Improving Lives Through Collaboration

Meet the Team

Susan Smith

Lead Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Manager

Susan manages the Healthcare Gateway team and has responsibility for a range of projects emerging from cardiovascular research (pharmaceutical and device interventions as well as software simulation) at the University of Sheffield. Before taking up her position, Susan spent five years as a Research Translator in the Department of Biomedical Science, Sheffield, and has 7 years experience working in biotech firms in Germany and the US. Susan has a PhD from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg and a BA (Hons) in Biochemistry from Oxford University. Susan is responsible for the following department:
  • Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease

Thomas Bartlett

Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Manager

Thomas recently relocated from Vancouver, Canada where he was working for a preclinical drug development organisation called the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD). CDRD collaborates with academics and SMEs seeking to translate their discoveries into new therapies. Thomas was part of the CDRD team that identifies and evaluates new technologies across a broad range of therapeutic areas including neurology, psychiatry, anti-infectives and oncology. Thomas has a BSc in biochemistry and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Bristol. While completing his academic training, Thomas also worked for a year in the Pain Biology group at Pfizer Global R&D. In the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health, Thomas is responsible for the following departments:
  • Neuroscience
  • Infection, immunity and cardiovascular disease
  • Dentistry - Integrated Bioscience

Jonathan Field

Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Analyst

Jonathan completed his PhD at the University of Sheffield in the field of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, working between the School of Clinical Dentistry and Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Following this he worked in a research associate post in a collaborative project with industry. Research included both materials for peripheral nerve and cardiovascular applications. Jonathan currently works with academics in Dentistry and Infection & Immunity.

Professor Simon Dixon

Academic Lead for Innovation

Simon is responsible for linking non-clinical aspects of the Faculty with the work for the Sheffield Healthcare Gateway.  This principally relates to the work of the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) where he was Director of Health Economics and Decision Science for over 6 years.  ScHARR has a large portfolio of Innovation and Knowledge Transfer (IKT) activities covering consultancy for global pharmaceutical companies, the NHS and third sector organisations.  In addition, ScHARR hosts several regional units that are central to IKT activities including the National Institute for Health Research funded Yorkshire and Humber Research Design Service (YH RDS), the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and care, Yorkshire and Humber (CLAHRC YH) and the Sheffield Clinical Trials Research Unit (CTRU).  Simon’s personal IKT work includes undertaking economic analysis as part of grants from NIHR i4i, MRC DPFS, European Commission 7th Framework Programme, plus training and consulting for several multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Richard Mead

Faculty Lead for Knowledge Exchange and Innovation

Richard is a Senior Lecturer in Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield and the Faculty Lead for Knowledge Exchange and Innovation in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health. He leads a research group focused on therapeutic development for Neurodegenerative diseases, particularly motor neurone disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS) and Parkinson's disease, working closely with pharma and biotech companies. He is also co-founder and CSO of Keapstone Therapeutics, a spin-out from the University of Sheffield investigating KEAP1 inhibitors for disease modification in ALS and PD.