities and keynote addresses across the globe. He has published a wide range of papers on topics as diverse as children’s television (presented in Argentina) and media literacy (presented in Greece).

In his spare time he is a presenter for BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle and has written and presented documentaries for Radio Ulster and BBC Radio 5 Live.

Dr. Dean Moss

Dean Moss has had 30 years’ experience in science, universities, business, management and commercialisation in Australia, USA and the UK and has a PhD in medicine from The University of Queensland. He has been Managing Director or a senior manager in a number of health and biotech companies worldwide including Agen Biomedical, Binax, Launch Diagnostics, AMRAD Corporation, United Drug and his own successful start-up business in the UK, York Medical Technologies. At UniQuest, Dean is responsible for the strategic and operational management of commercialisation of expertise and intellectual property originating from The University of Queensland. Dean has been a member of the Investment Committees of Uniseed, the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund and Kiwinet, New Zealand’s pre-seed accelerator fund, and has assisted in raising over $100m of venture investment. Dean holds several Chair and Director roles with biotech start-up companies including UQ start-up companies Admedus Vaccines, NuNerve, QUE Oncology and Vaxxas.

Miss. Rhian North

Rhian North is a Technology Transfer Officer within the Commercial Development Team at Cardiff University’s Research and Innovation Services. Rhian joined the team in 2014 as a Technology Transfer Project Officer and continues to works across the University’s Biomedical and Life Science College. As part of her role, Rhian is involved in the protection of University generated IP in addition to the translation and commercialisation of research output via licensing and/or the formation of spinout companies. Prior to her role at Cardiff Rhian worked for an SME

Dr. Adebayo Ogunjimi

Dr Adebayo Oluyinka Ogunjimi (Yinka) has more than 15 years of technology development and commercialisation, most of which was gained in a commercial R&D environment. An entrepreneurial inventor, Dr Ogunjimi ran his own international business consulting on technology development and commercialisation for research organisations, Universities and companies in Engineering and Physical Sciences.

Prior to setting up this business, Dr Ogunjimi was a Practice Leader for the Applied Mechatronics Team of one of the leading UK Research and Development organisations. He developed innovative technologies for clients through strategic partnership for capability and commercial exploitation.

Prof. Jackie Oldham

Professor Jackie Oldham has a PhD in physiology from Liverpool University and a lifelong passionate interest in healthcare innovation. She is employed by the University of Manchester and holds three positions:

Director of Health Innovation for Corridor Manchester – a super cluster of geographically co-located public and private organisations working together to shorten and enrich the healthcare innovation journey from ideas to adoption.

Director of Manchester Integrating Medicine and Innovative Technology (MIMIT) collaboration between the University of Manchester and six Manchester NHS Trusts to scope and validate unmet healthcare needs to enrich the pipeline of technology innovation.

Honorary Director, Edward Centre for Healthcare Management Research - a collaboration with Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC), MIMIT and TRUSTECH focusing on exploration of care systems, technologies and products that could be developed and adopted for use in the eldercare market.

On a national basis she is a member of the NHS Secretary of State’s Advisory Panel for NHS Challenge Prizes and the Medical Research Council Translational Research and Stratified Medicine Steering Groups and Confidence in Concept Award Committee.

Professor Oldham has recently been invited to join Manchester’s Global Ambassadors Programme, alongside the Chair of Corridor Manchester, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell - one of the founder members of the Programme. The Global Ambassador Programme aims to support Greater Manchester’s strategy for encouraging inward investment, stimulating local pride, attracting and retaining talent, all with the aim of developing the local economy. Global Ambassadors are well connected leaders in target sectors and international markets who promote positive national and international perceptions of Manchester and support aspirations to attract talent and investment. ​For further information see: http://mbassador.com/global-ambassadors/

Dr. Rupert Osborn

Rupert Osborn is a co-founder of IP Pragmatics and was appointed CEO in January 2009. He has worked for 15 years at the interface between early stage biotechnology developers (e.g. academic/public sector institutions, SMEs) and downstream multi-national exploitation partners. A plant molecular biologist by training he spent 10 years with Zeneca Agrochemicals (now Syngenta) working in both research and then business development/licensing before moving to take up a business development position at a public sector owned intellectual property development and licensing company.
At IP Pragmatics Rupert manages a growing IP consulting and services business which assists universities, government research organisations and companies with the assessment and exploitation of early stage life science technologies. A significant proportion of this work is for organisations outside of the UK including universities in Japan, Australia and in mainland Europe. Rupert has a MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Warwick.

