Dr Martin Pule named BBSRC Most Promising Innovator

Dr Martin Pule was last night named BBSRC Most Promising Innovator 2016 for his frontier innovations in T-cell medicine.

The competition is designed to recognise the full breadth of impacts that BBSRC-funded research can have and rewards individuals who have harnessed the potential of their excellent research.

Dr Pule has been recognised for his BBRSC funded research in T-cell engineering at the at the UCL Cancer Institute and NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, where he has applied the principles of Boolean logic to construct T-cell therapies with exquisite selectivity for tumour cells over healthy tissues to prevent unwanted toxicity.

Dr Chris Williams, Senior Business Manager at UCL Business PLC commented: “We are delighted that Martin’s efforts in this field have been recognised by the BBSRC with this award.  Martin’s pioneering work on T-cell programming has the promise to transform cancer therapy”.

In 2014 UCLB and Syncona announced the formation of Autolus Limited, a company founded upon the work of Dr Pule and focused on the development and commercialisation of next-generation engineering T-cell therapies for the treatment of life-threatening cancers.

Last year Dr Pule was the recipient of The UCL Business Award which aims to recognise the efforts and accomplishments of UCL’s most innovative and entrepreneurial staff.

About Autolus
Autolus is a private biopharmaceutical company, focused on the development and commercialisation of engineered T-cell immunotherapy products based on its proprietary T-cell programming technology. Autolus’ shareholders include Syncona LLP, UCL Business PLC, Woodford Investment Management LLP and Arix Bioscience Ltd.

For further information please visit the Company’s website at: www.autolus.com

About BBSRC
BBSRC invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond.

Funded by Government, BBSRC invested over £509M in world-class bioscience in 2014-15. We support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

For further information, please visit: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk

About UCLB
UCL Business PLC (UCLB) is a leading technology transfer company that supports and commercialises research and innovations arising from UCL, one of the UK’s top research-led universities. UCLB has a successful track record and a strong reputation for identifying and protecting promising new technologies and innovations from UCL academics. UCLB has a strong track record in commercialising medical technologies and provides technology transfer services to UCL’s associated hospitals; University College London Hospitals, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal Free London Hospital. It invests directly in development projects to maximise the potential of the research and manages the commercialisation process of technologies from laboratory to market.

For further information, please visit: www.uclb.com