Bio

I am a biologist with a strong focus on bringing transformational gene therapies from concept through to clinical use and patient benefit. I am a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of ViroCell Biologics Limited, an innovation driven Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). ViroCell develops and manufactures viral vectors and gene-modified cells to enable their transition swiftly and safely from laboratory to clinic. The company is well placed to address the phenomenal international need for viral vectors by meeting critical supply chain issues, de-risking and adding value to innovations, including the development of a new generation of programmable viral vectors. I play an active role within The King’s/Royal Free/UCL Gene Therapy Innovation Hub, set up by MRC, LifeArc and BBSRC, to help the development and GMP manufacture of viral vectors. This initiative enables cutting-edge research into the development of better strategies for the delivery of gene-based therapies for a range of inherited and acquired disorders. I have had the privilege of working with talented scientists to run a GMP facility at King’s since 2001, manufacturing 100+ viral vectors for numerous regulatory approved clinical trials in UK, Europe, and the US. Our approach is highly collaborative, based on working with internationally leading scientists and centres of excellence, to nurture discovery science and facilitate medical breakthroughs not only at King’s, but a range of other academic and corporate institutions. I founded the Molecular Genetics Unit in 1986 and was appointed to the Chair of Molecular Medicine in 1996 at King’s College London. I continue to be involved in the study of tumour immunology and the functional analysis of the genome by viral cDNA and genomic library transfer and insertional mutagenesis studies.