UCLB Toasts 25 Years of UCL Innovation at its Annual Summer Reception

Thursday the 5^th July saw UCLB host its annual summer reception event, celebrating some of the remarkable achievements of the UCL spinout companies and ground-breaking ideas that it has worked on with UCL over the last year. As 2018 also marks a special moment in UCLB’s history, the evening provided an ideal setting to look back on the last 25 years of supporting UCL academics to turn their ideas into commercial successes.

The evening began with a speech from Managing Director of UCLB, Cengiz Tarhan. Cengiz shared some key highlights from the past year, noting some of the big milestones that it has shared with its associated spinouts, including the recent investment successes for gene therapy companies, Freeline Therapeutics, MeiraGTx and Autolus Therapeutics. Read more here.  Cengiz then welcomed Professor Michael Arthur, President & Provost of UCL, who presented the two UCLB Awards to this year’s deserving winners.

Professor Emma Morris and Professor Hans Stauss received the UCL Business Award for their immunotherapy work with CellMedica, a biopharmaceuticals spinout committed to transforming the lives of patients through cellular immunotherapy. Through applying innovative technologies CellMedica aims to improve the treatment of cancer and immune reconstitution following hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

L-R: Mr Cengiz Tarhan (Managing Director, UCLB), Professor Emma Morris (CellMedica), Professor Hans Stauss (CellMedica) and Professor Michael Arthur (President & Provost, UCL)

 

Then physical engineering spinout, TCR materials received the UCLB One to Watch Award for its durable, superhydrophobic coating which has illustrated potential for wide industry applicability. Dr Manish Tiwari of the UCL Department of Mechanical Engineering picked up the award, on behalf of the team.

L-R: Professor Michael Arthur (President & Provost, UCL) and Dr Manish Tiwari (TCR Materials)

 

The presentations were wrapped up with the UCLB prize draw, where attendees had the opportunity to receive a 25th Anniversary themed prize. Carlos Huggins of  UCL Consultants and Catherine Jewell of BeckGreener were this year’s prize draw winners, both taking home a specially-selected silver gift, to mark the evening’s celebrations.

L-R: Mr Cengiz Tarhan (Managing Director, UCLB), Carlos Huggins (UCL Consultants) and Professor Michael Arthur (President & Provost, UCL)

 

L-R: Mr Cengiz Tarhan (Managing Director, UCLB), Catherine Jewell (BeckGreener)  and Professor Michael Arthur (President & Provost, UCL)

 

The Provost then presented Cengiz with a surprise gift from UCLB of a specially-commission framed version of a timeline highlighting some key achievement for UCLB over the past 25 years.

 

The party then raised a final glass to another 25 years of innovation and impact at UCL.