Team
WinQure Medicine brings together scientists, drug development specialists and industry leaders with experience in genetic medicine and rare diseases. Our team combines academic research with expertise in translating promising therapies into clinical development.
Management
Dr Stephanie Manton
Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder
Biotech entrepreneur and executive with a track record of building and scaling ventures from concept to commercial operation. Experienced in venture creation, corporate venture development, developing scalable business models, building high-performing teams, establishing strategic partnerships, and executing licensing and commercial transactions. Combines commercial leadership with deep scientific expertise. Holds a DPhil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine from the University of Oxford, specialising in rare genetic diseases.
Dr Henrik Ørum
Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder
Recognised leader in antisense therapeutics with more than 25 years of experience in RNA drug discovery and development. Pioneer of Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) technology, advanced through Santaris Pharma and now a leading chemistry in antisense therapeutics. Serial biotech entrepreneur and co-founder of Santaris Pharma, Exiqon and CiVi Biopharma, helping build and finance companies that collectively attracted substantial investment and completed successful strategic acquisitions. Expertise spans antisense discovery, development, manufacturing and clinical translation, with a focus on bringing transformative medicines to patients with ultra-rare diseases.
Andrew Roddam
Chief Development Officer
Former Chief Strategy Officer at EveryONE Medicines, responsible for designing the end-to-end framework and data strategies for delivering individualised genetic therapies. Previously founded and led the UK's largest health research programme, Our Future Health, raising £160 million and scaling recruitment to more than 2,000 participants per day. Also serves as Board Chair of SNOMED International and advises life science organisations through Cibola Life Sciences. Brings more than 25 years of experience spanning drug development, precision medicine, health data, and healthcare infrastructure.
BoD and Advisors
Prof Nick Lench
Board director
Executive Director of the Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator and Professor of Medical Genetics with more than 30 years of experience spanning academia, healthcare, and industry. Expertise in genomic medicine, rare diseases, and the translational development of nucleic acid therapeutics.
Extensive experience advancing genetic medicines from scientific discovery through clinical development, with a particular focus on building the infrastructure, partnerships, and translational frameworks needed to bring innovative therapies to patients. Recognised for leadership at the intersection of research, clinical practice, and therapeutic innovation.
Ida Sofie Jensen
Advisor
Senior Advisor at Not a Box with more than 30 years of executive leadership experience across the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and public sectors. Former Group CEO of the Danish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (LIF), where she led the organisation for more than two decades, and previously CEO of Herlev University Hospital.
Combines deep expertise in healthcare policy, life sciences, public affairs, and organisational leadership with extensive board experience across both private and public institutions. Current and former board positions include Statistics Denmark, Tryg A/S, and Chair of TryghedsGruppen. Holds an MSc in Political Science and has completed executive education at Columbia Business School, INSEAD, and Singularity University.
Prof Haiyan Zhou
Advisor
Professor of Genetic Medicine at University College London (UCL) and internationally recognised expert in nucleic acid therapeutics for rare genetic diseases. Leads the UK Platform for Nucleic Acid Therapies (UPNAT) Rare Disease Node and serves as Deputy Theme Lead for Accelerating Novel Therapies at the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre.
Combines deep expertise in RNA therapeutics, genomic medicine, translational research, and rare disease drug development. Research focuses on the development and clinical translation of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), siRNA, and other RNA-based medicines for neurological, neuromuscular, and inherited disorders. Has established nationally leading programmes that bridge genomic diagnosis, therapeutic development, and clinical implementation, and is widely recognised for pioneering work in precision RNA therapies for rare diseases.
Prof Guillaume Canaud
Advisor
MD, PhD, and Professor of Medicine at Hôpital Necker–Enfants Malades and Université Paris Cité, with postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. Clinician-scientist specialising in nephrology, molecular biology, and precision medicine, with more than €28 million in competitive research funding secured, including multiple European Research Council grants.
Research has transformed the treatment of rare vascular and overgrowth disorders through the identification of targeted therapeutic approaches for genetically defined patient populations. Discovery of alpelisib as a treatment for PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum led to the first FDA-approved therapy for the condition in 2022. More recently, pioneered targeted treatment strategies for KRAS-mutant vascular anomalies, further advancing the application of precision medicine to rare diseases. Author of numerous high-impact publications and invited speaker at more than 150 international scientific conferences.
Neil Ward
Advisor
Vice President and General Manager, EMEA at Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), responsible for regional strategy, commercial operations, and the adoption of advanced genomic sequencing technologies across research and clinical markets.
Brings extensive experience in genomics, precision medicine, and commercial leadership, including more than 13 years at Illumina, where he helped expand the global genomics business and supported the implementation of several of the world’s largest population sequencing initiatives, including UK Biobank, Genomics England, the Estonian Biobank, and deCODE genetics.
Expertise spans genomic technologies, rare disease diagnostics, and the application of long-read sequencing to improve genetic diagnosis and enable therapeutic development. Focused on translating advances in sequencing science into real-world impact across healthcare, research, and precision medicine.
Dr Peter Oliver
Advisor
Head of Research at the Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA) with more than 30 years of experience in cell and molecular biology. Holds a PhD in Genetics and has led research programmes focused on neurological disorders, rare diseases, and translational medicine at the University of Oxford, including service as an MRC Programme Leader.
Expertise spans disease modelling, functional genomics, and the preclinical development of nucleic acid therapeutics. Most recently led research activities at NATA, overseeing ASO and siRNA development programmes as well as internal research across both biology and chemistry. Continues to serve as a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Oxford and as a scientific advisor to leading research organisations, including the NC3Rs and the Epilepsy Research Institute.