Dr. Nayan Patel

Nayan is the Head of IP and Contracts at Birmingham City University. He has worked at the University over the last 13 years in a variety of roles. His current role is supporting staff to be enterprising, managing the enterprise and research contracts function of the University, developing innovation programmes and activities, managing the university’s intellectual property portfolio, and driving commercialisation for the University.

Nayan is a medical scientist by background and holds a degree in Biology and Biotechnology and a Doctorate in Medical Sciences specialising in obesity and diabetes and their associated signalling pathways. He also holds a graduate diploma in law and is a PRINCE2 practitioner and MBTI Certified practitioner.

His expertise is in the areas of idea generation, innovation, technology transfer, intellectual property, knowledge transfer, enterprise and entrepreneurship skills development in staff, students, graduates and organisations, coaching and mentoring, law with a specialism in contract law, business development, and project management.

Toby Reich

Toby is Vice President of Sales, bringing over ten years European agricultural and horticultural business practice and expertise to KisanHub. He has held several sales, marketing and commercial management roles for Syngenta, Arysta Lifescience and FERA. He trained in Crop Protection Agronomy through Harper Adams University, studied Marketing & Sales Excellence through INSEAD and sat on several food and agricultural committees.

Dr. Brijesh Roy

Brijesh is an investor in early-stage technology companies with particular interest in university spinouts. Currently Investment Manager at Mercia Technologies, Brijesh represents Mercia as a non-exec director of several portfolio companies across diverse sectors including cybersecurity, antimicrobials, technology transfer, optometry, nanotechnology and immuno-oncology.

Prior to Mercia, Brijesh spent five years at Oxford University gaining extensive experience in commercialising early stage technology, intellectual property, commercial licensing and raising investment including leading a £12m fundraise to launch a clinical-stage gene therapy spinout. Brijesh’s early career experience also includes a leading hedge fund and strategy consultancy underpinned by a PhD in Biochemichal Neuroscience.

Prof. Morag Shiach

Morag Shiach is Professor of Cultural History in the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London, where she also directs Network: QMUL’s Centre for the Creative and Cultural Economy. She studied at the University of Glasgow, McGill University, Montreal, and the University of Cambridge, where her doctorate was supervised by Professor Raymond Williams. Her books include: (co-edited with Tarek E Virani) Cultural Policy, Innovation and the Creative Economy: Creative Collaborations in Arts and Humanities Research); Modernism, Labour and Selfhood in British Literature and Culture, 1890-1930 (2004); The Cambridge Companion to the Modernist Novel; and Discourse on Popular Culture: Class, Gender and History in Cultural Analysis 1730 to the Present; Her current research is on language reform in the early twentieth century, knowledge exchange with the creative economy, and marginal modernisms. From 2012-17 she was Director of Creativeworks London, a Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Prof. Jennie Shorley

Jennie is Head of Accreditations, Head of Engaged Scholarship and Academic Impact Lead in the Faculty of Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University. A strategic leader in various aspects of innovation engagement, she has won £14M of funding for Manchester Met in innovation, small firm growth and research into knowledge exchange.

Under Jennie’s leadership, the Business School has achieved re-accreditation with AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, creating the triple crown of elite global accreditations, awarded to 1% of Business Schools worldwide.

Jennie is passionate about connecting the university, research and education with society and business, as well as developing excellence and engagement in our triple accreditation portfolio. She has a national and international reputation for knowledge exchange, accreditation excellence and impact.

Jennie is also a PraxisAuril Board Member.

Jeff Skinner RTTP

Jeff Skinner has been in technology transfer for over 30 years, first in industry then for many years as Commercial Director of UCL where he built and ran most of the KT units (ventures, licensing, consultancy, seed fund, business development, alliances…) at the College. In 2007 he left this behind to join London Business School as the first Executive Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital where he works with generations of MBA students, persuading them to create ventures of their own (currently about 30 a year).

He is past President of PraxisAURIL and ASTP (the European KT association) and Emeritus Member of AUTM. He designed and ran many of the Associations’ KT training courses. He was on the founding team of ATTP and Chaired its Professional Development Panel for a decade. He continues to train hundreds of KT professions each year – and several hundred more early career researchers across Europe.

Now officially retired though as busy as ever.

Don Spalinger

As Chairman of the SETsquared Partnership and Director, Innovation & Entrepreneurism at the University of Southampton, Don brings his serial entrepreneurial and international management experience to rapid commercialisation of university research activities. He has founded and been the CEO of five companies that have taken technologies out of the research laboratories and into the marketplace. With SPI Lasers, Don licensed a portfolio of technology from the University of Southampton, hired a technical and management team, raised $50million in first round venture capital, and established a world leader in fibre lasers. SETsquared which he currently chairs has incubated over 1300 companies, assisting them to raise £1.5billion of investment, and is ranked Globally #1 in business incubation by UBI. Don has been instrumental in developing and building SETsquared’s ICURe (Innovation & Commercialisation of University Research) program into an extremely effective way of ‘moving research out of the lab and into the market’.

