Meet Our Team

Melanie is an established preclinical drug discovery leader with a track record of developing and inspiring diverse, high performing teams, to deliver innovative science and technology. Mel worked for GSK for 19 years, holding a variety of roles in early discovery. For the past 8 years she was Head of Screening, Profiling and Mechanistic Biology UK, and in 2019 also gained accountability for GSK’s Global Sample Management department. In 2024 Mel moved to AstraZeneca as Vice President of Discovery Biology, with accountability for the AstraZeneca global cell bank, chemical biology, reagent generation and Bioassay development functions globally. Outside of AZ, Mel is a Society for Lab Automation and Screening (SLAS) Fellow, being Chair of the Board, Mel believes passionately in ELRIG’s mission to bring the life sciences and drug discovery communities together to foster collaboration and innovation, on an open access basis, and to support development of early career professionals.

As CEO of ELRIG, my role is to help fulfill ELRIG’s vision of providing a communication forum for the UK drug discovery and research community. We are proud that we run so many meetings per year, each of which has innovative technology as a theme, and world renowned speakers presenting their research. We are supported by the vendor community and remain strictly not for profit, with the board providing their help and support without remuneration. ELRIG is a world class organization and has links to other LRIGs, as well as other scientific bodies. I have been involved with ELRIG for over 10 years and I am also the General Manager of DiscoveRx Europe, which gives me the skills needed to help manage ELRIG operationally as well as strategically, as I am very well connected in the drug discovery industry.

Del has a portfolio career, combining leadership, non-executive director and consultancy roles in a number of life science tools companies, including Sartorius AG, Axol Bioscience, Semarion and Refeyn. Trained in Pharmacology & Physiology, and with over 30 years of experience in biotechnology SMEs and biopharma, Del is passionate about drug discovery networks and collaborations between industry, academia and tools providers. He has volunteered for ELRIG since 2013 in a wide range of roles including Scientific Program Chair, Workgroup Lead for Early Career Professionals and most recently as head of the Innovation Workgroup. Del joined the ELRIG Board in 2017.

Nick has two decades of industrial life science experience across a variety of scientific and commercial roles in large pharma and startups. He is currently Regional Sales Manager (Head of Europe) at Synthego and in recent years, he has supported scientists in selecting tools and workflows in stem cells and CRISPR applications to help drive the discovery of new treatments. Nick was elected to sit on the General Committee of ELRIG in 2021 to support the organisation’s Networking Work Group. Prior to this, Nick worked as a scientist and lab head in R&D, leading projects to establish cell/genetic models for drug discovery and disease modelling.

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.

Cassie is a Senior Research Investigator at Isomorphic Labs. In her previous role as an assay development and screening scientist at GSK, Stevenage she was responsible for the recruitment and ongoing training of industrial placement students each year. This ignited her passion for working with early career professionals (ECPs) and led her to join the ECP workgroup at ELRIG. As an ECP herself, having recently completed a MPhil degree in collaboration with UCL and the Francis Crick Institute, she is delighted to be on the ELRIG board as a voice for the ECPs. Cassie feels ELRIG is an enormously important organisation for everyone, not just ECPs, and our events can offer so many opportunities to access high quality science, engage in networking events, and learn so much about the science industry, for free!

Saleha is an experienced leader in drug discovery and is currently Head of Pipeline and Commercialisation Strategy at Constructive Bio, an innovative engineering biology startup using pioneering technology to rewrite genomes and create new-to-nature biomolecules. With over a decade of experience in big pharma, she previously led indication discovery and expansion, horizon scanning and innovation activities at AstraZeneca. Her academic foundation includes a PhD and postdoctoral studies in biochemistry and structural biology from the University of Leicester, in partnership with UCB Pharma. This blend of academic rigor and industry exposure shapes her unique perspective in the field. Saleha’s influence extends beyond her primary role through various external engagements.

In addition to serving as Board Director at ELRIG and chairing the Scientific Programme Workgroup, she holds an honorary lectureship at Queen Mary University of London and contributes as Editorial Board Member at Nature Scientific Reports. Saleha is also passionate about talent development and broadening opportunities for individuals who are socio-economically disadvantaged. She works with a number or organisations to further this work, including The Sutton Trust, The Social Mobility Foundation and 93% Professionals.  Her career exemplifies the seamless integration of academic research, pharmaceutical industry experience, and entrepreneurial spirit along with a fierce drive to address social injustice.

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.

Dr Catherine Kettleborough has over 25 years’ experience working at the interface of academic research and biopharma. As Head of Biology at LifeArc’s Centre for Translational Sciences, Dr Kettleborough oversees reagent and assay development, screening, and target validation to support hit-to-lead and antibody discovery projects for novel drug targets identified by academic research groups globally. Prior to her current role, she was Assistant Director of Applied Research at MRC Technology where she managed the Assay Development and Screening Group.

Dr Chas Bountra OBE is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Professor of Translational Medicine and Director of the Centre for Medicines Discovery in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford. Prior to this, Dr Bountra was VP and Head of Biology at GSK where he led the identification of over 40 clinical candidates for gastro-intestinal, inflammatory, and neuro-psychiatric diseases. Dr Bountra advises on a range of academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug discovery programmes, and he is an invited expert on several government and charitable research funding bodies.

