Chris is an expert on the discovery and early clinical development of new medicines. He was formerly Global Vice President and Head of Project Evaluation at AstraZeneca (AZ) where he made investment recommendations on all lead identification and optimisation projects across all research areas. Chris was also responsible for developing AZ’s research strategy and was involved in selecting compounds for clinical development.
Chris previously worked at Merck (USA) and at the venture capital arm of Advent International (Boston).
Chris’s passion is turning innovative science into viable businesses. Today, Chris advises biotechnology companies, life science VCs, universities, individual academics and government agencies on drug-hunting, translational medicine, business opportunities and investments. He was on the Wellcome Trust Seeding Drug Discovery Triage Committee and was a biology panel member on the 2014 REF review of university research in the UK. He is also Non-Executive Director at the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust that provides acute and community care for the people of Salford and aspects of secondary and tertiary care across Greater Manchester and the UK.
