Our team
Our commercialisation team bring a wealth of experience from both research and business.
Dr Phil Clare
CEO
Dr Deborah Carter
Associate Commercialisation Director
BioPharma
Dr Adam Daykin
Associate Commercialisation Director
Technology and Engineering
David Miller
Humanities and Social Sciences
Senior Social Venture Manager
Dr Monika Hamilton
Senior Commercialisation Manager
BioPharma
Dr Ben Golland
Senior Commercialisation Manager
Technology and Engineering
Dr Mark Gurden
Commercialisation Manager
BioPharma
Dr Ben Milborne
Associate Commercialisation Manager
BioPharma
Dr Maria Frolova
Associate Commercialisation Manager
BioPharma
Dr Huan Wang
Associate Commercialisation Manager
Technology and Engineering
Yunus Kutlu
Associate Commercialisation Manager
Technology and Engineering
Amir Rizwan
Director of the London Social Venture Fund Project
Safo Asai
Intellectual Property Manager
Reitesh Desai
Finance Director
Sarah-Jane Lowry
Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO
I’ve work across all major comms functions (press, social media, websites, newsletters, events, and internal). My career began in politics, working for an MP in the constituency and in Westminster. I then managed stakeholder communications for a major change project at the Church of England, and most recently managed media and comms for New Philanthropy Capital (the leading think tank and consultancy for the charity sector).
Get in touch if you’re a journalist looking for stories of scientists turned entrepreneurs, or if you’re a Queen Mary researcher looking for comms support for your spinout company.
Email: w.hanford-spira@qmul.ac.uk
Email: s.lowry@qmul.ac.uk
Safo Asai
Email: s.asai@qmul.ac.uk
Reitesh Desai
Email: r.desai@qmul.ac.uk
Email: david.miller@qmul.ac.uk
With an MSc in Chemical Biology and Drug Design from the University of Leeds, I began my career as a business development manager at a regenerative medicine company. I later earned a PhD in Biomaterials for bone cancer treatment from the University of Nottingham, which has given me a strong background and a keen interest in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, oncology, and regenerative medicine.
If you would like to discuss innovations and opportunities relating to novel therapeutics and diagnostics being developed at Queen Mary University of London, please get in touch. I encourage Queen Mary researchers interested in translating and commercialising their work to contact me to discuss their work.
Email: b.milborne@qmul.ac.uk
I completed my PhD in cancer biology, specialising in acute myeloid leukaemia, at Heidelberg University and the German Cancer Research Centre. Following my PhD, I led the Gene Therapies program at a biotech company. My primary interests and expertise lie in immunology, cancer research, and gene therapies, but I am always looking forward to learning about other areas research!
Please get in touch if you are a QMUL researcher interested in commercialisation, have questions about intellectual property, or need assistance securing translational funding. I am happy to help!
Email: m.frolova@qmul.ac.uk
Projects I’m leading on
Email: m.gurden@qmul.ac.uk
Projects I’m leading on
I completed my PhD in Medical Science with specialism in molecular genetics of cancer and a Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law. I have been working in technology commercialisation roles across different institutions for over 10 years. I am also a Certified Licensing Professional.
Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about innovations emerging from the Blizard Institute, or if you’re a Blizzard Institute researcher and you would like help with commercialising the outputs of your work.
Email: monika.hamilton@qmul.ac.uk
Projects I’m leading on
My primary responsibilities are to identify, protect, and manage the IP generated by university researchers, as well as commercialising university IP assets by licensing or by fostering the creation of spinout companies.
Following my PhD in nanotechnology at LCN, UCL, I worked on research projects in MedTech for commercialisation at Imperial College London and then leveraged my skills in research for commercialisation at an early-stage biotech startup in Cambridge. I developed a strong background in both academia and industry, with a particular focus on translating research innovations into commercially viable products and technologies.
I am here to provide comprehensive support for your research endeavours at Queen Mary and to explore avenues for commercialisation. Whether you have inquiries about market validation, securing translational funding, or any other aspect of the commercialisation process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to collaborating with you to transform your research aspirations into reality.
Email: huanwang@qmul.ac.uk
Before joining Queen Mary Innovation, I authored a report on Britain’s medical technology sector which identified opportunities and policies for its growth. This is where I developed my interest in technology transfer as I believe it is the driving force for innovation and entrepreneurship.
My experiences range from detailed market analyses, engaging with industry, business planning, and pitching. I understand the entrepreneur’s perspective, having successfully secured £70,000 from Cancer Research UK for my own project.
Get in touch to learn more about how you can get involved with the opportunities we have at Queen Mary University of London. If you’re a Queen Mary researcher, speak to me about how I can support your commercialisation journey.
Email: y.kutlu@qmul.ac.uk
Throughout my career in research management and knowledge exchange I’ve covered many of the methods universities use to make a difference. I was previously Director of Innovation and Engagement at the University of Oxford and have also worked at the Universities of Bath and Bournemouth.
I’m a former member of Research England Council, Ambassador (and former Chair) for PraxisAuril, and on the independent advisory board of the Barclays Eagle Labs Digital Growth Grant. I previously served on the committee of ARMA and as chair of the KEC evaluation panel for UUK. I’m a Registered Technology Transfer Professional and a Member of the Institute of Directors. I used to be a chemist and have studied at Kings College London and the Universities of Bath, Bournemouth and Oxford.
Get in touch if you want to discuss investing in Queen Mary companies or working together to grow the innovation ecosystem at Queen Mary.
Email: p.clare@qmul.ac.uk
Email: a.daykin@qmul.ac.uk
Projects I’m leading on
Since school, the commercial side of research has been my passion.
I was inspired by Renovo, a Manchester spinout developing anti-scarring drugs from alligator cleft palate research, who came to visit my science class. Ten years on, my own research culminated in a PhD in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine from the University of Leeds, which I chose for their strong translational focus. Along the way, I joined GSK during my Biochemistry degree, was seconded to a MedTech innovation hub during my PhD, and spent time at investors and innovation competitions in between.
Get in touch to discuss technology and engineering innovations across Queen Mary, especially in healthcare. If you’re a Queen Mary researcher, I can help you commercialise your research.
Email: b.golland@qmul.ac.uk