Dr Richard Eglen has over 40 years’ experience in executive management positions across pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology industries, and he is currently Senior Advisor to a leading private equity firm that specialises in healthcare, Arsenal Capital Partners. He is also a Fellow of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) and previously held senior roles at Corning Life Sciences, PerkinElmer, DiscoveRx Corp (now Eurofins Pharma Discovery Services), and Roche Pharmaceuticals. Dr Eglen has broad experience in drug discovery, having worked on key drug targets, as well as in developing technologies for cell and gene therapy, cell culture, high-throughput screening, cellular imaging and biomarker detection.

Steve Rees OBE is VP of Discovery Biology at AstraZeneca with responsibility for functional genomics, reagent and assay development, and cell and gene therapies. Prior to joining AstraZeneca, Rees worked at GSK for 24 years in various roles. He is currently an Industry Trustee of the British Pharmaceutical Society (BPS) Council and works to actively promote networking, educational, and mentoring opportunities for drug discovery scientists. Rees is also the former Chair of ELRIG UK and member of the SLAS Board of Directors, and has led multiple international collaborations and external partnerships, including the creation of the Cambridge COVID-19 Test Centre.

Dr Cathy Tralau-Stewart has more than 20 years’ experience in senior academic and industry leadership roles, with a focus on drug discovery and the translation of early research innovation into drug discovery programmes. She is currently CSO at C4X Discovery and, prior to this, was Senior Director of Alliances for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for the strategic development and management of academic alliances. In senior leadership positions at Imperial College London, the University of California, San Francisco, and the Stanford University-Takeda Alliance for Innovative Medicines, Dr Tralau-Stewart built drug discovery portfolios through to Phase III clinical studies. She is currently a Fellow of the SLAS and the Royal Society of Chemistry, as well as a Member of the BPS.

Dr Ian Waddell is CSO for CUMULUS Oncology, with over 35 years’ experience in project, line, and matrix management in the pharmaceutical industry. In his previous role as Director of Discovery Medicine and Translational Science at AstraZeneca, Dr Waddell managed research groups in cardiovascular and oncology disease areas, and, as Head of Biology in the Drug Discovery Unit of the CRUK Manchester Institute, he led a team that identified three clinical drug candidates. He was also CSO (Early Discovery) at Charles River Laboratories, where he supported its rapid growth as the Company began to focus on new modalities. Dr Waddell works closely with Alzheimer’s Research UK and The Brain Tumour Charity.

Laura joined the ELRIG board in 2024, bringing her expertise in strategic partnerships and her passion for advancing scientific collaboration.

Laura is an established neuroscientist, with a career spanning the NHS, charity, academic, and pharmaceutical sectors. She has a track record of leading cross-sector collaborations to drive drug discovery, including the international Psychiatry Consortium, for which she won the ELRIG Early Career Impact Award in 2021.

Currently, Laura serves as Chief Executive of the British Neuroscience Association, leading the organization’s vision, strategy, and operations. She is also a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society where she has previously served as the Trustee for Early Career Pharmacologists, contributing significantly to the organisations efforts to support ECPs.

In 2025, Laura became Chair of the ELRIG Awards Work Group, where she focuses on fostering recognition and celebrating achievements within the ELRIG community.

Lisa is the Head of Translational Cell Science within Target Discovery at GSK and leads The Stem Cell & Complex In Vitro Models Centre for Excellence at GSK. She currently leads a team of >30 scientists, with a focus on the application of iPSC-derived cell types, in vivo models and complex human in vitro systems (e.g. organ on a chip; organoids) for use in CRISPR screening for target discovery & pre-clinical R&D across priority therapeutic areas.

Prior to this Lisa co-founded STRATASTEM an innovative stem cell spin-out company from her academic work at The University Of Manchester.

With her wealth of experience spanning academia, entrepreneurial ventures, and leadership roles, Lisa is excited to help support ELRIG’s impact in the life sciences community

Rob has over 20 years experience in drug discovery across a variety of organisations within the UK and Europe. He is currently Senior Director in Discovery at Charles River based in Cambridge, UK leading the Chesterford Park, UK and Chicago, USA sites. He joined Charles River in 2023 after 3 years as part of the UK’s response to Covid-19. From 2020-2021 he led the Cambridge Covid-19 Testing Centre in a collaboration between AstraZeneca, GSK, University of Cambridge and Charles River before leading the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory for the UK Health Security Agency from 2021 to 2023. Both of these Labs provided qPCR testing for the UK, totalling over 12 million tests by the end of March 2023.

Prior to this he worked at AstraZeneca (from 2016 to 2021 in Sweden and UK), Horizon Discovery and Vernalis leading groups in the early Discovery space generating assays, reagents and screening critical for project progression.

Rob serves on the editorial board of SLAS Discovery, has been a SLAS Fellow since 2020 and holds various voluntary posts. He has been a member of the ELRIG General Committee since 2022 and recently joined the Board.