Driving Innovation in Midlands Healthcare

Agenda

9.00 – 9.20 Registration Refreshments and Poster Exhibition.

9.20 – 10.10 Event Welcome and Introduction to the Institute of Precision Health/Clinical Translation of Respiratory Research.

Professor Chris Brightling, Co-Director University of Leicester Institute for Precision Health, Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician, Respiratory Theme Lead for Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (Respiratory).

10.10 – 10.30 Developing the Liquid Biopsy for Cancer Diagnostics.

Professor Jacqui Shaw, Co-Director University of Leicester Institute for Precision Health, Head of Department Genetics and Genome Biology (Genetics).

10.30 – 10.50 Clinical evaluation and enhancing uptake of MedTech to improve outcomes in diabetes.

Professor Pratik Choudhary, Honorary consultant in Diabetes, Leicester Diabetes Centre. Chair of Diabetes Technology Network UK.

10.50 – 11.20 Refreshments and Networking Break.

Pre-book your 10-minute slot with one of our speakers.

 11.20 – 11.40 Introduction to the PROTAC pipeline.

Dr James Hodgkinson, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, School of Chemistry.

11.40 – 12.00 Developing Novel Biomarkers for Disease Detection.

Professor Don Jones, Co-Director University of Leicester Institute for Precision Health, Director of van Geest MultiOMICS facility and Dr Jim Langridge, Waters (Biomarkers).

 12.00 – 1.40 Lunch and Networking Break.

Pre-book your 10-minute slot with one of our speakers.

 1.40 – 2.00 Catalent Industry Talk – Can We Get Better at Navigating Challenges in the Early Drug Development of Oral Small Molecules?

Stephen Tindal, Director of Science and Technology, Catalent

 2.00 – 2.30 Industry collaborations advancing novel cardiac risk prediction tools to the clinic.

Professor Andre Ng, Head of Department, Cardiovascular Sciences, Professor of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist.

2.30 – 2.50 Making Industry:University collaborations work

Dr Lucy Alexander, Head of Business Development, Charnwood Campus.

Dr Tim Hammonds, Royal Society Entrepreneur in residence, Honorary Visiting Fellow

2.50 – 3.00 – Professor Don Jones. Session close and collaborative opportunities.

 3.00 – 3.30 Networking and speaker booking slots.

 Speaker Biographies

Professor Chris Brightling

Professor Chris Brightling’s research focusses on improving the clinical management and understanding the mechanisms of airway diseases such as asthma, chronic coughs and COPD. He has published over 450 peer reviewed articles. Prof Brightling is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, National Institute for Health Research Senior Investigator, Respiratory Theme Lead for Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Director Institute for Lung Health, and Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician. He is Coordinator of the MRC Molecular Pathology Node EMBER and Respiratory lead for the IMI 3TR and was founding Director of the European Respiratory Society Clinical Research Collaborations.

Prof Brightling is the national lead for the post-COVID consortium PHOSP-COVID and local research lead for the COVID-19 pandemic. His main research focus is on improving the clinical management and understanding the immunopathogenesis of the airway diseases asthma, chronic cough and COPD.  He is a member of the American College of Chest Physicians’ Cough Guidelines, the British Thoracic Society, American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society Severe Asthma guidelines and is on the scientific committee for the Global INitiative for Asthma – GINA. Prof Brightling draws on his experience in research excellence and leadership to coordinate the research teams at the University of Leicester and three Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust sites in their COVID-19 response.

 

Professor Jacqui Shaw

Professor Shaw is Head of the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Co-Director of the Institute for Precision Health and Professor of Translational Cancer Genetics at the University of Leicester. Her extensive expertise in innovative blood-based tests for monitoring breast and lung cancers, known as liquid biopsies, is highly sought after through national and international collaborations in clinical studies and trials. Professor Shaw’s research has found that breast cancer recurrence can be detected by a blood test up to two years ahead of when traditional screening techniques would be able to detect it. This highly impactful work enabled US-based genetic testing company Natera achieve the prestigious ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 for their Signatera™ test, which offers patients personalised cancer testing.

