our people
Dr Neil Wilkie PhD
Chief Executive Officer
A scientific business leader with over twenty five years’ experience of the pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences investment markets. Key roles have included leading international research teams and corporate licensing within a multinational pharmaceutical company (Merck). […]
A scientific business leader with over twenty five years’ experience of the pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences investment markets. Key roles have included leading international research teams and corporate licensing within a multinational pharmaceutical company (Merck); analysing and managing business opportunities at scientific investment firms (ITI Investments and SE High Growth Ventures) and co-founding and directing an innovative drug development business (UB Pharma).
Dr Elaine V. Jones PhD
Chairman
Elaine V. Jones, Ph.D. is an accomplished biopharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years of life science investing experience. She has served on over 35 life science company boards and has both biopharma research and business development expertise. Dr. Jones currently serves as a Director on the boards of CytomX Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CTMX), Gritstone Oncology […]
Elaine V. Jones, Ph.D. is an accomplished biopharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years of life science investing experience. She has served on over 35 life science company boards and has both biopharma research and business development expertise. Dr. Jones currently serves as a Director on the boards of CytomX Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CTMX), Gritstone Oncology (NASDAQ:GRTS), and NextCure (NASDAQ: NXTC). She also serves on the Board of the Novartis Venture Fund and acts as an advisor to BiovelocITA, the first Italian incubator dedicated to biotech companies. Until April 2019, Dr. Jones was Vice President, Venture Capital, at Pfizer Ventures (PVI). During her 10 years there, she was responsible for making and managing venture investments in areas of strategic interest for Pfizer. Dr. Jones served as PVI’s representative to the Board of Directors for >20 companies, including recent roles at Arrakis, Kymera Therapeutics, MISSION Therapeutics (UK), NextCure, and Nimbus. Prior to Pfizer, Dr. Jones was a General Partner with the venture fund, EuclidSR Partners. Dr. Jones began her investing career in 1999 at S.R. One, GlaxoSmithKline’s corporate fund. Previously, she served as Director, Scientific Licensing for SmithKline Beecham and was a research scientist in SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceutical R&D. Dr. Jones is a graduate of Juniata College, received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh, and conducted post-doctoral research at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr Elizabeth Roper PhD
Investor Director
Liz joined Epidarex as a Partner in 2013. She has more than 20 years of experience in the life science and healthcare industry, either as a venture investor or an operating executive. She has held senior operation roles and held various directorships including Chair. She focuses on shaping and building early stage life science opportunities […]
Liz joined Epidarex as a Partner in 2013. She has more than 20 years of experience in the life science and healthcare industry, either as a venture investor or an operating executive. She has held senior operation roles and held various directorships including Chair. She focuses on shaping and building early stage life science opportunities into successful companies and investments.
Prior to joining Epidarex, Liz was Head of Business Development and part of the management team at Chroma Therapeutics Ltd., an Oxford-based venture-backed drug discovery and development company focused on inflammatory disorders and oncology. Liz led the establishment of several major company-building alliances including a multi‐target deal with GlaxoSmithKline around Chroma’s novel platform.
Liz is a former executive with the life science venture capital team at the Investments Division of The Wellcome Trust. She is also a former member of the life Science team at Atlas Ventures, London.
Liz currently serves on the Board of Directors of AdoRx Ltd. (Chair), Nodthera Ltd., Mironid Ltd., Caldan Therapeutics Ltd., Exeed Ltd. (Chair), EM Imaging Ltd, Macomics Ltd. and Dunad Ltd.
Liz holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biochemistry (1st class) from the University College Cork, and a Ph.D. from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
Maina Bhaman
Investor Director
Maina joined Sofinnova Partners in January 2018. Maina has a long track record as a successful healthcare investor. Prior to joining, she was Director of Healthcare Investment at Touchstone Innovations (formerly Imperial Innovations) in London (UK) since 2006. She has led or co-led numerous investments and sat on the Board of a number of UK […]
Maina joined Sofinnova Partners in January 2018. Maina has a long track record as a successful healthcare investor. Prior to joining, she was Director of Healthcare Investment at Touchstone Innovations (formerly Imperial Innovations) in London (UK) since 2006. She has led or co-led numerous investments and sat on the Board of a number of UK biotech companies, such as Autifony, Cellmedica, Psioxus Therapeutics, Pulmocide, Topivert Pharma, Puridify (sold to GE), Thiakis (sold to Wyeth) and Respivert (sold to J&J). Previously, she worked in the R&D teams of several UK and US biotech companies, including Celltech, Oxford Glyco Sciences, Chimeric Therapies and GeneMedicine. As a long-standing member of the biotech ecosystem, Maina has received strong professional and institutional recognition; and was named one of UK’s Top women in Biopharma several years in a row. Maina has a BSc from the University of Texas at Austin (United States) and an MBA from the Imperial Business School in London (United Kingdom).
Dr Daniela Couto, PhD
Investor Director
Daniela Couto, Ph.D., is a Partner with BioGeneration Ventures (BGV). She joined the fund in 2015. Daniela served as the managing director of BGV’s portfolio company Staten Biotechnology from 2015 to 2018, where she led and executed on company strategy, including the collaboration with argenX and the partnership and buy-out option with Novo Nordisk. Previously, […]
Daniela Couto, Ph.D., is a Partner with BioGeneration Ventures (BGV). She joined the fund in 2015.
