OUR TEAM
GLEN BURLEY
Professor of Chemical Biology~ at the University of Strathclyde, where his research focuses on developing molecular probes to advance our understanding of gene expression. He earned a Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Hon. I) and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wollongong, Australia. He completed postdoctoral research at the Fullerene Science Centre, University of Sussex (2001–2003), and held an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship at the University of Munich (2004–2006). Glenn began his independent career as an EPSRC Advanced Fellow at the University of Leicester in 2007, before joining Strathclyde in 2011, where he leads multiple research programs and global industry collaborations.
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EDWARD P CONNEL
CFO and Director ~ Of Gene Solutions, was previously the President of Biotage, LLC, the North American subsidiary of Biotage AB, a publicly traded life science company based in Uppsala Sweden. He also served as a Corporate Officer two Biotage entities in the United States, and one in the United Kingdom. At Biotage Mr. Connell helped grow revenues by nearly 40% and improved operating results by $20 million over two years. He was also instrumental in negotiating and completing two acquisitions (one US/UK, one Switzerland), integrated the activities of six companies into three in the US, UK and Germany, and improved cash flow through tightened working capital management. Prior to Biotage he served as Divisional CFO for Technicolor Optical Media, a manufacturer and distributor of high-tech consumer products. Prior to his time at Technicolor, Mr. Connell spent eighteen years with Hoechst Celanese Corporation (HCC), a diversified manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and advanced materials. During his career at HCC he held financial management positions in domestic and international assignments spanning manufacturing, corporate staff and commercialization of new businesses. Mr. Connell holds a degree in finance from Michigan State University. He is licensed as a Certified public Accountant in Virginia and North Carolina.
DR SUSAN JONES
Susan Dana Jones, Ph.D. Director ~
Currently serves as Chief Technology Officer for Tourmaline Bio, Inc. where she manages all aspects of production, testing, and clinical supply chain. Dr. Jones brings over 25 years of experience in biotechnology across discovery, product development, and strategic planning. Her expertise spans the full spectrum of biopharmaceutical innovation, including antibody engineering, high-throughput screening, proteomics, gene therapy, and oncology. Jones has co-founded two biotechnology startups and led discovery and development programs across diverse therapeutic areas. She has experience in biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing, technical and medical evaluations of new product opportunities, and strategic pathways to leverage and expand technology platforms. Prior to joining Tourmaline Bio, Dr. Jones served as Senior Vice President, Product Development for Harpoon Therapeutics Inc and as Principal Consultant and Vice President of Bioprocess Technology Consultants, the leading CMC consulting firm that was subsequently acquired by BDO Life Sciences. She served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Serenex, Inc., where she played a key role in securing $15M in Series B financing and at Waratah Pharmaceuticals, she was Vice President of Product Development, managing external development and manufacturing for a protein-peptide therapeutic. As Vice President of Technology at Dyax Corp., she directed strategic assessments of new technologies and targets, led communications with investors and partners, and supported financing efforts that raised over$100M in capital. She earned her A.B. from Harvard University, her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed postdoctoral training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Harvard Medical School.
SIMON MACKAY
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry ~
Serves at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, with 25 years’ experience applying medicinal chemistry to drug discovery. A graduate of the University of Bath (BPharm Hons, 1984) and the University of Manchester (PhD Medicinal Chemistry, 1990), his primary research focus is cancer therapeutics. He leads a £3M CRUK-funded program developing small molecule inhibitors for prostate cancer, coordinating a multidisciplinary team of chemists, biochemists, pharmacologists, and clinicians—now further supported by Prostate Cancer UK and the MRC. He also collaborates with UCL on kinesin-targeted Eg5 inhibitors and has directed medicinal chemistry efforts in multiple industry-funded projects, including neuroprotective compounds for Hunter-Fleming, PTP1B inhibitors for Kyorin Pharmaceutical, and a £9.3M Scottish Enterprise program targeting the Ubiquitin Proteasome System.
As co-founder of SMSdrug.net, an EPSRC-BBSRC-MRC initiative, he has advanced international academic-industry networks in chemical biology, linking to Strathclyde’s Drug Discovery Portal to unite global drug research resources. Over the past five years, he has secured over £4.8M in external funding.
Professor Mackay is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, serves on the Expert Advisory Panel for Pharmaceutical Science, the Translational Biology Directorate of the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance, and the REF 2014 Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing, and Pharmacy Panel. He is also external examiner for drug discovery and pharmacy degree program at the University of Edinburgh and Robert Gordon University.
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JAMES OURY
James is a US Attorney, UK Lawyer, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and a serial deep technology entrepreneur for 30 years. His career spans finance, law, technology, and innovation, combining expertise in accounting, legal strategy, and emerging advances. He has founded and led pioneering biotech, fintech, and edtech ventures, achieving multiple successful exits and partnering with global technology companies to scale impact and value. James is currently working at the intersection of quantum computing and drug discovery. He is also advancing new models in the not‑for‑profit early education sector (ages 0–6) to evolve systems that better support young learners. James champions technologies that enable humankind and all living systems to flourish, aligning innovation with long‑term planetary well‑being. He is equally committed to his family, to supporting and inspiring the younger generation, and undertakes pro bono human rights work with organizations such as the International Bar Association, where he has served as a former chair of the Human Rights Committee and contributed to global initiatives for justice and rights protection. Outside of work, he enjoys music and endurance running—reflecting his blend of creativity and discipline.
DAVID B PATTESON
David joined Ampersand as an Operating Partner in 2015 and as Partner in 2020, serves on the boards of Resolian, Specac and Syft Technologies and is a board observer at Magritek. He served as a board member of Gyros Protein Technologies, sold to Mesa Labs in 2019. Previously, David was Chairman/CEO of Advion Interchim Scientific, and CEO of Advion, sold to Bohui Innovation Technology in 2015. David also served as CEO of Advion BioSciences, a bioanalytical CRO business acquired by Quintiles Transnational in 2011, and CEO of Biotage, which was acquired by Pyrosequencing AB in 2003. David holds two separate B.S. degrees from The University of Richmond and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and completed an International Management program through IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.