Darrin Disley
Non Executive Director at Roquefort Therapeutics plc
Darrin Disley
Non Executive Director at Roquefort Therapeutics plc
Cambridge, England
Overview
Work Experience
Non Executive Director
2022 - Current
Roquefort Therapeutics plc was established to acquire businesses focused on early-stage drug development opportunities in the medical biotechnology sector with the aim of developing a pipeline of therapies that ultimately generate optimal returns for both the target businesses and our shareholders. Roquefort is listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker ROQ.
Advisory Board Member
2022
Advisory board member of Sana Capital a new, female-led investment fund supporting innovation in science and technology that will drive positive change in human healthcare.
CEO, Director & Investor
2019
CEO responsible for corporate strategy, execution and governance. Mogrify has developed a proprietary systematic data-science driven cell conversion technology, which makes it possible to transform (transmogrify) any mature human cell type into any other without going through a pluripotent stem cell- or progenitor cell-state. The platform takes a systematic big-data approach to identify, from next-generation sequencing and gene-regulatory networks, the key transcriptomic and/or epigenetic switches that control human cell fate. Mogrify is applying its technology to generate IP and cell conversions that will power the development and manufacture of a new class of in vivo reprogramming therapies for chronic degenerative diseases of the ear, eye, pancreas and lung. Seed/A/Grant funding of $50M raised in 2019/20/21/23.
Chairman, Director & Investor
2015
Investor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of regenerative medicine company founded by Nobel Prize winner for Sir Martin Evans. Phase 2 clinical trial stage with lead HeartCel product plus oncology and orthopaedic cell therapy assets. Funding of c$30M raised in 2015/22, Contingent PIPE funding of $100M in place. Demerged oncology pipeline acquired by Roquefort Therapeutics Plc in September 2022
Principal & Founder
2008
Investor in portfolio of companies in IT, Tech and Life Science sectors.
Chairman of Trustees & Donor
2016 - 2023
Footprint Cafés is a triple-lock social enterprise that is undertaking an audacious but achievable mission of building a chain of sustainable Enterprise Cafés that break down barriers to education and deliver impacting change to local communities. Founded by Georgina Hemmingway the enterprise builds on the success of over the past three years New Leaf Book café in Cambodia which now employs 17 staff and has generated and donated 100% of its profits to eight local organizations tackling illiteracy, gender inequality and community development.
Honorary Visiting Fellow, School of Environmental and Life Sciences
2017 - 2022
Honorary Visiting Fellow of The School of Environmental and Life Sciences. Providing strategic and industrial context to researchers as well as access to networks in Life Sciences. Ambassadorial role promoting the activities of the School.
Honorary Fellow in Entrepreneurship
2016 - 2022
Honorary Fellowship supporting the research, teaching, fundraising and ambassadorial activities of the school.
Entrepreneur in Residence
2012 - 2016
Invited lecturer, course content provider and mentor on various higher education programs and courses.
Enterprise Fellow, Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology
2013 - 2022
Invited lecturer and mentor at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
Principal & Founder
2011 - 2021
Award of needs based bursaries and hardship grants, funding, mentorship, student entrepreneurship activities (Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, Cambridge University Technology and Enterprise Club) and emerging start-up companies.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
1991 - 1994
Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)
2018 - 2018
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
1988 - 1991
ONC
1986 - 1988
No qualifications obtained.
1977 - 1982