Meet Our Directors

Chairman

Prof Martin Levermore

Prof Martin Levermore MBE DL, Vice Chair for Nehemiah United Churches Housing Association (UCHA), CEO of Medical Devices Technology International Ltd (MDTi) and Chair of Medilink Midlands. He is also a Trustee of New Roots Charity and a Director of the Birmingham Commonwealth Association (BCA) as well as Executive Committee Member of the Greater Birmingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce. Martin is a Senior Associate of Royal Society of Medicine, a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Martin has been published widely in several academic journals and hold appointments with Birmingham City University (BCU) as Visiting Professor for Health, Education and Life Science and Honorary Consultant for Health Innovations with the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

Professor Yvonne Barnett

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation)

Professor Barnett has over 15 years’ experience of senior strategic leadership in the UK university sector. She is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Anglia Ruskin University with strategic leadership responsibilities for: Research and Innovation; the ARU Doctoral School, Student Employability; Public Engagement; Athena Swan; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to that she was Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). In that role she was responsible for: developing and implementing the research with impact strategic plan theme; leading the creation of the NTU Doctoral School; leading the NTU research commercialisation portfolio and the development of the innovative Medical Technology Innovation Facility; and NTU lead for the development of strategic compacts with a broad range of NHS and health and social care delivery organisations and key companies in the life sciences sector in the East Midlands region, as well as collaborating with other regional agencies to support the establishment of a number of the Midlands Engine research and innovation priorities.

Professor Barnett has active research interests in the causes and mechanisms of cancer and ageing, and has authored over 110 peer-reviewed original research papers. She has supervised, to successful completion, 20 PhD students. During her career she has secured over £35 million of funding from a range of regional, national and international bodies to support successful teaching, research and innovation initiatives.

Yvonne is currently Deputy Chair of the REF 2021 A03 Sub-Panel for Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy, President of the Heads of University Centres for Biomedical Sciences; Academic Adviser for Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Board member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and was a long-standing Non-Executive Director of BioCity Group Ltd. She is also a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Biology and the Institute of Biomedical Science.

Professor Malcolm Bennett

Malcolm is the academic lead for Knowledge Exchange in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham, and Professor of Zoonotic and Emerging Disease in the Veterinary School, where he moved four years ago from the University of Liverpool. His research is very interdisciplinary, and has included vaccine development, antimicrobial resistance, food and water-borne zoonoses and disease ecology. He has published over 120 research papers and held over £20m in research grant funding from a range of sources including industry, government and major charities. His current research includes antimicrobial resistance in the environment, TB in wildlife and cattle, water-borne protozoa and environmental contamination and biodiversity. Other interests include food security, conservation medicine and rural governance. He has been a member of various professional, charity and government boards and committees, and currently chairs Defra’s Veterinary Products Committee.

Dr. Faz Chowdhury

Dr. Chowdhury is CEO and chair of the board of Nemaura Medical Inc., (Nasdaq: NMRD) and Nemaura Pharma Limited. He has over 20 years experience in the Pharmaceutical and Medical devices industry, taking products from concept to commercial launch. He is sole inventor on more than 100 granted and pending patents across over 15 technology platforms within the medical device and pharmaceutical sectors and has authored Textbook Chapters on Nano-biosciences for Wiley and Elsevier. Faz holds a Masters in Microsystems and Nanotechnology from Cranfield University, UK, and Doctorate from the University of Oxford on nano-medicine and drug delivery and in his spare time he is a keen amateur photographer.

Dr. Darren Clark

Darren is the Chief Executive Officer of Medilink Midlands and has been with Medilink since its incorporation in 2004. He has successfully overseen the delivery of several significant public sector contracts to stimulate innovation within small and medium-sized enterprises.

A Microbiologist by original discipline, Darren has over twenty years’ experience in the healthcare and bioscience sector. Following a brief spell at Shell Research Ltd and some time in academic research, he joined Pharmaceutical Profiles, (now part of the Quotient Sciences), a spin-out company from the University of Nottingham. Here he had a variety of roles from Project Manager, Divisional Manager, to Business Development Manager.

