Scientific Advisory Board

Dr Brian Adger

Dr Adger has over 30 years’ industrial experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and fine chemical sectors. He graduated in Chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast in 1970. After postgraduate study at the University of Liverpool he gained his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1973. He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at the University of Cambridge (1973-1974) and California Institute of Technology (1974-1975) followed by a faculty position (Assistant Professor) at the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium (1975-1977). His industrial career began in 1977 when he joined the chemical development department of Smith Kline French (now GSK), rising to the position of Head of Synthetic chemistry. From 1985 to 1987 he was head of R&D at Sterling Organics and from 1987 to 1993 he was Corporate Director of R&D for Great Lakes Chemical Europe based in Switzerland. In 1993 he joined Chiroscience in Cambridge as Technology Director and was on the board of management. He started his own consultancy business in 1997, with particular expertise in complex organic synthesis and chiral technologies, Dr Adger is chairman of the SAB of Johnson Matthey Catalysis. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Dr Eric Atherton

Dr Atherton has over 30 years’ experience in peptide chemistry and, together with Dr Bob Sheppard, developed Fmoc-solid phase peptide synthesis methodologies which have revolutionized how peptides can be made simply, with ease, and on a routine basis. He was a senior scientist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology from 1972 to 1985 before joining Cambridge Research Biochemical as Technology Director. He has held senior management positions at Avecia/Zeneca/ICI/CRB and is currently available as a consultant on peptide synthesis technologies.

Professor Nigel Slater

Professor Slater, Professor of Chemical Engineering at Cambridge University, has research experience of bioproduct manufacture, acquired over 25 years in industrial and academic laboratories. Following a College Research Fellowship in chemistry, he became a lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Cambridge (1979-85). He subsequently joined Uniliver as Bioprocessing section manager, researching the manufacture of enzymes and secondary metabolites for consumer product applications. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2004. In 1990 he joined Wellcome plc, rising to become Head of Bioprocess Development and gaining experience of therapeutic protein production by mammalian cell culture and the key issues related to the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. In recent years his research has been conducted collaboratively with Glaxo-Wellcome, Xenova, Nycomed Amersham, and Cobra Therapeutics as well as with leading clinical laboratories at Kings, St Bartholomews and Birmingham Hospitals. He is a non-executive member of the Cobra Bio-manufacturing plc board and was a member of the BBSRC Biochemical Engineering Review Panel, The BBSRC Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Directorate (Chair), BBSRC Technology Interaction Board, EPSRC Process Engineering College, SERC Process Engineering Committee and Separations Sub-Committee. He became a member of the Commission on Human Medicines to advise government ministers and regulatory authorities on biological medicines and vaccines in 2006.