Professor Shaw’s research group’s expertise is in molecular diagnostics. This expertise was deployed during the coronavirus pandemic to establish and lead on asymptomatic screening for COVID-19 at the University of Leicester, using a quick antigen test known as LAMP – Loop-mediated isothermal amplification. This screening programme has supported the University in the early detection of COVID-19 outbreaks on campus by detecting staff and students with asymptomatic cases who may have unknowingly spread the virus.

 

Professor Pratik Choudhary.

Professor Choudhary is an honorary consultant in Diabetes with a special interest in type 1 diabetes and technology. He has active clinical and research programs around education psychology and technology in type 1 diabetes. In particular, using neuroimaging to explore mechanisms of hypoglycaemia unawareness and use of different strategies such as technology and behavioural interventions to restore awareness.

Professor Choudhary is currently chair of the Diabetes Technology Network-UK working to improve access to technology for diabetes through training education and advocacy. He has experience in academic and industry-funded early-phase studies evaluating novel glucose sensors and closed loop- artificial pancreas systems to help progress technologies, and multinational randomised clinical trials (RCTs) and Real-World Evidence studies to support implementation and policy decisions that have enabled equitable access to developed technologies across the NHS.

Dr James Hodgkinson

Research within the Hodgkinson Group is focused on the synthesis of novel chemical probes and compound libraries designed to study biological processes otherwise challenging by genetic approaches. He is specifically interested in developing chemical probes for Class I Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes and other protein partners that exist in Class I HDAC multiprotein complexes. Class I HDACs and their associated complexes have been implicated in diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Applications include using these chemical probes to investigate novel ligand-protein interactions and protein-protein interactions within HDAC complexes, and developing heterobifunctional molecules including proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for the targeted degradation of Class I HDACs and their associated complex partners in cancer cells. His overall goal and vision is that these validated chemical probes will have direct applications for use by the members of chemical biology and biology communities in revealing new biology, studying disease and ultimately aiding the discovery of new therapeutics.. 

Professor Don Jones

Professor Jones is co-director of the Leicester van Geest Multi-OMICs Facility, which is a world-leading centre for biomarker research. Professor Jones’ research involves discovering and implementing novel biomarkers of disease using mass spectrometry techniques, with particular interest in the discovery of biomarkers (proteins, metabolites and lipids) using state-of-the-art analytical techniques in combination with novel data interrogation techniques. From these projects the group are establishing targeted assays for biomarkers and working with pathology colleagues to validate and achieve clinical accreditation for assays.

As Co-director of Institute for Precision Health which helps coalesce precision medicine activity across the University and NHS. All this work helps to underpin the implementation of precision medicine by finding novel tools to personalise diagnosis and treatment in modern medicine. Professor Jones plays an active role in the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre which allows this research to be translated into clinical use.

Stephen Tindal – Director, Science and Technology, Catalent

Stephen Tindal is the Director of Science and Technology at Catalent. His work is largely focused on preclinical to phase 1 development and is based on assessing preclinical data to help define any challenges to dosage form development. Stephen has more than 36 years’ experience at Catalent, where he has held roles of increasing responsibility and has demonstrated expertise in root cause investigation, technology innovation and supporting business development. He holds a bachelor’s in Chemistry and Analytical Science from Loughborough University, Loughborough, U.K.   To be successful in accelerating proof of concept for small molecule drugs, small companies must navigate a path through a bewildering process of data collection, being smart about which studies are performed and which ones are not, in order to collect a minimal, yet most impactful data set that enables the molecule to progress before running out of funding. In this presentation, we will show how flexible solutions using elements of quality by design, API sparring techniques, phase-appropriate CMC activities, and PBPK modeling can be applied to formulation development and manufacturing in early drug development.