Mr. Patrick Speedie

Patrick Speedie is the Director and Co-founder of IN-PART, an intelligent matchmaking platform for university-industry collaboration.

Over the past five years, Patrick and his Co-founder, Robin Knight, have developed IN-PART into the world's leading proactive technology marketing and introduction system for universities and companies. With over 120 universities and 5,000 companies using IN-PART to connect with the purpose of forming new partnerships, the platform has facilitated over 2,000 engagements since it launched in 2014.

Tom Thackray

Tom Thackray is the Director of Innovation at the CBI and leads the organisation’s policy work to create the conditions that enable businesses to come up with new ideas, invest in research and development (R&D) and adopt new technologies.

He is a member of the government’s forum on EU Exit, Universities, Research and Innovation and previously contributed to its expert advisory group on cyber security.

In his time at the CBI, Tom has held a variety of roles including leading the CBI’s Enterprise team, covering policy issues relevant to small and medium sized businesses and the digital and creative industries. He co-authored the CBI’s Future Champions report in 2011, which identified opportunities and barriers to growth for the UK’s medium sized firms.”

Dr. Christine Thompson

Dr. Chris Thompson PhD took up the post of Director of Research & Innovation on 1 August 2014 bringing with her over ten years of senior research management experience gained in Research Councils, Imperial College London and a short secondment on research impact in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

Dr Thompson graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Botany and a PhD in Plant Biotechnology. From there she had a successful research career in the Agricultural Biotechnology sector, most recently with Zeneca Seeds (Syngenta).

She went on to spend several years in the Research Councils (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Science and Technology Facilities Council) developing expertise in corporate governance, research funding strategy and policy, evaluation methodology, programme management and managing large-scale facilities. Moving to Imperial College London in 2008, she held both operational and strategic roles, first as Director of Research Strategy and then as Programme Director for the Institute of Shock Physics, where she led a successful bid for a £2.5M, five-year AWE contract to secure the Institute's future. At the end of February 2014 Dr Thompson joined Cranfield Defence and Security (CDS) Shrivenham, as a member of the CDS Executive Team in the new post of Director of Strategy and Resources.

In her current role, Dr Thompson works with the PVC Research and Innovation to: develop research and innovation strategy, policy and effective governance; manage relationships with government funding agencies; lead the strategic relationships with AWE and Dstl; coordinate bid submissions; lead delivery of the REF 2020 submission; and provide policy support for Doctoral Training Centres.

Dr. Jennifer Unsworth

Jennifer has a BSc in Medical Materials Science and a PhD in cartilage tissue engineering, both from the University of Nottingham. Following completion of her PhD, Jennifer held a research position at Smith & Nephew and technology transfer positions at the Universities of Nottingham and York, as well as in the NHS in Northern Ireland.
Jennifer entered the profession in 2010 and joined Withers & Rogers in 2013. She qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2014 and as a UK Patent Attorney in 2015.

Dr. Kathryn Walsh

Kathryn joined UCL in November 2018. Her role includes development of UCL’s knowledge exchange activities, development of associated policies, allocation of funding for knowledge exchange activities, and leadership of institutional response to the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF). Prior to joining UCL, Kathryn was Director of the Enterprise Office at Loughborough University, with broad responsibility for knowledge exchange, business development and commercialisation activities. Kathryn started her career in industrial research laboratories, working for BP and Sharp. She holds a degree and PhD in Physics from King’s College, London.

Alex Weedon

As Head of Commercial and Legal at the Transport Systems Catapult, Alex is responsible for identifying and protecting commercial assets generated through the Catapult’s research activities, as well as providing legal and compliance support to the organisation. Before joining the Catapult in the summer of 2015, Alex oversaw the Business & Legal Affairs for UCL Business PLC, the technology transfer arm of University College London. He has over a decade of experience in the strategic management of intellectual property and contracts, setting up and financing early-stage technology start-ups, due diligence and licensing.

Dr. James Wilkie

After 20 years in Europe and the US delivering research, development & innovation within large multinational companies, James joined The University of Birmingham in 2007. As Director of Enterprise & Innovation, he is also CEO of Alta Innovations, which brings new ideas developed at the University to market and which manages the operations of Birmingham Research Park, including two business incubators.

