I trained in Medicine in Newcastle. After specialist training in haematology I started an academic career in Newcastle University, researching into the treatment of children’s cancer and eventually became the director of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research. After leaving the university in 2016 I co-founded RareCan Limited, a for-profit company which helps to link companies with promising new therapeutic approaches with patients who have rare forms of cancer.
Dr Matthew Forshaw is Senior Advisor for Skills to The Alan Turing Institute, and a Reader in Data Science at Newcastle University. His work in data and AI skills includes working with the Government on the skills pillar of the National Data Strategy, leadership of skills policy initiatives through the Data Skills Taskforce, and as Expert Advisor to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Matthew is also the training lead of the EPSRC NortHFutures Digital Health Hub. a partnership between six regional universities to establish an innovation ecosystem in the North East and North Cumbria region.
Russ is our Commercial Director who oversees the Economic Growth activity for the Organisation and is enthusiastic about how the North East North Cumbria is recognised for all the fab things it does. The infrastructure in the region to support innovation is outstanding but hides itself so Russ is keen to showcase and highlight it as much as possible. Ideas from frontline staff, academics are encouraged as Russ uses his previous experiences to assess how the AHSN can support them. Innovators from industry will need to complete a short form to be able assess our services, starting with the unmet need and value proposition. We then put a plan in place to see how we and the wider ecosystem can support you. If the idea can add value to the patients of the North East and North Cumbria we will do whatever we can.
Mark Walsh is the programme director for the Secure Data Environment for the North East and North Cumbria. The programme is changing how researchers can access health and care data, aiming to reduce the complexity and make data available in a safe and secure way through a shared platform. Mark has over 20 years experience working across the health and care system at a strategic regional level in digital and data programmes.
Mark previously led on the North East Connected Health Cities programme which was the precursor to the Secure Data Environment. Part of the work of Connected Health Cities was testing concepts, governance, technical and public engagement around uses of NHS data and how it can be linked for research, service improvement and planning. Mark also was a lead on the Great North Care Record which brought the sharing of electronic patient records across the health and care system for direct care. He worked at the Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle University prior to various NHS programme management roles in the North East including at County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority and County Durham PCT.
Dr. Shahid Rasul, an Associate Professor at Northumbria University works at the interface of academia and entrepreneurship as a business-led innovator. His pioneering work in the digital transformation for Circular Economy, focusing on resource efficiency and sustainability, has garnered recognition and support from the UKRI, Innovate UK and Northern Accelerator Programs. Dr. Rasul's commitment extends beyond research, as he leads the Textile Circular Economy Initiative (www.texonomy.org), fostering global collaborations and advocating for circular economy business model practices. With a unique ability to bridge scientific discoveries to commercialization, his contributions strive for integration of academia and industry, positioning him as a dynamic leader in the evolving landscape of textile innovation.
Herb is best known as Founder of the Thinking Digital Conference is one the UK’s best regarded technology & thought leadership conferences.
In 2019, Herb’s work on Thinking Digital led him to be named as one of the top 100 Asians in UK Tech. In 2014, Buzzfeed included Herb on its list of “Geordie Heroes”. In 2011, Wired Magazine included him as one it’s Wired 100 top tech leaders of the year. In 2010, the Guardian included Herb in its list of top 100 media figures of the year.
In addition to Thinking Digital, Herb is the Founder and Director of TEDxManchester, TEDxNewcastle & TEDxLiverpool. The videos from Herb’s TEDx events have now been viewed over 50 million times.
Herb earned his MBA from the Wharton School in Philadelphia and his undergraduate degree from Princeton University. He was previously the 17th David Goldman Visiting Professor of Enterprise & Innovation at Newcastle University Business School.
As Director of Invest Newcastle, Jen works to attract new businesses, investment and job opportunities to the city region. She is responsible for developing and delivering inward investment activity for Newcastle, Gateshead and the North of Tyne Combined Authority and has led a number of campaigns to bring global organisations to the North East.
With 15 years of experience working with a network of industry leaders, influencers and decision makers, Jen is uniquely positioned to convene city stakeholders around the region’s strategic investment priorities and has a proven track record of delivery for local residents and communities.
