Meet the team
Our experienced team of scientists, researchers and business support specialists have one purpose – to support PHTA’s residents and collaborators to innovate, develop, and succeed. We work with organisations of all sizes, from global corporates through to SMEs, and tailor each collaboration to meet your specific needs. If you have a query about PHTA or an idea you’d like to discuss, get in touch…
Gino joined PHTA Ltd from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) where he held the role of Chief Scientist for more than three years. With extensive experience in oncology, rare and infectious diseases, and drug development, Gino also brings expertise in policy development and external advocacy to his appointment in Birmingham. An experienced academic, Gino has also held senior development and advisory positions within industry, including GSK, Roche and SmithKline Beecham.
David is PHTA's Chief Technology Officer; Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Institute of Cancer Research; and a mentor to multiple innovation‑led healthcare ventures. He began his career in NHS Biochemical Immunology and went on to senior roles with Johnson & Johnson, Philips, and BioCity. He has chaired OBN, Clinical Immunology Services, and deep‑tech ventures, and held CEO and advisory roles across the UK, US, and European med‑tech scale‑ups.
Sallyann is a qualified Accountant with over 20 years of experience, qualifying in Practice, and then moving to industry. She has varied experience including working for a large charity, as well as in law and finance sectors.
She brings a wealth of experience in financial reporting, finance systems, audit and cashflow management. She has a keen interest in the sciences and looks forward to being part of an organisation making a positive contribution to the community.
Sharjeel is a seasoned Laboratory Specialist within healthcare and life sciences domain, having worked in a diverse portfolio of NHS and private clinical, diagnostic and research laboratories. He is proficient in a spectrum of scientific disciplines including pathology, immunology, cellular and molecular therapies, genetics, clinical trials and biochemistry. Additionally, as a certified Data Scientist, coupled with a background in sales, consulting, and finance, he brings a distinctive set of business skills and sector expertise.
Callum has with a strong interest in the intersection between healthcare and business. His passion lies in understanding how business strategies can drive innovation, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the efficiency of medical services and technologies. He is particularly interested in how biomedical innovation, regulatory pathways, and entrepreneurship converge to bring medical devices and solutions to market.
Mark is a consultant in the field of technology commercialisation, with twenty-five years’ experience of developing, commercialising and licensing novel technologies in the pharmaceutical industry. Over the last five years, he has acted as a strategic adviser and within business development for a number of European biotech firms, has provided commercialisation advice to several major European public bodies and programmes, and has acted as an expert on corporate venturing practices for the IP Directorate of the European Commission. Previously, he was a Director in GSK’s Platform Technology and Science division.
Rebecca is an experienced clinical trials manager, currently responsible for the delivery of a national portfolio of clinical trials in bone marrow transplantation for the IMPACT programme. She has led both investigator-initiated and commercial trials and is experienced in grant applications, publication writing and regulatory compliance.
Andrew is an experienced Biomedical Scientist and Chartered Manager with extensive experience in NHS and private pathology laboratories across England and a short spell working in Gibraltar. Over the last 10 years he has worked in multidisciplinary pathology roles in operational and quality management on several projects, including quality manager for the Clinical Immunology Services.
Louise holds dual communications responsibility for PHTA as well as Birmingham Health Partners, the city’s strategic academic-NHS-industry research alliance. An experienced PR professional, her focus is showcasing the outcomes and impact of PHTA and BHP’s life sciences research.
Magda is an administrator with more than 10 years of experience in customer resource management. Currently, she supports our administrative processes to promote efficient and high-quality operations. Working alongside the Company Secretary, she proactively addresses situations to organise and maximise availability and project timelines.
Gianmarco is a clinician scientist actively working in the field of translational oncology and cancer genomic medicine. With his research team, he is tackling structural variation of cancer genomes to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for upper gastrointestinal cancers. He is also pioneering the use of structural variation in germline genomes to identify predisposition to cancers. He also works in the field of medical epistemology with a focus on machine learning driven medicine and precision oncology.
Natasha is an experienced senior administrator having held previous roles within academia, education and social enterprise, and is a former Trustee of the Disability Resource Centre. She plays a pivotal role in facilitating both PHTA’s long-term strategy and its day to day operations.
Rhys is a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Birmingham. Since graduation 3 years ago he has been running an academic makerspace, providing design and manufacturing consultancy to students, academics and small businesses, alongside working towards his PhD.
Ruxandra is a Business Innovation Lead with extensive experience in supporting entrepreneurship and innovation across academia and industry. Previously, Ruxandra has led on regional initiatives to support the life sciences ecosystem in the West Midlands, and advised entrepreneurs on setting up and growing a business in the UK. She has an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Management.
Kayiri brings over 8 years of administrative experience to PHTA’s admin team. With a meticulous eye for detail and a proactive approach, she streamlines daily operations and fosters exceptional client service. Her impeccable work ethic ensures seamless interactions with both colleagues and clients.
Board of Directors
Our independent advisory board has been appointed to support the PHTA delivery team with strategic direction, acting as a critical friend and providing expert counsel.
After a 30-year career in industry and consulting, Jo is now focused on supporting charities, universities, and business start-ups. She has broad experience in various industries and sectors, and has enjoyed an international career with assignments in Europe, US, Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Over the last 15 years, Jo has specialised in health, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences. She is a passionate supporter of critical public health issues, such as dementia, anti-microbial resistance, and rare diseases. She is currently interim chair of MedCity and also serves LifeArc as a trustee.
University of Birmingham alumni Mike has 30 years’ experience across the global health industry experience and, among other roles is currently Chair of five medical, CRO and digital health companies. He previously held senior roles internationally at Align Technology, Boston Scientific, C.R. Bard, Sybron and Becton Dickinson, and was President of Gambro where he led the £3bn public-to-private buyout. His industry experience covers pharma, biotech, digital, dental, devices and diagnostics.
Clive has more than 30 years’ experience in life science research, with over 20 years in senior pharmaceutical industry positions. His expertise includes an in-depth understanding of all facets of drug discovery and development, a broad knowledge of the science and commercial landscape of a variety of therapeutic areas and solid experience of the pharmaceutical business and finance community supporting the sector. He co-founded Convergence Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which was acquired by Biogen in 2015, and also PowderMed Ltd, a vaccines development company acquired by Pfizer in N2006. Clive was recently Deputy Chair of the UK Vaccine Task Force, and is currently Chief Executive Officer, C4X Discovery PLS and a non-executive member of the Medicines Discovery Catapult Board.
Steve is an infectious disease expert and has worked for more than 40 years in both the biopharmaceutical industry and the public sector developing and commercialising public health interventions such as vaccines and immunotherapies. He now provides expert consultancy to life sciences companies and academia, is an advisor to the UK Vaccine Task Force, and also advises the UK and the EU on emergency preparedness and response to biological and chemical weapons. Steve is particularly passionate about helping small companies and academia translate their research through providing advice and guidance on developing products through the pre-clinical, clinical, manufacturing and commercialisation phases.