About Us

With a background in translational research and innovation strategy, John has led the commercialisation of academic breakthroughs into scalable, real-world solutions. Under his leadership, PeptiMatrix has secured major grant funding, launched multiple tissue-specific hydrogel products, and attracted significant investment to accelerate its mission of transforming in vitro research and reducing reliance on animal models.

Cathy leads the Stem Cell Glycobiology Group at the University of Nottingham, where she has driven numerous projects focused on optimising hydrogel technology since joining in 2015. She also serves as Deputy Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. A board member of the NC3Rs, Cathy is a strong advocate for advancing non-animal research methodologies.

Clive is an expert in vitro toxicology consultant, advising both startups and established companies on aligning innovative technologies with their strategic scientific and business goals. His key areas of expertise include dermal absorption and toxicology, inhalation toxicology, and microphysiological systems. As a founder and board member of the NA3RsC and a board member of the NC3Rs, Clive also has a long-standing interest in promoting non-animal research methodologies.

Viola is a cancer research scientist with a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Nottingham. Her doctoral work focused on testing and optimising small molecule inhibitors for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, alongside developing a 3D cell model to better understand their ADME properties. This research combined molecular biology, pharmacology, and 3D modelling to support more effective drug development. Viola also has experience in the start-up space, bringing a strong blend of scientific and commercial insight.

Mikayla is a dedicated cancer scientist who completed her PhD at Leeds Beckett University, where she investigated the bidirectional crosstalk between melanoma cells and the tumour microenvironment. Her research explored a range of phenotypic and gene expression changes, as well as detailed vesicle cargo profiling to uncover new insights into melanoma progression. In addition to her academic work, Mikayla brings valuable industry experience, having contributed to a broad spectrum of client-driven projects, further strengthening her expertise in both research and application.

Elena holds a background in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Barcelona and Materials Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Before joining PeptiMatrix, she worked as a Project Engineer at ROVI Pharmaceutical Company, contributing to the development and optimisation of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. She has now joined the PeptiMatrix team as a Postgraduate Researcher and is currently enrolled as a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Nottingham, working on the Horizon Europe "Mac4Me" project.

Jenny is a Group Leader at the University of Nottingham, working jointly between the Vet School and the School of Medicine. She completed her PhD in medical materials at the University of Cambridge, before moving to Nottingham as a postdoctoral research fellow, where she has since applied her materials science background to develop advanced materials for in vitro disease models. Her work developing the peptide hydrogel technology has also been recognised by a highly commended award from the International 3Rs Prize in 2020.

Neil is Professor of Medicinal & Biological Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, as well as a Deputy Director of the Biodiscovery Institute. He completed a PhD at the University of Southampton in mechanistic enzymology followed by a NATO/SERC postdoctoral fellowship at The Pennsylvania State University before holding faculty positions at the University of Bath and since 1995 at Nottingham. He has undertaken several sabbaticals at the Molecular Foundry, UC Berkeley. His research expertise is in the selective chemical and enzymatic modification of proteins.