Rajinder Sidhu is the Associate Director for Research Governance and Operations for University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and University College London (UCL) Joint Research Office. She leads on the necessary governance, policies, and operations for both the sponsorship of studies at UCL and UCLH (ranging from clinical trials and advanced therapies through to observational and data programmes) and the systems and infrastructures required to host research at UCLH (commercial and non-commercial). Rajinder has over 17 years’ experience in senior operational and governance roles at UCLH/UCL and has led large change programmes to streamline systems and embed leaner ways of working across the organisation.
Prior to UCLH/UCL, Rajinder worked for Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry as a researcher/coordinator for regional research studies into mental health services, and as a manager of international research centres. Rajinder also completed a PhD on consumerism within the NHS at Royal Holloway, University of London.
Marie Lefebvre is a Local Innovation Lead at Sanofi, specializing in developing and implementing innovative strategies to optimize clinical trials. With a Master’s degree in Physiology and Computer Sciences from Poitiers University, Marie brings extensive experience in digital project management and clinical operations to her role. At Sanofi, she leads the development and implementation of the UK Clinical Operation Innovation Road Map, focusing on gap analysis, change management, and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. Beyond her professional achievements, Marie is passionate about sustainability, serving as a Climate Fresk facilitator and actively participating in various environmental initiatives within the industry.
Joe Sutton is a Biosample Project Leader at Roche based in the UK. He leads the operational activities relating to clinical biosampling including centralised screening, safety and biomarker analysis. In this role, Joe influences PhI/II clinical trial design across oncology, neurology and rare disease indications and ensures biosampling plans and biomarker strategies bring optimal value, insights and patient centricity. Prior to working with Roche, Joe worked as a consultant at A4PBio and as a Senior Pharmacology Scientist at GW Pharmaceuticals. Before joining the pharmaceutical industry, Joe completed academic research focusing on therapeutic resistance mechanisms of prostate cancer at University of Cambridge (CRUK Institute) and for completion of his PhD from Edinburgh Napier University.
Experienced scientist, specialised in inflammation and tissue repair, with a demonstrated history of delivering ambitious projects in the research industry. Skilled in various lab techniques, including cell culture and flow cytometry. Holder of a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused on Cellular and Molecular Immunology from The Open University and the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University., followed by two post-docs at The University of Edinburgh. Currently highly focused on translating exciting scientific findings on the role of macrophages in tissue repair to the clinic at Resolution Therapeutics.
Peter Morley is leading the global effort to assess and reduce the environmental impact of Novo Nordisk clinical trials globally. He represents Novo Nordisk on the Sustainable Markets Initiative Health Systems Task Force (Digital Healthcare in Clinical Research), collaborating with industry and academia to accelerate the decarbonisation of the clinical trials sector through shared frameworks and tools.
With a background spanning more than 25 years in clinical operations, Peter combines his passion for sustainability with a sharp focus on innovation and digitalisation. This positions him at the forefront of setting the path for decarbonisation and driving the necessary changes to significantly lower the environmental impact of clinical trials.
Maria Koufali, is an experienced senior leader in life sciences research and innovation, bringing over 20 years of cross-sector expertise in working with global pharmaceutical companies, digital health firms, diagnostics developers, and MedTech SMEs. She holds a PhD in Pharmacology and Neuroscience, an MBA (Distinction), and is the first NHS R&D Director nationally to be awarded the Nye Bevan Executive Health Leadership Award. Maria currently leads the UK Vaccine Innovation Pathway at NIHR/DHSC, a nationally mandated clinical trials accelerator. In this role, she has delivered over 20 high-priority commercial trials, expanded partnerships beyond Moderna and BioNTech to include smaller biotech firms and large pharma, and embedded site-readiness models and trial metrics to support faster delivery.
Maria has built a wide network of trusted relationships across the life sciences sector and has consistently translated strategic ambition into operational delivery, regulatory compliance, and commercial value. Previously, as Managing Director of Research & Innovation at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, she designed and delivered the Trust’s entire NIHR infrastructure portfolio from the ground up, securing funding and oversight for a £70m suite including a BRC, CRF, BioResource, and the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF)—a £23m translational platform that supports SMEs to take digital and MedTech innovations from prototype to trial. Under her leadership, the Trust’s commercial research income rose to over £13m per year. She has successfully navigated and aligned MHRA, HRA and ISO frameworks to support industry delivery at scale. Maria currently serves as Trustee and Chair of the Industry Advisory Board at the BBSRC-funded Quadram Institute, where she shapes translational and commercial strategy. She brings a proven ability to develop national infrastructure, deliver commercial growth, and work across government and industry to accelerate innovation that benefits patients and the UK economy.
