Johnian announced as one of top female bio-entrepreneurs in UK

Professor Sharon Peacock, Professor of Clinical Microbiology at St John’s College and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, has been identified by the BioBeat 2015 report as one of the most inspirational women in bio-business for her work championing the use of rapid microbial genome sequencing in diagnostic and public health microbiology.

Sharon Peacock, Professor of Clinical Microbiology at St John’s College and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, has been named in the BioBeat Report 2015 as one of 50 female leaders in the UK biotech industry for her work to develop the use of rapid microbial genome sequencing in diagnostic and public health microbiology.

BioBeat is an organisation founded in 2012 with the aim of encouraging growth and innovation in the bio-business sector. The BioBeat report is published annually and highlights the work of successful women bio-entrepreneurs and leaders by providing insights into the career paths of these progressive female scientists, the majority of whom have founded their own companies or run their own research labs.

The report, titled “Movers and Shakers in BioBuisness 2015”, profiles Professor Peacock because of her pioneering work to improve global healthcare by using microbial genome sequencing – working out the order of genetic letters that make up the DNA of microorganisms such as bacteria– to provide scientists with the tools to strengthen investigations into outbreaks of disease, reduce delays in the diagnosis of health conditions and improve treatments. She is also using sequencing technologies to understand the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in the hope of providing new knowledge and information for future research.

The BioBeat report comes at a time when research by the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) suggests that almost half of its UK biotech member companies have no female representative on their boards and over the last 5 years there have been few women appointed as CEOs for established companies.

Professor Sharon Peacock said: “I am delighted to have been included in this report that features so many pioneering female scientists.  I hope that collectively our work will serve to encourage and inspire young women and girls to pursue a career in science”.

The report features 16 “Rising Stars” – women under 40 who are making a global impact in biosciences with new strategies and creativity.  These include Jelena Aleksic, who founded GeneAdviser to improve access to genetic diagnostics for rare diseases; Millie Clive-Smith, co-founder of Eva Diagnostics which is providing a low-cost highly accurate test for anaemia; Liberty Foreman, co-founder of Beamline Diagnostics, developing point-of-care pre-cancer detection; and Jemma Gatliff, co-founder of Keregen, which has a new molecular technology that disrupts the progression of Parkinson’s Disease.

Miranda Weston-Smith, founder of BioBeat said: “Reviewing the strategies that these women have adopted, it is clear that they bring novel ways of building companies, working in teams and have different attitudes to risk. Encouraging this diversity will make the industry more dynamic and responsive.”

The report was published ahead of BioBeat 2015, a one-day conference open to all that will bring female leaders in the bio-industry together to discuss their experiences of starting and growing a biotech business. 

St John’s College runs schools events and subject days designed to inspire young women and let them know about the range of opportunities that taking maths, science and engineering subjects at A-level can open up to them, both at university and beyond.  To find out more about upcoming admissions events visit: http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/section-events/4

For more information on BioBeat and to view the “50 Movers and Shakers in BioBusiness 2015” report go to:  http://www.mws-consulting.co.uk/biobeat/