By Dr Tim Hammond, Project Lead for Northern Accelerator and Director Commercialisation & Economic Development, Research and Innovation Services
The health and life science sector is one of the North East’s greatest assets. We have some fantastic talent in the region with a reputation for world-leading research.
Northern Accelerator is an innovative partnership between Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, and Sunderland universities, making a step-change in the translation of world-class research ideas into thriving spin-out businesses. One of the key sectors for our spin-outs is health and life sciences.
We recognise that making the leap from academia to entrepreneurship is not an easy one, that’s why we provide prospective life science businesses with a full range of support including entrepreneurial skills development, proof of concept funding and recruiting CEOs to run prospective companies, through our Executives into Business programme. With this support in place, the vast majority of our academic founders actually continue their successful careers in academia alongside playing a driving role in their new business.
While health and life sciences has traditionally been a male-dominated environment, this is beginning to change through the work of organisations like the Health Care Business Women’s Association and Fierce Pharma’s annual rankings of “Fiercest Women in Life Sciences”.
We have some amazing female science entrepreneurs in the North East, who are genuine trailblazers in their chosen profession, showing the sector is not just a man’s game. One exciting future spin-out in Northern Accelerator’s pipeline is Professor Ritu Kataky’s innovative work with biofilms to control the formation and spread of bacteria. This has a practical, real-world application in smart bandage technology for wounds that can reduce reliance on antibiotics and improve patient outcomes by reducing the risk of disease and infection.
Growing up in Shillong, India, Ritu went to Loreto Convent, a girls’ school that emphasised the arts and social sciences. She was the only girl in her class to study pure science. After undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate work in Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, she completed her PhD in Newcastle University in 1987, juggling caring for her two children alongside her studies. Ritu transferred to Durham University and progressed through the ranks to become a Professor in the Department of Chemistry three years ago. She was the first female BAME Professor in her Department and only the 2nd woman to hold a senior management position.
Commenting on the diversity in the sector Ritu said “Things are changing in the sector, more women and ethnic minorities coming through the universities are doing more to promote female scientists and encourage greater participation”.
Ritu has received support from Northern Accelerator to develop her spin-out business idea through pre-commercialisation including proof of concept funding and innovation assessment (business diagnostic support) and will be taking advantage of the Executives into Business programme when her company spins out in spring 2021.
Another notable female led enterprise is Newcastle University spin-out, AMLo Biosciences, where Professor Penny Lovat and Dr Marie Labus, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Executive Officer respectively, are advancing the testing of melanoma. Both Marie and Penny have had remarkable careers before co-running their successful spin-out business. Penny left school at 16 and initially trained in a hospital laboratory, before moving into the world of academia, where she received a Marie Curie Fellowship after completing her PhD. She subsequently became a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and later Professor of Cellular Dermatology and Oncology at Newcastle University.
Marie started her working life in academia, with her PhD and postdoc positions sponsored by industry. One of the Professors she initially worked with was very entrepreneurial, and a source of inspiration for Marie’s future career. She currently also serves as Business Development Manager at Newcastle University, Faculty of Medical Science where she is responsible for all aspects of enterprise, including assisting with spin-out company formation.
Their company is based around a series of prognostic tests for melanoma detection. This helps clinicians identify the risk of the disease progressing into skin cancer. The scientific duo were inspired to develop a product that can make a difference the people’s lives, improving patient outcomes and delivering cost-saving for the NHS. AMLo uses biomarker technology, to identify those at low risk and discharge them from the service, allowing clinicians to focus their efforts on those most at risk.
Commenting on the future of the business Marie said: “AMLo is keen to focus their growth activity in the North East and Newcastle and we believe there are fantastic opportunities outside the traditional golden triangle and the North West.”
There is still a lot to do to improve the gender balance in the boardrooms of the region’s health and life science businesses. At Northern Accelerator, we will be actively working to recruit and retain more female science CEOs and encourage diverse hiring practice through our Executives into Business programme.
Northern Accelerator is funded by Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.