Darren is also an active participant in the Medilink UK national health technology business support network; representing the network on several national committees including the Med Tech Forum and the Life Science Industry Credentialing Register.

With several advisory and representation roles, including Chairing the Charnwood Campus Enterprise Zone Steering Committee, the Steering Committee of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Regenerative Medicine, the Strategic Advisory Group for Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Clinical Trials Unit, the Advisory Board for the Centre for Healthcare Equipment and Technology Adoption (CHEATA) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the Lincoln Health and Care Enterprise committee and the MTIF Strategic Partners.

Charles de Rohan

Charles de Rohan has been CEO of Birmingham based Binding Site Group since 2010. Employing over 700 people in UK out of a global workforce in excess of 1,100 the company is committed to the research, development, manufacture and distribution of immunodiagnostic serum protein assays. With extensive expertise in antibody specificity technology, Binding Site gives clinicians and laboratory staff tools to improve diagnosis and management of patients across a range of B-cell cancers and immune system disorders. The company has been awarded four Queen’s Awards for innovation and export.

Charles has worked in the diagnostic industry for more than 25 years, having previously been CEO of London-quoted Genetix Group, a very successful life science/diagnostics company that was acquired by Danaher Corporation in 2010.  Prior to joining Genetix, Charles spent 14 years at Abbott Laboratories’ Diagnostic Division, where he held a number of senior commercial management positions in Europe and Asia Pacific.

With a degree in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Charles graduated from Imperial College London in 1984 and then qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young. He worked with EY in London and Hong Kong until joining Abbott Laboratories in 1993 initially in Germany, moving to Czech Republic and Singapore before returning to Germany and ultimately the UK.

Dr. Arash Ghadar

Dr. Arash Ghadar is Datalink Electronics’ Technical Director. He is the head of design and consultancy department; responsible for product development life cycle; and a primary contributor to business development and the strategic direction of the company.

Datalink Electronics is an award-winning ISO13485 accredited contract electronic design and manufacturing company, with a wealth of experience in a variety of industries, in particular medical devices, scientific instrumentation, oil & gas, and industrial control and monitoring systems. They provide a flexible and comprehensive service offering, including feasibility study, design, development, prototyping, product ionisation, certification support, and full-scale commercial manufacture.

Arash has a PhD in optical biosensors from university of Warwick, with numerous applications in medical diagnostics; an MSc in control systems, specifically on artificial intelligence and emotive learning, as well as a BEng degree in electronics. He has substantial knowledge and expertise in developing commercial and industrial systems; and is Datalink’s life sciences expert, acting as a consultant on the application of standards and regulations.

Mike Hannay

Mike is Managing Director at the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF) and has more than 25 years’ experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry, with an excellent track record of building collaboration with healthcare and academia.

He joined MTIF in September 2019 from the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN), where he had worked since 2016 as Managing Director.

That role built upon his significant experience both nationally and internationally, including Vice President of Medicines Development at AstraZeneca.  In his role at MTIF, Mike leads the organisation in helping to enable innovative medical technologies to improve the quality of patient care, by helping organisations accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative medical technologies and devices.

Dr Dave Mead

Dave, Director of Business Development at Isogenica Ltd, has more than twenty years’ in Life Sciences developing complex bioprocesses and products and held a number of senior positions in R&D, GMP manufacturing, intellectual property and licensing. His experience includes both in and out licensing of technologies, products and services and has driven numerous licenses and collaboration deals. Dave has worked in several small Biotech and large Pharma companies. He is passionate about commercialising science and strategic partnerships with the goal of improving the quality of patient treatments.

David is also Managing Director of Mead BioAssociates Ltd  and also sits on the Advisory Board of BioPartner UK, an organisation that promotes international partnering for trade, investment and collaborations with UK life science companies.

David was previously Business Development Director at Albumedix where he was instrumental in signing significant royalty-bearing drug and vaccine development deals based on the company’s albumin-based formulation and half-life extension technologies.

Mark Pettitt

Mark has worked in the medical device industry for over 30 years, initially with Baxter Healthcare where he came to manage the company’s UK business. In 2004, Mark moved to Cardinal Health as Vice President of the company’s European business where he was heavily involved in their European expansion. Mark was promoted to General Manager during his time at Cardinal.

