Invited Speakers
Emily Adams
Dr Emily Adams is an Associate Professor at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, working on the development of diagnostics through to implementation focusing on diseases with pandemic potential. Emily has a dual role in industry and is the Chief Global Health Officer at GADx, a CRO company for diagnostics in the UK where she leads the global health portfolio. Emily has recently become the co-chair at BIVDA in the Infectious Disease Working Party.
Dr Emily Adams is an Associate Professor at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, working on the development of diagnostics through to implementation focusing on diseases with pandemic potential. Emily has a dual role in industry and is the Chief Global Health Officer at GADx, a CRO company for diagnostics in the UK where she leads the global health portfolio. Emily has recently become the co-chair at BIVDA in the Infectious Disease Working Party.
Veemal Bhowruth
I am an entrepreneurial-minded technology transfer professional supporting the translation of academic research within a global leading university; delivering real-world solutions that provide both societal & health benefits. Managing 4 BDM’s in the Life Sciences (LS) sub-team; the team progresses IP opportunities across the full remit of LS including medical devices, new therapeutics, educational and software tools with the goal of translating these into commercialisation opportunities (generating financial benefits and impact for UoB). With over 10 years’ experience in HE and the NHS, I have supported numerous grant awards, new company formations and licensing opportunities utilising all forms of IP.
David Browning
40 years comprehensive life sciences innovation translation experience. Current roles include Entrepreneur in Residence, Institute of Cancer Research, Chairperson digital med tech companies, strategic advisor to organisations including the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator and Executive Chair, Clinical Immunology Services Advisory Board. Key experience: NHS Clinical Biochemistry, Johnson & Johnson clinical diagnostics innovator, Philips Personalised Medicine lead, MD MediCity / SVP Innovation BioCity (Pioneer Group). CEO roles include Fixed Phage (NexaBiome) focusing on AMR solutions, and Oxford University spin-outs.
Rik Bryan
Rik Bryan is a former clinical urologist who became a full-time bladder cancer research academic at the University of Birmingham in 2009. He subsequently established a dedicated bladder cancer research laboratory group - initially focusing on urinary biomarkers and proteomics, the group expanded and worked with other University of Birmingham academics to incorporate genomics & bioinformatics, novel therapeutics, and bio-medical engineering, all within an ethos of translation and clinical research. In 2020 the group were recognised by the University as a Centre of Excellence and became the Bladder Cancer Research Centre, BCRC. In 2024 the BCRC was awarded the inaugural College of Medical and Dental Sciences Team Science Award for their work in devising, developing, validating and commercialising a diagnostic urine test for bladder cancer – the GALEAS™ Bladder test, https://nonacus.com/oncology/galeas-bladder-cancer-test/.
Rik is also the Chief Investigator of the Bladder Cancer Prognosis Programme (BCPP), POUT-T, and BC-Recon and his particular interests are biomarkers, novel agents, technologies and pathways (both molecular pathways and patient pathways).
Joseph Burt
Joseph is an experienced Quality and Regulatory professional who is enthusiastic about delivering innovative, safe and pioneering medical devices to the benefit of patients and for use by healthcare practitioners. With over 26 years of experience working in small to global medical device companies, he has developed several in vitro diagnostic medical devices, including the approval of developed devices with multiple jurisdictions. He is passionate about bringing positive outcomes through the use of innovative medical technologies and a champion for early diagnosis for preventative healthcare. Joseph is the Head of IVD and General Medical Devices with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Joseph is an experienced Quality and Regulatory professional who is enthusiastic about delivering innovative, safe and pioneering medical devices to the benefit of patients and for use by healthcare practitioners. With over 26 years of experience working in small to global medical device companies, he has developed several in vitro diagnostic medical devices, including the approval of developed devices with multiple jurisdictions. He is passionate about bringing positive outcomes through the use of innovative medical technologies and a champion for early diagnosis for preventative healthcare. Joseph is the Head of IVD and General Medical Devices with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Mark Connell
Tim Davis
Regional Head, UK Primary Markets, London Stock Exchange
Tim joined The London Stock Exchange in April 2019 and has responsibility for potential AIM and Main Market IPOs across The Midlands, Wales, East Anglia, Cambridge and Oxford. In addition, he has national responsibility for all Healthcare and related IPO business. He is also on the project delivery team for the Private Securities Market, LSE’s new market for private company share sales. He spent the previous 20 years working across a range of industry sectors in UK small and mid-cap advisory and broking roles at Teather & Greenwood, Charles Stanley Securities and Cantor Fitzgerald Europe.
