Staff profiles
Ted Bianco PhD, FIBiol - Director of Technology Transfer
Ted is Director of Technology Transfer at the Wellcome Trust with responsibility for the promotion of early stage R&D through translational research funding and the management of intellectual property arising from Wellcome Trust-sponsored research. Ted has 25 years experience in biomedical research, specialising in tropical medicine and infectious disease. He obtained his PhD at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and subsequently worked at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, where he was the Walter Myers Professor of Parasitology. He joined the Wellcome Trust in 1999 as head of the Centres and Major Initiatives department. Ted is an honorary professor of the Liverpool School.
Daniel Nelki PhD, LLM - Head of Legal and Operations
Daniel joined the Trust in 1995, initially with the Science Funding division and subsequently with Catalyst BioMedica Ltd. Daniel is a solicitor, having trained and practised with the international law firm Baker & McKenzie. He has wide legal experience, with specialisation in intellectual property (IP) law. His responsibilities include corporate legal strategy as well as negotiating, establishing and providing quality control for IP and commercial agreements. In 1999, Daniel added a Master's degree in law to his qualifications, focusing on the ownership of human genes and tissue. Prior to training in law, Daniel studied as a molecular geneticist, gaining his PhD from the Royal Holloway and Bedford College in London.
Bina Rawal MFPM, FRCPath - Head of Medical Affairs
Bina joined the Trust in 2009 with 16 years of global drug development experience in the pharmaceutical industry in roles directly interfacing with drug discovery, business development and international marketing.She graduated from St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London with MBBS and a BSc in Infection and Immunity and completed her training in Pathology in the NHS and PHLS culminating in an MSc (from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and Membership of the Royal College of Pathologists in Clinical Virology.After a Leukaemia Research Fund Fellowship at St George's Hospital Medical School, London, Bina joined Glaxo Research and Development in 1993, where she worked on the development and commercialisation of zanamivir and lamivudine.In 2000, Bina moved to Roche (having passed the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine) where she worked on multiple discovery, experimental/translational medicine and early development projects as well as in-licensing activities. Latterly in Roche, she was Therapeutic Area Expert responsible for development and implementation of virology disease area strategies as well as leadership of the UK-based global drug development group.
Richard Seabrook PhD, MBA - Head of Business Development
Richard leads the Business Development Team, Technology Transfer Division which undertakes due diligence and project management of translation awards, strategic translation awards and seeding drug discovery funding.The Team has responsibility for intellectual property management and its translation such as through licensing or new company formation. Previously, Richard held project management and business development roles in the biotechnology sector and has extensive experience of early-stage funding of life science technologies, commercial transactions, Board, SAB and government agency advisory roles.
Richard Davis PhD - Business Development Manager
Richard’s role is to cultivate early-stage funding opportunities and project manage an international portfolio of healthcare projects within Technology Transfer. He is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Trust’s Seeding Drug Discovery initiative. Prior to joining the Trust in 2005, Rick spent six years in R & D and business development within the pharma-biotech industry after gaining a PhD in Pharmacology.
Tim Knott PhD - Business Development Manager
Tim joined Wellcome in 2009 from Imperial Innovations Ltd where he focused on IP, licensing and spinout activities in the bioengineering and medical device sectors. He has 12 years industrial experience in the biotechnology and drug discovery business units at Amersham plc and prior to that he was a permanent member of the scientific staff at the UK MRC. Tim holds a 1st degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Molecular Biology from Imperial College London.
Fiona MacLaughlin PhD, MRPharmS – Business Development Manager
Fiona has over eight years' research experience in the biotechnology industry, specifically in the field of drug delivery. Prior to joining the Trust in 2005, Fiona worked for Valentis (developing non-viral gene delivery systems), Gendel Limited (researching erythrocytes as drug carriers) and Phaeton Research (focusing on developing customised drug delivery technologies for difficult drug candidates). She graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in pharmacy and a PhD in pharmaceutics.