James is an expert on the development and commercialisation of a wide range of new technologies ranging from renewable energy to the life sciences, especially those originating from academic research. He currently holds a number of Non-Executive Directorships and Advisory Board positions in technology ‘start up’ companies and early stage investment funds. In addition to his doctorate, he is a Chartered Engineer with an MBA.

Dr. Graeme Wilkinson

Graeme Wilkinson trained in mechanistic pharmacology as an undergraduate at Hatfield Polytechnic (now University of Hertfordshire) and graduate pharmacologist at Roche Products. He then went on to study the molecular pharmacology of G protein coupled receptors during his PhD in the department of cell physiology and pharmacology at Leicester and postdoc in the Glaxo Institute of Pharmacology at Cambridge. Graeme re-joined the pharmaceutical industry with Astra at their Charnwood site in Loughborough as a project pharmacologist and soon after the formation of AstraZeneca moved to the Alderley Park site to lead a capability in membrane protein biology and mechanism of action studies that was applied to projects across all disease areas. He subsequently led a strategic compound reprofiling program across the AstraZeneca organisation to identify new and alternative uses for preclinical compounds resulting in new projects in the pipeline. This then developed into clinical drug repositioning and open innovation, where Graeme led a team that delivered two new clinical candidates as well as the AstraZeneca-MRC compound sharing initiative. More recently Graeme has worked independently to develop a portfolio of drug discovery projects through the principles of open innovation and virtual working as well as acting as R&D director for a urology a start-up and a spin out focussed on auditory disease. Graeme is now Head of Virtual R&D at the newly formed Medicines Discovery Catapult and in his talk today will describe the MDC, its strategic direction, operating mode and process of engagement as well as highlighting a number of ongoing projects supporting UK lifescience companies and how the MDC will operate to accelerate drug discovery through working with academia and industy.

Dr. Rebecca Wilson RTTP

Rebecca Wilson is Director of Industry Partnerships and Commercialisation in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London. mperial's Industry Partnerships and Commercialisation (IPC) team aims to maximise the impact of Imperial’s academic discoveries by stimulating, identifying and progressing opportunities to develop research and technologies through industry collaboration and commercialisation. ​ Rebecca's team manage a number of strategic partnerships with a focus on chemistry, life sciences, mathematics, and physics disciplines.

Rebecca holds a PhD in microbiology from Imperial. Following positions in life sciences start-up companies in the UK and Australia and postdoctoral experience at the University of California, San Francisco she returned to Imperial. In October 2007 Becky joined the Faculty of Natural Sciences as Faculty Strategic Research and Development Manager supporting the development and implementation of the Faculty research strategy and managing Imperial’s engagement in the Francis Crick Institute, before joining Imperial's Enterprise Division.

Sarah Windrum

Sarah's background is in user experience and mobile technology. Before Emerald she worked for a London based mobile technology group supporting on projects for public sector organisations like Hampshire County Council as well as leadng on new mobile roll-outs for multi-nationals in the logistics industry.

She has a MA in English Literature and a Postgraduate Award in Strategic Leadership and Change Management although her steepest learning curve has been leading a rapidly growing business with Darren since 2012.

Sarah has a daughter Keva and is a part-time poet and novelist, hoping one day to be a published author!

Dr. Andrew Wray

Andrew has worked in science communication and business for 20 years, initially in academic publishing, and for the past 7 years as Knowledge Exchange Manager at the University of Bristol.
He directs the strategy and management of funds for the economic and social impact of research across all disciplines including Impact Acceleration Accounts and HEIF funds. In addition, Andrew guides academic teams in developing impact strategies for their research programmes and creating collaborative partnerships with companies, charities and government organisations.
Since 2011 he has led Bristol’s support for the AHRC funded REACT Knowledge Exchange Hub comprising 5 universities and the Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol. For REF 2014 he guided the impact submissions for philosophy, social policy and physics. Andrew manages the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account in Bristol and works with academics on knowledge exchange and commercialisation projects across the arts, humanities and social sciences.
Andrew sits on the Professional Development Committee for PraxisAuril.

Welcome

Dr. Alasdair Cameron

Plenary

Alice Frost

Alice Frost is responsible for knowledge exchange policy and funding at Research England, having previously had this responsibility at the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

After studying politics at Oxford University at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Alice began her career in national policy. She was an adviser at The Leverhulme Trust and Universities UK, working on research policy and funding. She also worked as a researcher with the House of Commons Select Committee covering education and research, before joining the Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC). At ABRC her responsibilities included liaison between the research councils and the then universities funding body and research into science and innovation policy.

