Dr John Fox has over 30 years’ experience of drug development, due diligence and licensing in multinational and early biotech companies. After obtaining his PhD from Queens University Belfast and spending some years in the Dept. of Therapeutics and Pharmacology, he joined the pharmaceutical industry with Eli Lilly. Subsequently he managed translational development projects at Shire Pharmaceuticals and was appointed Group Director of Planning before co-founding Hunter Fleming to license and develop university technologies in the field of neuroprotection. As Chief Operations Officer he was instrumental in licensing, funding and developing a number of projects from bench research to clinical development. After Hunter Fleming’s portfolio was acquired by Newron SpA, Dr Fox served as Chief Development Officer and subsequently Chief Executive of Merrion Pharmaceuticals plc, a drug delivery company based in Dublin, before returning to the UK.

He is currently Chief Executive of a London-based university spin-out, a non-executive director of a drug delivery spin-out from Queens University Belfast, and has supported numerous entrepreneurs as a mentor. He has been involved in commercial feasibility assessment of university research in both Ireland and the UK, and has served as a non-executive director of Southampton Innovations.