Professor Jon Deeks
Jon Deeks is a Professor of Biostatistics and leader in the Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis and Test Evaluation Research Group in the Department of Applied Health Science, University of Birmingham. He is a Theme Lead within the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre. Jon's expertise is on test evaluation. He is the senior methodologist on numerous primary evaluations and systematic reviews of medical tests, leads the Cochrane Collaboration's test evaluation activities, has led the Royal Statistical Society on Diagnostic Tests, advises the MHRA and WHO on test evaluation methods. He is an NIHR Senior Investigator Emeritus and Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Professor Alistair Denniston
Professor Alastair Denniston is an NIHR Senior Investigator, Professor in Regulatory Science and Innovation at the University of Birmingham, and a Consultant Ophthalmologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. He is Director of the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Regulatory Science and Innovation in AI & Digital Health (CERSI-AI), is a Member of the UK Government’s Regulatory Horizons Council and is Non-Executive Director to the UK’s Health Research Authority. He is passionate about supporting innovation in advanced digital and AI health technologies to accelerate the development of products that are effective, safe, and equitable, and that make a difference to people in the ‘real world’.
Professor Alastair Denniston is an NIHR Senior Investigator, Professor in Regulatory Science and Innovation at the University of Birmingham, and a Consultant Ophthalmologist at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. He is Director of the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Regulatory Science and Innovation in AI & Digital Health (CERSI-AI), is a Member of the UK Government’s Regulatory Horizons Council and is Non-Executive Director to the UK’s Health Research Authority. He is passionate about supporting innovation in advanced digital and AI health technologies to accelerate the development of products that are effective, safe, and equitable, and that make a difference to people in the ‘real world’.
Matthew Dobson
Matthew Dobson is an accomplished leader with significant experience in medical device and IVD innovation, specializing in product and marketing strategy development and execution. In his roles as Head of Product, he excels in identifying unmet market needs and defining product roadmaps. His entrepreneurial background includes co-founding an AI-enabled health monitoring company and co-authoring business plans for successful ventures within a number of high-profile business accelerators. With an MBA focused on technology and innovation management, Matt brings a deep understanding of strategic commercialization. He looks forward to guiding attendees through crafting effective business models in his workshop.
Dr Jean-Louis Duprey
Dr Jean-Louis Duprey is the Director of Research and Development at Linear Diagnostics, a spin-out of the University of Birmingham based at the UoB Research Park Biohub. He gained his PhD from UoB in 2010 working in the chemistry department working on fluorescent modified DNA as a disease sensor. He was a PDRA in UoB Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biological Sciences, with Professors Jim Tucker and Tim Dafforn, before joining Linear Diagnostics in 2017 where he oversaw the development of their rapid diagnostics test technology for human infectious diseases and its focus of applying this to near-patient care.
Professor Neil Hanley
Professor Lorraine Harper
Professor Harper is an internationally recognized leader in clinical research in nephrology, with an H-index of 70 and over £20 million in active research funding. She has a strong track record in delivering commercial clinical trials as Chief or Principal Investigator. As Managing Director of the Birmingham NIHR Clinical Research Facility and the NIHR Central and North West Midlands Commercial Research Delivery Centre, she plays a key role in advancing research infrastructure. She leads the Birmingham Health Partners Consortium, driving innovative approaches to streamline trial delivery and innovation. As NIHR Academy Associate Dean, she is committed to developing future research leaders.
Professor Harper is an internationally recognized leader in clinical research in nephrology, with an H-index of 70 and over £20 million in active research funding. She has a strong track record in delivering commercial clinical trials as Chief or Principal Investigator. As Managing Director of the Birmingham NIHR Clinical Research Facility and the NIHR Central and North West Midlands Commercial Research Delivery Centre, she plays a key role in advancing research infrastructure. She leads the Birmingham Health Partners Consortium, driving innovative approaches to streamline trial delivery and innovation. As NIHR Academy Associate Dean, she is committed to developing future research leaders.
Dr Stephen Harding
Stephen (Ste) Harding is Vice President of Research and Development at Binding Site, now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. He first joined the company in 2006, moving to the position of R&D director 5 years later. Prior to that, he worked in the flourishing drug discovery space, with positions at BioFocus and a small start-up, Scancell. He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wales and is an Honorary Professor at the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy within the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at UoB. His graduate work gave him the opportunity to develop a keen interest in polyclonal and monoclonal antibody production, which has been the foundation of his career to date. He is passionate about immunoassay development on a variety of platforms, having launched a best-in-class Specialist Protein analyser and a first in class Mass Spectrometry solution for the identification and quantification of monoclonal immunoglobulins. He has recognised globally for his work in serum free light chain testing and as one of the principal instigators for the iStopMM study, a revolutionary population wide screening study in Iceland. Commercially he was part of a small executive team that drove compound annual growth rates of 13% since 2011, establishing Binding Site as a key player in the Specialist Protein marketplace. Ste attributes the agony and ecstasy of supporting Everton as foundational to his professional career.