At HEFCE, Alice had a wide-ranging set of policy roles, heading, at different times, policy, funding and quality assessment for research, learning and teaching and knowledge exchange.

On secondment from HEFCE, she experienced research strategy in a university and led a local/regional university collaboration.

Over many years, Alice has advised countries across Europe and Asia on following the UK model of a third stream of funding for knowledge exchange. Recently, she has specialized in commercialization policy.

Session A3

Dr. Martin Davies

Martin leads the Business and Innovation Partnerships team in UCL Innovation & Enterprise. He has more than 25 years’ experience of business-university collaborations as a researcher, academic, innovation adviser, and director of university research and enterprise teams. He's been involved in business development in health and biosciences, business incubation, and managing major economic development projects in east London. Martin has also set up his own spinout companies in the biomedical sciences sector. Martin is a past Chair and board member of AURIL and of PraxisAuril. He originally trained in chemistry and has a first degree and PhD from Imperial College London.

Ms. Beata Szoboszlai

Beata Szoboszlai is Head of Academic Engagement at the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC).Her overarching responsibility lies in developing and implementing programmes and maintaining strategic working relationships with universities working in the Intelligent Mobility (IM) area. Her role includes building, communicating and executing an Academic Engagement Strategy to grow UK industry and employment in TSC’s key strategic areas, to enable engagement with academic stakeholders, direct research activities and maximise the industrial exploitation of the research outputs. This helps the UK IM community grow faster and solve industry challenges; to create better products and services and gain access to new markets.

Session B2

Dr. Ray Kent
B2 Session Chair

Ray is a senior manager supporting research and knowledge exchange around emerging and endemic infectious diseases of pandemic potential. In August 2022 he became Chief Operating Officer at The Pandemic Institute (an academic-clinical-civic partnership hosted by The University of Liverpool), following six years as Director of Research and Innovation Services at The Royal Veterinary College, University of London.

Ray has 11 years’ experience at director level within the higher education sector, working in diverse settings (English Midlands, London, Liverpool). He has led research support offices in three universities where he had responsibility, alongside the relevant Pro Vice-Chancellors / Vice-Provosts, for strategic decision-making in relation to research and innovation. This includes the preparation of institutional submissions to the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014, 2021), Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF 2020, 2022) and leading on The Royal Veterinary College’s response to the Knowledge Exchange Concordat (KEC 2021). 

Session C4

Tim Brundle
Session Co-Chair

Timothy Brundle is Director of Research & Impact at Ulster University. Timothy directs Ulster’s research strategy, governance and administration, and guides its economic impact through knowledge exchange and intellectual property commercialisation. He also holds the position of Chief Executive of Innovation Ulster Ltd, Ulster’s venturing and investment company. As a Senior Leader at Ulster, Timothy directs a team of 90 research management professionals, an annual £15m research strategy budget and manages £1.5m of spend each week on research and innovation. Timothy has worked throughout his career in research-led organisations, with a focus on developing their customer-orientation, economic impact, business outcomes and shareholder value. He has led over £500m of research investment, established more than 40 high tech start up companies, secured over £450m of Venture Capital and ensured investor value from over £150m of company acquisitions and from a stock market floatation. He is an experienced and skilled member of the Board of both young companies and mature public Institutions, including serving as a Director of many of Ulster’s spin out companies, Invest NI, the UK Knowledge Transfer Network, and until 2022 served as Chair of Young Enterprise NI.

Dr. Sarah Macnaughton

A Principal Consultant at Oxentia, the innovation management consultancy spun out of Oxford University Innovation. With a background as an environmental microbiologist, I have 20 years experience in knowledge transfer, commercialisation and consultancy, and am currently Programme Manager of Aspect on behalf of LSE.

Chair's Conference Address

Dr. Angela Kukula RTTP

Dr Angela Kukula is Director of Business and Innovation at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. She manages a team of 20 people over-seeing all intellectual property and commercial issues at the ICR including managing collaborations with industry, negotiating clinical trial agreements, patenting, licensing and the formation of spin-out companies.
Angela is an internationally recognised knowledge exchange specialist. She is a member of the Board of Oxford University Innovation and a past chair of PraxisAuril. She is also a member of the IP Advisory Group of the Association of Medical Research Charities, a school governor and has contributed to a range of regional, national and international bodies.
Angela spent a number of years managing international collaborative R&D programmes in the Pharmaceutical industry, before moving into knowledge exchange. She has a BA in Biochemistry from Oxford University and PhD in Immunology and Genetics from the University of London as well as an MBA specialising in technology management and an LLM in commercial law.