DR. ANTOINE ESPINET

Founder and CEO

• 2 years of experience in cell therapy startup

• 4.5 years at McKinsey&Company as Engagement manager with experience in manufacturing, sourcing, strategy

• PhD, Environmental Eng., Cornell University

• Diplôme d’ingénieur, Ecole Centrale Paris

DR. CESARE CEJAS

Founder, Head of Microfluidics

• 5 years experience in microfabrication, microfluidic system design and engineering, prototyping and testing at the Microfluidics, MEMS, and Nanostructures Lab at Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielle (ESPCI Paris)

• PhD from Pierre et Marie Curie University in Materials Science (Physics and Chemistry)

• Post-doctoral researcher for Sanofi (Pharmaceutical Sciences Dept. - Early Development)

DR. JAMES KUSENA

Head of Bioprocessing

• Experience and PhD in human pluripotent stem cell culture and differentiation from Loughborough University.

• Experience in cell therapy process development and manufacturing optimisation.

• Background in Medicinal Chemistry, International Business and Health economics.

DR. VIJAY KUMAR

Microfluidics Engineer 

• Experience and PhD in stem cell research and microfluidic bioprocessing.

• Experience in computer aided design & manufacture, microfluidic device fabrication and finite element modelling.

• Background in Biomedical Engineering.

NICHOLAS AKOSA

Senior Bioprocessing Scientist

• 3 years experience processing and analysing human cell populations for pharmacodynamic endpoints.

• 2 years experience manufacturing CAR-T cells, including all stages of manufacturing - from starting cells to finished drug product for cancer immunotherapy trials.

• Background in Biomedical Science. 

DR. MARIA GRAZIA BARBATO

Post-doc (in collaboration with King's College London)

• PhD in Bionanotechnology from Universita degli Studi di Genova in collaboration with Italian Institute of Technology

• Experience in microfluidics-design for biology-related applications

WILLIAM EDWARDS

PhD Student (in collaboration with King's College London)

• Background in Biochemistry and Translational Biomedical Research from Cambridge University 

• Recipient of King's College iCASE Studentship (Industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering)

DR. JIM MILLS

Bioprocessing expert

• 20 years experience of working in the biopharma sector with expertise in all areas of bioprocess development; upstream process, downstream process and analytical development.

• Ex-CEO of Cantab, ex-SVP Technical Operations at Abzena

DR. TOBY KING

Chairman and interim COO

• 25 years of experience in technology development, particularly in small organisations working in highly regulated environments, with several CTO/COO/CEO/Chairman roles

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering applied to medical devices from Cambridge University

DR. PAUL SIMMONS

Advisor

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• Head of Research and Product development at Mesoblast

• 30+ years of experience in stem cell research

• Past president of International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), C. Harold and Lorine G. Wallace Distinguished Univ.

• Chair at the Univ. of Texas Health Institute, Inaugural Professor and Director, Centre for Stem Cell Research, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine

MICHAEL SPOONER

Advisor

• Non-executive director at Mesoblast since 2004

• 15 years board experience for various Australian and international biotechnologies companies

• Ex-PwC partner and director

PROF. TREVOR JONES

Advisor

• Director of the drug discovery company, e-Therapeutics plc and the life science investment company Arix Bioscience Plc.

• Boards as Director in the UK: NextPharma Ltd, ReNeuron,BAC BV, Sigma-Tau Finanziaria, Tecnogen SpA, SciClone Inc,and President of Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc

• Chair of the HEVER group