Professor Andre Ng

Professor Ng is an expert in the management of cardiac arrhythmias especially in catheter ablation and the use of mapping systems in such procedures. He has played a key role in the establishment of an active ablation programme for Atrial Fibrillation since 2002 at Glenfield Hospital and has pioneered the use of a novel robotic system in AF ablation. He has provided proctorship for new ablation technologies at many centres worldwide. He also specialises in advance device implantation including pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices.

He has translated important preclinical findings into investigations in cardiac patients with the successful development of a novel technology for sudden death risk stratification, LifeMap, which won numerous prizes including Medical Futures Award 2011 – Best Innovation in Diagnostics and European Heart Rhythm Association Inventors Award 2016, resulting in several internationally granted patents.

Dr Lucy Alexander

Head of Business Development and Senior Business Development Manager of Innovation Centre, Charnwood at Charnwood Campus. I am passionate about research translation to real world product and have been delivering research commercialisation for over 25 years. Before joining the Campus, I led the Leicester Life Sciences Accelerator, focused on developing commercialisation of novel medicines and technologies with start-ups and SMEs.

Dr Tim Hammonds

Tim has recently joined the Department of Genetics and Genome Biology at the University as a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence and comes with over 25 years’ experience in collaborative translational research. This experience has been almost wholly gained in what is traditionally known as the ‘valley of death’, the translational space directly between academia and industry where the analysis, choice, funding and prosecution of ideas is seen as both difficult and high risk.

Poster Titles

Accelerating drug discovery and therapeutic research through structural biology: Small molecules and antibodies

PRE-ACT: Prediction of radiotherapy side effects using explainable AI for patient communication and treatment modification

Circadian rhythm affects in radiotherapy

Does air pollution negate effects of exercise in those with long term health conditions?

Personalised Space Technology Exercise Platform (P-STEP)

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology – Biological NMR Facility

Bioinformatics Analysis Support Hub (BASH)

Commercialisation and IP at UoL

Metabolomic Profiling and investigation of Biomarkers for Sudden Cardiac Death

Mechanisms of acquired resistance to venetoclax in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell lines

Inhibition of MCL1 induces cell death in BCL2 low/negative diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and synergises with glycolytic inhibitor 2-Deoxyglucose (2DG)

Core Biotechnology Services Electron Microscopy Facility

Advanced Imaging Facility

Division of Biomedical Research – Pre-clinical Research facility

Core Biotechnology Services Electron Microscopy Facility

Division of Biomedical Research – Pre-clinical Research facility

Institute for Precision Health

A rapid, cost effective shallow WGS workflow applicable to limiting amounts of cell-free DNA.

An ex vivo platform of tumour explants to predict clinical response to novel anti cancer drugs.

The use of pre-clinical breast cancer patient-derived explant model to investigate the response to novel anticancer therapies to reduce animal use in research

Reliability of 3D foot scanner for use in diabetes fit evaluation and footwear

Evaluation of footwear fit guidelines: under pressure in at-risk feet

 