Dr Jennifer Heaney
Dr Jennifer Heaney is a Senior Research Fellow within the Clinical Immunology Services at the University of Birmingham. Jennifer’s main theme of research is immunoassay development, focusing on applications in blood cancer and infectious disease. She develops solutions that are simple and affordable to improve access to testing and streamline testing pathways for patient and health system benefits. She is designing tests tailored for use in target settings, including the UK and low income countries. To develop and validate novel immunodiagnostic tests, Jennifer collaborates closely with industry, charity and clinical partners. Her work is supported by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research Horizons and Blood Cancer UK.
Les Lindsay
Les Lindsay started his working life as a biochemist in the NHS but transferred to the initially the pharmaceutical industry then MedTech working his way up various roles to setting up his own Start Up in 2017.
4 years ago he began working for an American based start-up called Kiffik Biomedical to develop a wearable device that extracts interstitial fluid non invasively. This technology can replace 70% of all invasive blood tests. ISF has 12500 clinically important biomarkers in it.
Les Lindsay started his working life as a biochemist in the NHS but transferred to the initially the pharmaceutical industry then MedTech working his way up various roles to setting up his own Start Up in 2017.
4 years ago he began working for an American based start-up called Kiffik Biomedical to develop a wearable device that extracts interstitial fluid non invasively. This technology can replace 70% of all invasive blood tests. ISF has 12500 clinically important biomarkers in it.
Dr Matt Pearce
Dr Matt Pearce is an experienced senior executive with over three decades of experience within the IVD industry with a commercial, new product development and operations track record throughout Europe, USA, Asia and LATAM. Matt specialises in driving business growth, product innovation, and new technology development. As the founder and owner of Medtechtomarket, his team successfully leads the design, development, manufacture, regulatory, launch and commercialisation of IVD technologies from Academia and Industry.
Dr Matt Pearce is an experienced senior executive with over three decades of experience within the IVD industry with a commercial, new product development and operations track record throughout Europe, USA, Asia and LATAM. Matt specialises in driving business growth, product innovation, and new technology development. As the founder and owner of Medtechtomarket, his team successfully leads the design, development, manufacture, regulatory, launch and commercialisation of IVD technologies from Academia and Industry.
Richard Devereaux-Phillips
Richard joined the ABHI in June 2015 with over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.
Richard holds a first degree in Sports Science from Brighton Polytechnic and a Master's in Health Economics Research and Management from Keele University. He served from 2003 until 2013 as a member of the Technology Appraisal Advisory Committee of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and also on the Programme Advisory Group of the Healthcare Quality and Information Authority in Ireland. Richard was Chair of the South West Academic Health Sciences Network during 2015, and is currently on the Management Board of Health Innovation West Midlands. He was a Non Executive Director of the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham for 7 years from 2017and chaired the Programme Board of the Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare for three years until stepping down in November 2019. He currently holds a number of advisory positions on government policy and research initiatives, and is a longstanding member of the Institute of Healthcare Management.
In his role at ABHI, Richard oversees the Association’s policy and communications activities as well as working closely with his CEO on senior government engagement and the future shape of the organisation.
Richard joined the ABHI in June 2015 with over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.
Richard holds a first degree in Sports Science from Brighton Polytechnic and a Master's in Health Economics Research and Management from Keele University. He served from 2003 until 2013 as a member of the Technology Appraisal Advisory Committee of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and also on the Programme Advisory Group of the Healthcare Quality and Information Authority in Ireland. Richard was Chair of the South West Academic Health Sciences Network during 2015, and is currently on the Management Board of Health Innovation West Midlands. He was a Non Executive Director of the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham for 7 years from 2017and chaired the Programme Board of the Small Business Research Initiative Healthcare for three years until stepping down in November 2019. He currently holds a number of advisory positions on government policy and research initiatives, and is a longstanding member of the Institute of Healthcare Management.
In his role at ABHI, Richard oversees the Association’s policy and communications activities as well as working closely with his CEO on senior government engagement and the future shape of the organisation.
Jo Pisani
Jo focuses on supporting charities, universities and business start-ups. She is chair of London’s MedCity and Birmingham’s Precision Health Technology Accelerator and the West Midlands Health Technology Innovation Accelerator. She serves on the boards of the UK Dementia Research Institute, LifeArc, The RSA Group, and Beacon. She is also a strategic advisor and NED for biotechs in the UK, Finland and Spain and sits on the board of Bioventix plc .
Prior to this, Jo led PwC’s UK Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences practice, and spent 20 years assisting clients with strategy, transformational change and deals. She started her career at BP and then GSK, with roles in strategy, commercial and operations functions.
