Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult appoints three new Non-Executive Directors to the Board
London, UK, March 7, 2016 – The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, the UK organisation dedicated to the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry by bridging the gap between scientific research and commercialisation, today announces the appointment of three new non-executive directors to its Board.
The new appointments are:
-
Professor Fiona Watt
-
Dr Susan Foden
-
Dr Steven Chatfield
Prof Fiona Watt has spent 20 years at the CRUK London Research Institute and helped to establish the CRUK Cambridge Research Institute and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research in Cambridge. In 2012 she moved to King's College London, where she leads the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. She is internationally recognised for her work on epidermal stem cells and their interactions and leads the UK Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Initiative.
Dr Susan Foden has over 15 years' experience as a Non-Executive Director in life science companies in the biotechnology and healthcare field. She currently holds a number of non-executive positions including British Technology Group plc, Vectura plc, Evgen Pharma plc and BerGenBio AS. Susan has a background in science, corporate and academic partnerships and venture capital. Previous roles include CEO of Cancer Research Campaign Technology Ltd (now Cancer Research Technology) and Investor Director with Merlin Biosciences.
Dr Steven Chatfield brings more than 35 years' experience in the field of research and development within the biopharmaceutical industry. His previous roles include executive positions at the Health Protection Agency, Emergent BioSolutions, Microscience Ltd, Medeva plc, Evans Medical and Wellcome Biotechnology with a focus on developing novel vaccines and immunotherapy products.
Together they bring a wealth of experience from academia, and industry to the Board. They join Nick Higgins, Professors Marc Turner and Michael Whitaker, and Executive Directors Matthew Durdy (Chief Business Officer), Dr Stephen Ward (Chief Operating Officer), Professor Johan Hyllner (Chief Scientific Officer), Dr Natalie Mount (Chief Clinical Officer), Chairman Dr John Brown CBE, FRSE and CEO Keith Thompson.
'We're pleased to welcome Susan, Steven and Fiona to the Board," said John Brown, Chairman, "Their experience in research, development and commercialisation will prove invaluable in helping us progress the strategic aims of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to grow the industry in the UK.'
About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established in 2012 as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 100 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, we work with our partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. We offer leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. We aim to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. Regenerative medicine is one of the UK government's eight great technologies that support UK science strengths and business capabilities. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information go to ct.catapult.org.uk or visit www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.