With a MA in International Law from Newcastle University, Jen was previously Head of Japan Desk at One North East and Deputy Head and Trade and Investment Director at Tech North.
In addition to her role at Invest Newcastle, Jen is also Head of Economic Development at Newcastle City Council, working to ensure that the benefits of economic growth are shared widely and opportunities are accessible to everyone. She is also a board member of the North East digital technology cluster, Dynamo, Vice Chair of Ouseburn Farm Charity, an advisory board member of the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) and a board trustee of Newcastle Cathedral Trust.
Abigail Durrant is Professor of Interaction Design and Co-Director of Open Lab, a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research group at Newcastle University (https://openlab.ncl.ac.uk/). Abi is Principal Investigator of the EPSRC Northern Health Futures (NortHFutures) Hub (funded 2023 to 2026), a partnership between six regional universities to establish an innovation ecosystem in the North East and North Cumbria region (https://northfutures.org/). Abi is also Co-Director of EPSRC Centre for Digital Citizens (https://digitalcitizens.uk/), and University Lead for Digital Health Research Theme of the N8 Centre of Excellence in Computationally Intensive Research (https://n8cir.org.uk/themes/digital-health/). She champions Digital Inclusion and Responsible Research Innovation using participatory methods.
Dedicated to healthcare innovation and the transformative power of AI. With a background in Biomedical science,
I'm driven to apply cutting-edge technology to complex healthcare challenges. As an 'inbetweener,'
I bridge the gap between healthcare challenges and the limitless potential of AI.
Jack believes that while technology is vital, empathy and human connection remain crucial for delivering quality care.
Fridays are for coffee chats—whether you're a healthcare innovator, a tech enthusiast, or anyone with a passion for the latest trends, let's connect.
Together, we can explore new frontiers in healthcare and technology!
Dr. Shadi Farhangrazi is a biochemist and neuroscientist and the CEO of S. M. Discovery Group
(SMDG), a biotechnology company with innovative and pinoeering therapeutic platforms with
broad applications for neurodegenerative and rare paediatric neurological diseases. An
internationally recognised speaker, Dr. Farhangrazi has advised numerous governmental and
non-governmental organisations and companies globally and her work has taken her over the last
two decades from back-country remote towns and villages in Rwanda, slums of Kenya and
Mumbai, Research Parks in India and Malaysia, high tech companies in Silicon Valley, U.S. and
Europe to working with international companies and meetings with global leaders. Dr.
Farhangrazi has authored a number of peer-reviewed scientific papers including in highly cited
journals including Science, Nature Communications and Biochemistry, as well as articles,
commentaries, reviews, and book chapters. Dr. Farhangrazi has given numerous talks and
teaches classes and workshops in Europe, the USA and internationally. She has been
interviewed and profiled by many media and news outlets and radio and television stations.
Visit www.smdiscovery.com
Sarah is a patent attorney working in the chemical and biotech fields. She handles portfolios for a variety of corporate clients and universities. Sarah has experience in pharmaceuticals, molecular diagnostics, medical devices, biotechnology, as well as in the chemical field, due to her background in both chemistry and biochemistry. Sarah has a PhD from the University of York, during which she gained experience in molecular biology, genetic engineering, enzymology and biophysics. Before joining the intellectual property profession in 2012, Sarah worked at the Institute of Cancer Research where she was part of a large drug discovery team aiming to develop novel cancer therapeutics.
Ian Brown is making a “farmer to pharma” journey. Ian started as a third-generation tenant farmer - for 25 years at www.leemoor.net but
‘Innovation and Futuring’ has been at the centre of Ian’s 36-year business career – longer if you count the school tuck shop he founded! Firsts include a farm carbon audit 30 years ago and being very early into, mobile phones, integrated farm management, broadband, rural business parks, wood fired district heating, Short Rotation Coppice, photovoltaics and now biopolymers to replace oil based persistent plastic via an Innovate UK smart grant. www.chestnut.bio has a huge opportunity to encapsulate not just farm nutrients but pills for the pharmaceutical industry. Ian has an HND in Agriculture and Masters in Entrepreneurship – and a lot of life lessons.
