Chris is an in vitro pharmacologist with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She has worked at Pfizer, UCB, Ipsen and the NHS demonstrating a breadth of scientific, project, business and change management experience. She is an advocate for collaborative working (whether it be within or across organizations) and is passionate about what people and teams can achieve when they are engaged and empowered. This philosophy is the driving force behind her coaching & consulting business, Questae. She is Treasurer Elect and a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society as well as being a member of the Board at ELRIG UK.

Clare is a Chartered Scientist and Chemist with 20 years’ experience in the science community and not-for-profit sector. She is a member of the ELRIG early career professional (ECP) workgroup and is passionate about investing in future generations and those from diverse backgrounds and experiences, empowering people to realise their potential and achieve their career and development goals. Prior to her role at CRAC/Vitae, Clare was with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for 16 years in a variety of roles.

CRAC is a charity and was founded in 1964. Vitae, non-profit programme of CRAC, is the global leader in supporting the career and professional development of researchers, experienced in working with governments and over 200 institutions in 23 countries. It strengthens members and partners provision through research and innovation, training and resources, events, consultancy and membership. Vitae advocates for a healthy research environment and culture that will attract and develop a more diverse workforce, believing this will impact positively on individual and institutional performance and bring societal and economic benefits.

Paul is an industrial engineer by trade and has been involved in business development within industrial automation for nearly 25 years. During his career he has been involved in many industries including factory automation, process automation, food and beverage, printing and life sciences. Working within an international new markets group, Paul was heavily involved in the development of a market approach to the Lab Automation and Medical Device markets for Festo bringing together application knowhow with industrial automation robustness and best practice. Today, he is a member of the EMEA Leadership Team representing the Life Sciences market for Watson Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions. Paul is an active board member of ELRIG UK (European Laboratory Research Interest Group) and has been a member of the ELRIG General Committee since 2016.

Saleha is a Senior Research Scientist at AstraZeneca, where she supports early discovery projects within the R&D organisation. Prior to joining AstraZeneca in 2017, she completed her PhD and first Postdoc at the University of Leicester in partnership with UCB Pharma. Previous to that she studied at the University of York and spent a short time at CRUK London Research Institute. Saleha joined the ELRIG General Committee in 2017 and is now the current Chair of the Networking Events Workgroup.

Mark is a Senior Scientist at OMass Therapeutics where he works as an in vitro pharmacologist. Prior to this, he completed his PhD and postdoctoral work at the University of Nottingham focussing on the molecular pharmacology of cell surface receptors. He has been active in several groups championing involvement and participation of Early Career members across different organisations, including previously sitting as the Chair of the Team Science Committee at the Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors at the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham. Mark joined the ELRIG General Committee in 2020 and is now the Chair of the Early Career Professional (ECP) Workgroup.

Verena leads Research Operations at Laverock Therapeutics, spearheading the development of programmable advanced therapies. She previously established and led R&D Services and immune-cell based initiatives at Revvity (formerly Horizon Discovery) to deliver drug discovery projects using complex functional genomic screens, cutting-edge gene editing approaches, and novel automation solutions in a customer-centric environment. With a background in both biotech drug development and academia, Verena holds a PhD in Immunology, an MSc in Neurosciences, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership Practices. She is also recognized as a Chartered Manager Fellow of the CMI. Passionate about forging synergies across sciences, technologies, and commercial sectors, Verena views ELRIG as an instrumental platform for fostering collaboration within the life science and drug discovery community. She is committed to leveraging her expertise to drive strategic initiatives and propel innovation in the field.