In 2008, Mark set up Medisol Associates, which specialised in disciplined strategic management and sales force effectiveness. Kimal was one of his company’s clients in the early days and through this, Mark’s relationship with Kimal began. During his time with Kimal, Mark would become Managing Director and eventually CEO until his departure in June 2020.

Today, Mark still has a strong relationship with the Kimal, staying on as a Non-Executive Director on the Holdings Board. He is also the current President of the European Sales Trade Association (ESTA).

In his spare time, Mark enjoys playing golf and fishing, as well as spending time with his grandchildren.

Peter Rose

Peter is the founder and principal consultant of PRQR Ltd. With 18 years’ experience in consulting and 26 years of experience working in the field of Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostics, Peter has expertise covering Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, Sterilisation, Cleanrooms and Contamination Control. He is a qualified Microbiologist, a Chartered biologist, Member of the Royal Society of Biology, Practitioner Member of the Chartered Quality Institute and a Member of TOPRA. Peter has an abundance of experience and expertise in Quality, Regulatory and microbiological matters for Medical Devices and IVDs across the UK and Europe.

Peter possesses a range of technical and business skills that enable him to provide unique insight to new and emerging businesses. He takes a hands-on approach to challenges and is adept at creative problem-solving. As a highly driven and entrepreneurial business leader, Peter has extensive senior leadership and board-level experience. As a well-regarded voice within the industry, In addition to being a director for Medilink, Peter sits on a variety of industry committees and working groups and has been invited to address the European Parliament and UK Government ministers.

Peter’s extensive experience includes the new Medical Device Regulation, the new IVD Regulation the three established Medical Device Directives. He also has expertise in quality management systems covering ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and 21 CFR 820 (QSR).

Dr. Gary Thorpe

Dr. Gary Thorpe is currently Director of the consultancy company Gary Thorpe Associates Limited. He was formerly Biochemistry Director and Head of the Wolfson Applied Technology Laboratory in the Medical School at the University of Birmingham and has held honorary senior lecturer positions in the Departments of Medicine and Chemistry. He has a BSc degree in Medical Biochemistry, a MSc in Clinical Biochemistry, and a PhD in Clinical Chemistry.  He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and his science training is supplemented with a MBA degree obtained from Aston Business School. Gary Thorpe’s background combines academic multidisciplinary science with healthcare medical devices and diagnostics and covers technology transfer, intellectual property issues, regulation, and commercialisation of inventions.

After obtaining his Medical Biochemistry degree he spent several years working in a hospital laboratory resulting in an understanding of applied medical diagnostics and pathology. In 1979 Gary Thorpe joined the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Wolfson Research Laboratories, which was a Department of Health research centre. The group of which Gary Thorpe was head was established in 1992 as a self-funding budget centre in the University of Birmingham, Department of Medicine. He has obtained training in research and development and technical evaluation together with an understanding of patents, the medical device, and point of care IVD industry, technology transfer, and commercialisation. Pure and applied research has been undertaken and has provided experience of project management and collaboration with multidisciplinary academic, industry and NHS groups. Work from his research has resulted in over 100 scientific papers and several patents. These patents have been licensed to a series of International companies and resulted in a range of new products that have been marketed worldwide. Work on development and transfer of enhanced chemiluminescent technology has resulted in awards, from the British Technology Group, the Department of Trade and Industry, and two Queen’s Awards for Technological Achievement and Enterprise in 1990 and 2004.

Dr. Thorpe has also helped create a more business aware and entrepreneurial culture within University scientists, in particular, those from Medical and Bioscience backgrounds and has helped identify and exploit research with commercial potential in these areas. This has involved close collaboration with groups including NIHR, technology transfer units, NHS Innovation Hubs, and the Midlands Medici Consortium which he helped design and implement.

Keith Widdowson

Keith has lived and managed regional pharmaceutical businesses in South Africa, Australia and also Asia Pacific from Singapore. Prior to that, he managed global pharmaceutical exports for Fisons from the UK. More recently, he has worked for 3i providing industry expertise for life science investments in Europe. Keith is now involved in pharmaceutical business consultancy and funding, as well as business mentoring.