Daniela served as the managing director of BGV’s portfolio company Staten Biotechnology from 2015 to 2018, where she led and executed on company strategy, including the collaboration with argenX and the partnership and buy-out option with Novo Nordisk.
Previously, Daniela served as CEO at Cell2B, a cell therapy company that she co-founded with IP and technology from Prof. Sangeeta Bhatia’s lab at the Broad Institute (MIT) for graft-versus-host disease and other immunological diseases.
Daniela holds an MSc degree (cum laude) in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minho and a PhD degree (sum cum laude) in BioEngineering from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST-UTL) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT-Portugal Program). Daniela was at the Charles L. Cooney lab during her studies at MIT.
Dr Michael Moore PhD, DSc, FRCPath
Non-Executive Director
Dr Moore was Founder Chairman of Mission Therapeutics and PsiOxus Therapeutics with each of which he continues to serve as a non-executive director. He also holds non-executive positions with Chronos Therapeutics and NASDAQ-listed Trillium Therapeutics Inc. Dr Moore was previously CEO of Piramed Limited, a UK-based biotechnology company which was acquired by Roche in 2008. […]
Dr Moore was Founder Chairman of Mission Therapeutics and PsiOxus Therapeutics with each of which he continues to serve as a non-executive director.
He also holds non-executive positions with Chronos Therapeutics and NASDAQ-listed Trillium Therapeutics Inc. Dr Moore was previously CEO of Piramed Limited, a UK-based biotechnology company which was acquired by Roche in 2008. Prior to Piramed, Dr. Moore held progressive positions at Xenova Group plc (1988-2003), including Research Director and CSO.
Dr. Moore’s academic career included a tenured appointment at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research (1980) and the University of Manchester Medical School where he was Honorary Reader in immunology and oncology (1986). Dr Moore is also a past Chairman of Cancer Research UK’s drug discovery committee.
Epidarex Captial
Investor
Epidarex Capital invests in early-stage, high growth life science and health technology companies in the EU and US. Epidarex was created to meet the need for more sector-specific risk capital for young companies, including spin-outs from leading research universities. The fund’s international management team, has a track record of successfully partnering with top scientists and […]
Epidarex Capital invests in early-stage, high growth life science and health technology companies in the EU and US. Epidarex was created to meet the need for more sector-specific risk capital for young companies, including spin-outs from leading research universities. The fund’s international management team, has a track record of successfully partnering with top scientists and entrepreneurs to develop highly innovative products for the global healthcare market. For further information, please visit www.epidarex.com
Sofinnova Partners
Investor
Sofinnova Partners invests across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. Our focus is on healthcare and sustainability. We proactively source deals, take a lead role, and are often the first institutional investor in Round A financings. We sit on the Boards of our portfolio companies and actively take part […]
Sofinnova Partners invests across the entire value chain of life sciences investments, from seed to later-stage. Our focus is on healthcare and sustainability. We proactively source deals, take a lead role, and are often the first institutional investor in Round A financings. We sit on the Boards of our portfolio companies and actively take part from creation to exit alongside our entrepreneurs. Sofinnova invests throughout Europe from our offices in Paris, London and Milan, with a portion of our investments made in the rest of the world.
We invest in transformative innovations that have the potential to positively impact our collective future. Priority is given to projects with strong intellectual property and those that combine entrepreneurial track-record with pharmaceutical or industrial experience.
BioGeneration Ventures (BGV)
Investor
We seek those innovations that have a truly differentiated scientific basis, supported by convincing experimental data. These innovations must be compelling and stand out in the global scientific arena. Only innovations that can address an unmet medical need in a significant way are being considered for investment. We aspire to invest in solutions that provide […]
We seek those innovations that have a truly differentiated scientific basis, supported by convincing experimental data. These innovations must be compelling and stand out in the global scientific arena.
Only innovations that can address an unmet medical need in a significant way are being considered for investment. We aspire to invest in solutions that provide substantial healthcare impact.
Progressing a project from discovery to clinical proof-of-concept requires a breadth of experience that founding teams usually do not have from the outset. Through our extensive network and experience we help founders build their companies.
We guide our investees along their journey from the scientific discovery to a targeted product development track. Together with the founders we shape the company and define the objectives to enable a successful exit.
