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MetalloBio is pleased to announce the establishment of our Scientific Advisory Group, a distinguished panel of experts brought together to guide us in addressing pressing challenges and advancing innovative solutions. The Scientific Advisory Group is composed of leading specialists who have a staggering wealth of scientific and industry experience. To introduce these new advisors we have tried to encapsulate the quality and depth of each individual's professional accolades:
Dr Michael Murray, RTTP
Principal | Murray International Partners Limited
Since the mid-1990s Dr Murray has led and closed numerous deals in the biopharmaceuticals industry ranging in values up to multi-billions of dollars. Current roles include CEO of MetalloBio Limited, and Chairman of Glox Therapeutics. He has a research background with a first degree in microbiology, and a PhD and a further 6 years’ postdoctoral experience working on microbial molecular genetics and cell biology. He provides commercial expertise and strategic insight which combine scientific, technical, IP, market, valuation, and deal-making skills. He has been an Entrepreneur in Residence at The University of Sheffield (UK) since 2019.
Professor Jim Thomas
Professor of Inorganic Chemistry | Chief Scientific Advisor and Co-Founder, MetalloBio
Following a BSc degree in Chemistry from the University of Reading, Professor Jim Thomas completed his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Birmingham. Professor Thomas then went on to postdoctoral research in the lab of Nobel Laureate, Professor Jean-Marie Lehn at the Universite de Strasbourg, He first came to Sheffield to work with Prof Chris Hunter, FRS and stayed when he was awarded a prestigious Royal Society University Research Fellowship that allowed him to begin his independent research career. In his current position, as Professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry, his research group identified the ruthenium-based antimicrobial compounds that provided the basis of MetalloBio's commercial launch. His extensive expertise in this area will continue to guide the development of the company's antimicrobial technologies and future innovation.
Dr Eddy Littler
Chairman Dominex | Chairman MetalloBio
Dr Eddy Litter holds a BSc in Microbiology and a PhD in Virology from the University of Leeds. He conducted his postdoctoral research with the Paterson Institute of Cancer Research. His scientific background is bolstered by his extensive leadership experience in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries, having held executive and advisory roles in pharmaceutical and biotech companies. With a distinguished career focused on advancing breakthrough therapies in infectious diseases, including hepatitis C virus, his in-depth scientific knowledge will help MetalloBio overcome existing drug resistance mechanisms and effectively treat life-threatening bacterial infections.
Dr Sam McLean
Associate Professor of Infection Prevention and Control Nottingham Trent University
Dr. Samantha McLean is a transdisciplinary researcher at Nottingham Trent University with over 20 years’ experience specializing in microbiology. She has an extensive interdisciplinary academic and multi-sector industrial network where her work focuses on antimicrobial therapeutic and prototype material development for commercialization, aiming to reduce microbial burden and antimicrobial resistance. Samantha is the academic microbiology lead for the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility, a pioneering facility that provides a bridge between academia and industry. Additionally, Samantha contributes to the development of standards in the area of products and biofilms as a member of the British Standards Institution panel CH/216/-/3.
Samantha’s diverse professional roles utilise advanced techniques and expertise to support pathways to market. By strengthening industry-academia collaboration, she enhances sector connectivity, cultivates researcher skills, and bridges the gap between universities and businesses.
Dr Stuart Bond
Director of Innovation Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
Stuart joins the scientific advisory group as Director of Innovation at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, a role that he performs alongside his position as a Consultant antimicrobial pharmacist. Stuart holds a PhD in Medical Science, in which he explored strategies for improving hospital antimicrobial stewardship. Stuart is passionate about exploring how innovation can sustainably improve health care while benefiting staff experience and reducing health inequalities.
Dr John Tomayko
Chief Medical Officer Bugworks | Consultant
Dr. Tomayko is chief medical officer of Bugworks Research, Inc. a company developing dual-targeting, broad-spectrum antibiotics and oncology therapeutics. He received his MD degree from the University of Pittsburgh and later completed a fellowship in infectious diseases at the University of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. John joined ID Associates at St. Paul University Hospital in Dallas, TX where he was responsible for teaching, patient care, and leading the infectious diseases clinical support for the UTSW transplant program. During this period Dr. Tomayko was an investigator for multiple pivotal trials advancing HIV therapies. At GlaxoSmithKline he assumed responsibility for clinical research in sepsis and antibiotics and led clinical input into therapy area strategy and business development. Afterwards, he joined Spero Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA as CMO where he advanced the lead compound into a first in human trial while helping to build the pipeline and company strategy prior to an initial public offering. Later at Pfizer, he had responsibilities for multiple anti-infectives, focusing much time towards registering them in the Asia-Pacific countries. He has served as a consultant to several biotech companies including F2G, Inc. and is a current member of the scientific advisory board of Prokaryotics.
Dr Lloyd Czaplewski
Chief Scientific Officer Persica Pharmaceuticals | Director at Chemical Biology Ventures Limited
Lloyd Czaplewski has over 35 years of R&D experience across multiple therapeutic areas at corporate, managerial and technical levels. Lloyd’s career in the biotechnology sector has included positions as Head of Biology at British Biotech and Vice President of R&D at Prolysis and Biota Europe and Chief Scientific Office at Persica Pharmaceuticals. He has a successful track record working at Board level to assist in corporate fundraising and commercial agreements. Lloyd has also been an advisor to several international antibacterial groups including CARB-X, the Novo Repair Impact Fund and the WHO Clinical Pipeline Advisory Group.
Lloyd holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Glasgow and completed further postdoctoral research studies at the University of Leeds.
Stephen Hawser, PhD
Vice-President, Global Affairs IHMA
Stephen has 30 years of anti-infective industrial experience and has been Vice-President of Global Affairs since March 2025, based in Monthey, Switzerland. He was CEO of IHMA Europe Sàrl from 2009 - 2025. Prior to joining IHMA, Stephen held several key positions in the pharmaceutical industry spanning around 15 years with focus in antibacterial and antifungal research and development. His industry experience has come with his affiliations with Arpida (Switzerland), GlaxoWellcome (Italy), Hoechst Marion Roussel (France) and Marion Merrell Dow (Italy) and secondments to Hoechst (Frankfurt, Germany and Mumbai, India) and to University Hospitals / CWRU (Cleveland, OH, USA).
Prior to joining IHMA, Stephen earned his BSc (hons) in Microbiology (University of Aberdeen), PhD in biochemical toxicology (University of Dundee) and his post-doctorate on fungal catheter biofilms at the University of Glasgow. Stephen has regularly published at scientific conferences (>800 posters), in international peer-reviewed journals (>100 articles) and is co-inventor of a number of patents. In addition he is an editor and reviewer for multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals and has actively participated at CLSI meetings for more than 18 years.
Our Scientific Advisory Groups collective expertise will be pivotal in providing recommendations to inform our strategies and decisions as we prepare to advance the pipeline to clinical trials. We are honored to welcome this esteemed cohort to our advisory team, and we look forward to their invaluable contributions as we work to change the face of bacterial infection treatment. This initiative underscores our commitment to innovation and represents a significant milestone in our journey to the market.