She is a passionate supporter of critical public health issues, such as tackling dementia, rare diseases and anti-microbial resistance.
Jo focuses on supporting charities, universities and business start-ups. She is chair of London’s MedCity and Birmingham’s Precision Health Technology Accelerator and the West Midlands Health Technology Innovation Accelerator. She serves on the boards of the UK Dementia Research Institute, LifeArc, The RSA Group, and Beacon. She is also a strategic advisor and NED for biotechs in the UK, Finland and Spain and sits on the board of Bioventix plc .
Prior to this, Jo led PwC’s UK Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences practice, and spent 20 years assisting clients with strategy, transformational change and deals. She started her career at BP and then GSK, with roles in strategy, commercial and operations functions.
She is a passionate supporter of critical public health issues, such as tackling dementia, rare diseases and anti-microbial resistance.
Alex Richter
Professor Alex Richter is Professor of Clinical Immunology at the University of Birmingham and Honorary Consultant at University Hospitals Birmingham. She directs the Clinical Immunology Service, a UKAS-accredited NHS diagnostic laboratory delivering immunology and haematology testing for 135 NHS Trusts, supporting national myeloma and AML trials as well as industry-led validation studies. She leads national innovation programmes developing diagnostics for infectious and immune-mediated diseases, including a commercialised SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay, remote sampling for vaccine response and seroepidemiology, and point-of-care tests for Type 1 diabetes screening. She collaborates with decision-makers including MHRA and UKHSA and leads the diagnostics theme for the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator. Her current focus is building a pipeline of affordable, accessible diagnostics to advance global equity in healthcare.
Gary Sambrook
Gary Sambrook is the Managing Partner of Walk Through Walls, leveraging 18 years of political and campaign experience, including serving as the MP for Birmingham Northfield. Renowned for his expertise in public affairs and strategic communications, Gary helps organisations navigate complex political landscapes to achieve meaningful results. As part of the One Thousand Trades Group, Walk Through Walls, is helping lead on the delivery of the inaugural West Midlands Life Sciences Week, taking place in September 2025.
Craig Webster
Craig Webster is a state-registered Consultant Clinical Scientist with over 30 years’ experience in clinical biochemistry, informatics and pathology service leadership. As Pathology Clinical Director at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), he oversees a multidisciplinary service spanning four hospital sites and a 900-strong team, ensuring delivery to ISO 15189 standards. His clinical focus encompasses vitamin D metabolism and pheochromocytoma diagnostics, with a track record of implementing high-throughput automated systems processing over 4.5 million tests annually.
An innovator in laboratory informatics, Craig has participated in projects ranging from early GP electronic reporting (“GP Connect”) to the messaging standards underpinning NPex (National Pathology Exchange). He is a proficient programmer (C#, JavaScript, Ruby) and has developed commercial iOS and web applications to streamline laboratory workflows and point of care testing. His research spans mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis and demand-management systems—his Emergency Department test-profiling reduced requests by ~30%, winning a regional innovation award.
Craig holds a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry & Food Science (Leeds), an MSc in Clinical Biochemistry (Manchester), and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and a Chartered Scientist. He was an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Birmingham University (Clinical Biochemistry), and is course leader at Greenwich University for the Mass Spectroscopy and Clinical Data Interpretation. and contributes to European and international laboratory-medicine working groups, most recently the European database on biological variation.
Craig Webster is a state-registered Consultant Clinical Scientist with over 30 years’ experience in clinical biochemistry, informatics and pathology service leadership. As Pathology Clinical Director at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), he oversees a multidisciplinary service spanning four hospital sites and a 900-strong team, ensuring delivery to ISO 15189 standards. His clinical focus encompasses vitamin D metabolism and pheochromocytoma diagnostics, with a track record of implementing high-throughput automated systems processing over 4.5 million tests annually.
An innovator in laboratory informatics, Craig has participated in projects ranging from early GP electronic reporting (“GP Connect”) to the messaging standards underpinning NPex (National Pathology Exchange). He is a proficient programmer (C#, JavaScript, Ruby) and has developed commercial iOS and web applications to streamline laboratory workflows and point of care testing. His research spans mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis and demand-management systems—his Emergency Department test-profiling reduced requests by ~30%, winning a regional innovation award.
Craig holds a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry & Food Science (Leeds), an MSc in Clinical Biochemistry (Manchester), and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and a Chartered Scientist. He was an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Birmingham University (Clinical Biochemistry), and is course leader at Greenwich University for the Mass Spectroscopy and Clinical Data Interpretation. and contributes to European and international laboratory-medicine working groups, most recently the European database on biological variation.