Nick Dunster PhD - Senior Business Analyst
Nick joined the Trust in 2005 and is responsible for contract negotiations, due diligence and IP issues. He monitors existing investments in drug discovery, vaccine trials, medical devices and platform technologies, and holds two Board Observer positions. He obtained a first degree in biochemistry from the University of Bristol, a PhD from Cambridge and has six years' experience in the biotech industry with focus on cancer, immunology and anti-infective preclinical drug discovery.
Sarah Hardy PhD – Senior Business Analyst
Sarah joined the Technology Transfer team in 2006. Her role is to identify and cultivate early-stage funding opportunities and project manage a portfolio of healthcare projects. Her role also involves contract negotiations, due diligence, monitoring patent prosecution and translation strategies leading to commercial exits. Previously, Sarah had responsibilities to the Physiology and Pharmacology Funding Committee and the Neuroscience and Mental Health Funding Committee, both at the Wellcome Trust. Prior to joining the Trust, she worked at Parke-Davis Neuroscience Research Centre, Cambridge. Sarah has a PhD in Molecular Neuropharmacology from the University of Aberdeen.
Nicola Bailey PhD – Senior Business Analyst
Nicola joined the Wellcome Trust in 2007 from AstraZeneca where she had been a senior scientist in the Analytical Development Department since September 2003, focusing on advanced analytical methods and complex problem solving, with an area of expertise being thermal characterisation. Prior to that she worked for an IP consultancy firm in Boston, Global Prior Art, specialising in state of the art, FTO and prior art searching. Her postdoctoral research was completed in the School of Medicine at Brown University, USA, focusing on the characterisation and development of polymeric-based drug delivery devices.
Morag Foreman PhD – Senior Business Analyst
Morag joined the Trust in 2008 from Cancer Research Technology Ltd, where she was a Business Manager for 3 years. Prior to that she worked for a spin out company from Imperial College London. Morag holds a first degree in chemistry from the University of Leicester and a PhD in Organic and Biological Chemistry from Imperial College London.
Sarah Molton PhD – Business Analyst
Sarah joined the Trust in 2010 from Cancer Research Technology Ltd., where she was a Business Manager for four years. Sarah also worked as a Business Development Manager for Modern Biosciences and as an Intellectual Property Manager for the East London Innovations Hub (now NHS Innovations London). She holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of York and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge. Sarah’s post-doctoral research was completed at the University of California San Francisco where she also interned in the Office of Technology Management.
Zoë Ballantyne BA – Senior Legal and Operations Adviser
Zoë is responsible for the preparation and negotiation of legal agreements and intellectual property advice for the Technology Transfer division. Zoë joined the group in 2004. She is a qualified solicitor and formerly practised at the international law firm Ashurst in the intellectual property department. She graduated from Cambridge with a degree in natural sciences (genetics), attended Nottingham Law School and has a diploma in intellectual property law from the University of Bristol.
Joanna Shepherd BSc – Legal and Operations Adviser
Jo joined the Trust in 2009. She is a solicitor with wide legal experience having trained and practised with Clifford Chance, and practised intellectual property law at the technology law firm Brobeck Hale and Dorr and most recently at the US law firm Kirkland and Ellis. Jo graduated from Durham with a BSc in natural sciences and attended Nottingham Law School.
Gary D'Arcy LLB – Operations Manager
Gary is responsible for monitoring commercial agreements, intellectual property portfolio and assists with the administration and monitoring of translation awards. He joined Catalyst BioMedica Ltd in 2001. Prior to joining Catalyst, he gained five years' experience in the education and training sectors, managing a diverse range of supplier contracts and development projects. Gary has substantial experience in contract performance management and in implementing contract monitoring systems. Gary read law, gaining an LLB at Cardiff University.
Saharla Ahmed MSc - Operations Officer
Saharla graduated with a BSc in Genetics and obtained an MSc and Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from Queen Mary, University of London. She joined the Trust in 2007 and her responsibilities include managing aspects of the operational and funding activities, as well as assisting with the legal and financial activities within Technology Transfer. Before joining the Trust, Saharla worked as a Patent Analyst in the Current Awareness team at Thomson Scientific, specialising in patent searching and providing up-to-date patent-based intelligence for the pharmaceutical industry.