Roche Venture Fund
Investor
The Roche Venture Fund is the corporate venture fund of Roche and invests in innovative life science companies. Over the past 20 years, the Roche Venture Fund has invested in over 60 companies globally and currently has a portfolio of around 30 companies located in 10 countries. As part of a multinational healthcare company, the […]
The Roche Venture Fund is the corporate venture fund of Roche and invests in innovative life science companies. Over the past 20 years, the Roche Venture Fund has invested in over 60 companies globally and currently has a portfolio of around 30 companies located in 10 countries. As part of a multinational healthcare company, the Roche Venture Fund has access to considerable expertise both internally and externally and co-invests with leading venture funds, including other corporate venture funds, on a regular basis. https://www.roche.com/venturefund/
Scottish Investment Bank
Investor
The Scottish Investment Bank is the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise, operating Scotland-wide in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It manages a suite of co- investment funds including the Scottish Co-investment Fund and the Scottish Venture Fund, which are partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). […]
The Scottish Investment Bank is the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise, operating Scotland-wide in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It manages a suite of co- investment funds including the Scottish Co-investment Fund and the Scottish Venture Fund, which are partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
University of Strathclyde
Investor
Strathclyde is a leading, international, technological university based in the heart of Glasgow. It is renowned for its entrepreneurial environment and its success in commercialisation, being comfortably in the UK’s top 10 universities for company creation based on the ideas of its staff, students and alumni. The University’s commitment to innovation drives its investment activities. Mironid […]
Strathclyde is a leading, international, technological university based in the heart of Glasgow. It is renowned for its entrepreneurial environment and its success in commercialisation, being comfortably in the UK’s top 10 universities for company creation based on the ideas of its staff, students and alumni. The University’s commitment to innovation drives its investment activities. Mironid is the tenth company the University have invested in since 2012, reflecting its strategy of partnering with specialist lead investors, where its investment can make a real difference.
European Investment Bank
Dr Neil Wilkie PhD
Chief Executive Officer
A scientific business leader with over twenty five years’ experience of the pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences investment markets. Key roles have included leading international research teams and corporate licensing within a multinational pharmaceutical company (Merck). […]
A scientific business leader with over twenty five years’ experience of the pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences investment markets. Key roles have included leading international research teams and corporate licensing within a multinational pharmaceutical company (Merck); analysing and managing business opportunities at scientific investment firms (ITI Investments and SE High Growth Ventures) and co-founding and directing an innovative drug development business (UB Pharma).
Dr Adele Rowley, PhD, FRSB
Chief Scientific Officer
A biologist by training, Adele has over 20 years of drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry ranging from target discovery and validation to early stage clinical development. Previous positions include Chief Operating Officer & Head of Preclinical Development at TopiVert Pharma, Director of Therapeutics at Cellzome, where she was a co-founder of […]
A biologist by training, Adele has over 20 years of drug discovery experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry ranging from target discovery and validation to early stage clinical development. Previous positions include Chief Operating Officer & Head of Preclinical Development at TopiVert Pharma, Director of Therapeutics at Cellzome, where she was a co-founder of the UK business, and Group Leader at GlaxoSmithKline where she began her industry career.
Dr Julia Adam PhD
Head of Medicinal Chemistry
An established, innovation-driven medicinal chemist and project manager with strong academic and industrial experience. Julia has spent fifteen years undertaking drug discovery with multinational pharmaceutical companies, driving 8 compounds into development and contributed to the discovery of a marketed therapeutic. […]
An established, innovation-driven medicinal chemist and project manager with strong academic and industrial experience. Julia has spent fifteen years undertaking drug discovery with multinational pharmaceutical companies, driving 8 compounds into development and contributed to the discovery of a marketed therapeutic.
Dr David Henderson FRSB
Head of Biology
David is an expert in cyclic nucleotide signalling and phosphodiesterase biology, with a proven track record of driving innovative R&D, biomarker and drug development programmes. He has pioneered biological research and development within institutes in the UK and the US and is driven by a passion for translating scientific discovery into real-world benefit. […]
David is an expert in cyclic nucleotide signalling and phosphodiesterase biology, with a proven track record of driving innovative R&D, biomarker and drug development programmes. He has pioneered biological research and development within institutes in the UK and the US and is driven by a passion for translating scientific discovery into real-world benefit.
Allister Williams, PCQI
Head of Programme Management
Alister Williams is a senior life sciences leader with over 18 years’ experience in programme and project management across discovery, preclinical, and clinical development. He leads Mironid’s governance, quality systems, and operational oversight to ensure regulatory alignment and inspection readiness as the programme advances into first-in-human studies. Previously, he held senior roles at Beckley Psytech and Labcorp, supporting global development programmes and strengthening compliance and documentation standards. […]
Alister Williams is a senior life sciences leader with over 18 years’ experience in programme and project management across discovery, preclinical, and clinical development. He leads Mironid’s governance, quality systems, and operational oversight to ensure regulatory alignment and inspection readiness as the programme advances into first-in-human studies. Previously, he held senior roles at Beckley Psytech and Labcorp, supporting global development programmes and strengthening compliance and documentation standards.
Richard Brooks
Head of Finance
Richard is an experienced executive with over 25 years’ experience in start-ups and early stage technology companies. He is a co-founder of FD Solutions, a market leader in the UK for the provision of part time finance directors. He is the provider of Head of Finance services to Lunac Therapeutics and AdoRx Therapeutics and Epidarex […]
Richard is an experienced executive with over 25 years’ experience in start-ups and early stage technology companies. He is a co-founder of FD Solutions, a market leader in the UK for the provision of part time finance directors. He is the provider of Head of Finance services to Lunac Therapeutics and AdoRx Therapeutics and Epidarex Exeed.