Delegate List

First name	Surname	Organisation
Aarti	Parmar	University of Leicester
Adam	Wright	University of Leicester
Adam	Peall	Charnwood Molecular
Adam	Townsend	VUIT
Adlina	Zahra
Ahmed	Aburima
Ahtesham	Mahmood	University of Leicester
Al	Mills	Imed Consultancy
Alexander	Senf
Ana	Jawaid
Andre	Ng	University of Leicester
Andrea	Koekemoer	University of Leicester
Andreea	Iftimia-Mander	Biomatics
Andrew	Leishman	Immuno Consulting
Anna	Ellis
Arnaud	Drapier	University of Leicester
Atanu	Bhattacharjee	University of Leicester
Barzin	Gavtash	Kindeva Drug Delivery
Becky	Allsopp	University of Leicester
Carl	Edwards	University of Leicester
Caroline	Cowley	University of Leicester
Carolyn	Jones	University of Leicester
Carolyn	Rebello
Catherine	Louch	Loughborough University
chitra	seewooruthun	University of Leicester
Chris	Brightling	University of Leicester
Christopher	Talbot	University of Leicester
Claire	Upton	Copper Tax
Clare	Higgins	VUIT
Colin	Veal
Colleen	Maxwell	University of Leicester
Dan	Lane	University of Leicester
Daniel	Lozano-Rojas	University of Leicester
David	Clayton	University of Leicester
Dennis	Bernieh	University of Leicester
Don	Jones	University of Leicester
Eda	Tonga	University of Leicester
Ejaz	Qureshi	NTU
Elliot	John Gyedu
Esther	Moss	University of Leicester
Farah	Salim	University of Leicester
Fred	Muskett	University of Leicester
Gareth	Hall	University of Leicester
Gareth	Miles	University of Leicester
Gary	Allenby	Charnwood Molecular
George	Barrs	University of Leicester
Geraldine	Williams	University of Leicester
Glen	Martyn	Savantium
Harriet	Pearsey	Merck
Harry	Khuman	Dynamis Tech
Hassan	Hussain
Helen	Derbyshire	Kindeva Drug Delivery
Jacky	Yu	Solis Biodyne
Jacque	Landry	University of Leicester
Jacqui	Shaw	University of Leicester
James	Cooper	University of Leicester
James	Hodgkinson	University of Leicester
James	Finney	University of Leicester
James	Langridge	Waters
Jas	Shanker	DASA
Jennifer	Cosentino	University of Leicester
Jernej	Medved	Charnwood Molecular
Jim	Lister	Kindeva Drug Delivery
Jinli	Luo	University of Leicester
Jo	Derbyshire	Inventya
Joanna	Fox	University of Leicester
Josef	Walker	University of Leicester
Karen	Page	University of Leicester
Karen	Bowman	University of Leicester
Kasandra	Malasi
Kate	Clift	University of Leicester
Katie	Percival	NIHR
Kees	Straatman	University of Leicester
Lisa	Thomas	Pioneer Group
Lorna	Waters	University of Leicester
Louise	fairgrieve	University of Leicester
Lucy	Onions	University of Leicester
Lynne	Howells	University of Leicester
Manish	Asiani	University of Leicester
Manjiri	Khare
Marialuisa	Crosatti	University of Leicester
Mark	Nevinson
Mark	Platt	Nuom
Martin	Dyer	University of Leicester
Max	Bardwell	HealthTech Enterprise
Mazher	Mohammed	Loughborough University
Melanie	Davidson	Medilink
Michael	Phillips	Renfrew
Michael	Ward	NTU
Natalie	Allcock	University of Leicester
Neha	Patel	Kindeva Drug Delivery
Neil	Greening	University of Leicester
Neil	Stentiford	SoeMac
Nicolas	Sylvius	University of Leicester
Nidhi	Joshi	Eastleigh Health Ltd
Parvez	Haris	De Montford University
Paul	Thompson	Matoke Holdings
Peter	Mumford	Potterclarkson
Petra	Jones	University of Leicester
Phil	Cocks	Kindeva Drug Delivery
Pratik	Choudhary	University of Leicester
Priti	Joshi	University of Leicester
Rachel	Hobson	University of Leicester
Richard	Weaver	Drug Discovery Solutions
Robert	Britton	University of Leicester
Roberto	Feuda	University of Leicester
Sam	Habaj	ALMAC Group
Sarah	Diver	University of Leicester
Sarah	Glenn	University of Leicester
Saran	Muthiah	Enrich My Care
Sian	Evans	University of Leicester
Simon	Cawthorne	lonza
Stephen	Tindal	Catalent
Stephen	MacDonald-Brown	Charnwood Molecular
Steve	May-Russell	Small Fry
Steven	Bull	University of Leicester
Susann	Lehmann	University of Leicester
Taryn	Hobson	3M
Tennie	Videler	University of Leicester
Tim	Henstock	WBS
Tim	Hammonds	University of Leicester
Tope	Omokanj
Victoria	Patel	Medilink Midlands
Vikram A.	Vikram A.	University of Leicester
Yusuf	Bilesanmi	Shifa Tech