Professor Vikki Rand is Director of the National Horizons Centre (NHC) at Teesside University which is a UK centre of excellence for training and innovation for the biosciences and healthcare sectors.
Leading a team of experts her mission is two-fold:
(i) to develop and retain a skilled workforce in the region and across the UK and
(ii) to drive innovation to discover diseases earlier, develop novel treatments and deliver life-saving medicines quicker, safer and more affordably. Prof Rand is an active researcher leading projects across different areas of cancer genomics and translational healthcare research.
Sam is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the medical technologies and commercialisation. Working across a range of industrial applications including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and life sciences. Currently the CEO of LightOx Ltd developing light activated targeted therapies for Oral cancer treatments. Sam is a also a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
I have worked in the FE sector for over 17 years and in that I have worked extensively with business to ensure that curriculum is best aligned to business need. More recently I have taken over as skills lead at the college and have overseen significant projects such as SDF and LSIF, through this work I have been instrumental in making a difference to the types of provision that is available to employers in our region. Working closely with NHS and Big Pharma, we have introduced four new apprenticeship programmes, skills bootcamps and bespoke training packages and I look forward to continuing this work into the future.
Kate is a Chartered Biochemical Engineer with >30 years’ experience in global pharma and innovative biotech. She now specialises in developing STEM talent including apprenticeships, academic courses and personal development programmes that have received national recognition by professional bodies, industry partnerships and diversity champions. Kate has strategic oversight for technical and professional education on the Board of IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education), is a Governor at North Hertfordshire College and Advisory Board member for the newly formed UK Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy. She completed her MBA from Open University, her PhD in Bio-Chemical Engineering (UCL) from and BSc in Genetics.
David leads the UK and European teams for Hyper Recruitment Solutions and is a multiple award winner within the life sciences recruitment sector.
Dr Gurdeep Sagoo is a Senior Lecturer in Health Economics at Newcastle University where he co-leads the Health Economics Group. He also the health economics lead for both the NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative and the Newcastle NICE External Assessment Group. Gurdeep has more than 15 years of experience across several NIHR funded trials including HTA, EME, and RfPB as well as CRUK funded trials (> £15 million to date), is a current member of the NIHR HTA CET Funding Committee and a deputy editor for the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care.
Dr Ashmita Randhawa leads the work for the Digital Catapult in the North East and Tees Valley and is a Visiting Professor National Innovation Centre for Data, Newcastle University. At the Digital Catapult, she and her team are responsible for helping develop innovation programmes to respond to the region’s challenges, and to provide access to infrastructure and specialist lab facilities such as the Advanced Media Production and immersive labs at PROTO, in Gateshead ; a place for businesses to innovate in a collaborative environment. A biomedical engineer turned social scientist; she has a passion for innovation and skills programmes, and has led Digital Catapult's work on foresighting capability needs in Advanced Media production. She holds a PhD in education focused on understanding how policymaking and systems can impact educational innovation. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the SKOPE Research Centre, University of Oxford, where she continues to collaborate on research related to innovation and skills.
Esther Gillespie, CEO and co-founder of Jumping Rivers, (est. 2016), is a dynamic leader who demonstrates that diverse backgrounds are a valuable asset. Esther expertly identifies and delivers on her clients' needs, while maximising value. With extensive experience managing multiple stakeholders and roles, she prioritises factors that impact delivery, and prepares for potential changes without compromising results. Esther’s commitment to giving back to the community is a reflection of her strong character, as evidenced by her active involvement as an Ouseburn Farm trustee and her two-year tenure on the business advisory board of MSP at Newcastle University.
Dr Al Moubayed holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Durham University, concurrently serving as the Head of Applied Machine Learning and AI at Evergreen Life. Her primary research interests encompass Explainable Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Multimodal Machine Learning, with a particular focus on healthcare applications. She leads numerous research projects aimed at developing innovative machine learning and deep learning solutions, often collaborating with industrial partners, and overseeing a team of over 15 researchers. Dr Al Moubayed also serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computational Intelligence and leads the N8 CIR Machine Learning team for Durham. Her research has garnered significant media coverage, including features in BBC, ITV, Time Magazine, and Wired Magazine, and she was recognized among the top 20 women in AI in the UK by RE•WORK in 2019.
