LifeArc Fellowship: two perspectives on a groundbreaking mentorship initiative

As UCLB welcomes another LifeArc Fellow we talk to UCLB Senior Business Manager Harriet Story about the initiative’s impact, and catch up with new recruit, Leonard Taylor about his secondment experience so far. 

LifeArc’s impact: a chat with UCLB Senior Business Manager Harriet Story 

What is the LifeArc Fellowship?

The LifeArc Fellowship is a year-long training programme designed to develop the next generation of technology transfer professionals. It’s a collaborative initiative funded and managed by LifeArc, a not-for-profit life science organisation leading the way for change in rare diseases and supporting promising initiatives in global health. 

The other partners, alongside UCLB, are Imperial College Innovations and Queen Mary Innovations. The fellowship provides structured learning, mentorship, and hands-on experience in the field of medical innovation and commercialisation. 

Why did UCLB get involved in the initiative?

UCLB has always been committed to nurturing talent and advancing translational research. By joining forces with LifeArc and other partners, we saw an opportunity to formalise that commitment through a programme that not only trains fellows but also strengthens the ecosystem of technology transfer across institutions.  

What is the journey for a LifeArc Fellow?

Fellows begin with an induction week, typically held in June, which includes sessions led by experienced professionals across the industry, with talks from lawyers, patent attorneys, entrepreneurs, funders and investors. From there, they rotate through four 3-month secondments at the four partner organisations.  

On these rotations, they engage in real-world projects, and receive mentorship throughout the year. The programme is designed to be immersive and practical, giving fellows a strong foundation in both the science and business of innovation. 

When the fellows are on rotation at UCLB they get involved in a broad range of activities from diligencing new commercial opportunities arising from UCL research, to working with patent attorneys around new patent filings, to drafting and negotiating contracts, marketing IP assets to potential commercial partners and supporting the formation of exciting new spinout companies.

Which UCLB success stories have come out of the initiative?

We’ve had several fellows who’ve gone on to make significant contributions to UCLB, the field and beyond. The fellowship is a great source of talent for the four partner offices and wider knowledge exchange ecosystem.  

UCLB alone have hired three previous LifeArc fellows to date: namely Paolo Spingardi, Anand Patel and Alejandra Mones Colom. Paolo and Anand are still with us and Alejandra moved to Spain for an exciting opportunity to be the COO of an award winning agritech start-up, deploying their innovative waste-to-energy conversion platform for livestock smallholdings. 

It’s also helped broaden our reach. For example, we’ve expanded the IO series reach to include biopharma, thanks in part to insights and energy brought in by fellows.  

A LifeArc Fellow’s journey 

UCLB talks to LifeArc Fellow Leonard Taylor about his experiences so far. 

Tell us about your background and what drew you to technology transfer? 

My background is in molecular biology. I completed my PhD at the University of Nottingham, focusing on plant molecular biology. During my PhD, I undertook a three-month placement at a contract research organisation (CRO), which introduced me to the potential of drug discovery.  

This experience shifted my interest towards human-focused research. After my PhD, I pursued a postdoctoral position at the Francis Crick Institute in collaboration with MSD (Merck). Through this, I engaged with the Crick’s partnerships team and their Technology Transfer Office (TTO).  

This exposure sparked my interest in technology transfer. I also completed a brief placement at the Crick’s TTO, which deepened my understanding of their role in bridging research and practical applications. It was enlightening to see how technology transfer moves science from the research stage to real-world impact, where “the rubber hits the road.” 

Where have you been so far as part of your LifeArc Fellowship? 

I began at UCLB, so this is my first stop, but I’ll move to LifeArc next, then Imperial College London, and I’ll conclude at Queen Mary University of London.

Have you gained any particular insights during your time at LifeArc?

At the Crick, I was exposed to various intellectual property and development frameworks, but they didn’t fully resonate until I was directly involved. Here at UCLB, working closely with academics on their novel and exciting inventions has been incredibly rewarding. Conducting due diligence and delving deeply into their research has been a fantastic and eye-opening experience.  

In research, you’re often focused on a single area, but in technology transfer, I get to explore a wide range of scientific fields and innovations. It’s been a steep learning curve. There’s much you’re meant to know in theory, but applying it in practice is entirely different. I’ve learnt so much in just the first few weeks. Working with Harriet has been brilliant; her knowledge and ability to manage everything is remarkable.