Dr Anne Blackwood
Chief Executive

Anne joined Health Enterprise East in 2005 from Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer office of the University of Cambridge. Anne has over 10 years experience in technology transfer and intellectual property management in the life sciences.

At Cambridge Enterprise Anne focused primarily on technologies from the biological and chemical sciences and was involved in all aspects of technology commercialisation. Prior to this Anne enjoyed a research career for 6 years in protein biochemistry and enzymology, initially at the University of Westminster and then at South Bank University, London.

Anne holds a degree in chemistry from Strathclyde University and a PhD in biotechnology from the same University.

Michael Garrison
Head of Business Development

Mike joined Health Enterprise East in 2010 from the pharmaceutical industry where his 31 year career spanned the globe.

His experience includes 12 years in pharmaceutical sales and marketing in the USA with Wellcome followed by 19 years based in the UK but having global management responsibilities for a variety of functional areas.Those areas included new product development & commercialisation, business & corporate development, intellectual property management (i.e., patents & trademarks) at GlaxoWellcome Plc, Gilead Sciences Inc and Phytopharm Plc.

Mike was born in the USA where he secured a degree in Economics & Business Administration from Westminster University.

Margaret Lewis
Head of Communications & Administration

Maggie has a Diploma in Marketing gained through the Chartered Institute of Marketing and qualifications in Business Administration. She joined HEE from a privately owned packaging group in the region, where she was Assistant to the Chair and their Administration Manager for 7½ years.

Before that, Maggie was Marketing Services Co-ordinator for 8 years with Domino Printing Sciences Ltd.

Stuart Thomson
Head of Medical Technology

Stuart joined HEE after completing his MSc in the Management of Intellectual Property at the Queen Mary, University of London.

Stuart also holds a Diploma in European Intellectual Property, gained at the European Intellectual Property Institutes Network (EIPIN). Previously, Stuart gained extensive experience within information and commercial analysis whilst working for GlaxoSmithKline.

Prior to this he started up a small family business specialising in Ceramic Artistic Design. Stuart also holds a BSc in Human Biosciences.

Dr Chandu Patil
Senior eHealth Consultant

After receiving a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science and PhD from University of London in Medicine, Chandu has been at the forefront of technology in Medicine in the UK and USA.

His background includes software engineering/management positions in several companies in cardiac, lung function, remote patient monitoring and DNA diagnostics fields.

At Health Enterprise East Chandu is helping to advance innovations in the Software and Internet & Communications Technology (ICT) field from the NHS trusts in the eastern region

Dr Juan F Román
Medtech Services Manager

Juan joins HEE from the medical devices industry, where he worked at Bayer Diagnostics as engineer and technical manager.

During his career, first in academia in Spain, Italy and GB, and later in medical devices R&D; and manufacturing, Juan has always worked applying technology into medicine. Juan holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics and a MSc in Optics by the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), where he was a lecturer, a MSc in Optical Technologies by AILUN (Italy), and a PhD in Optical Engineering in a joint-collaboration between Univ. of Santiago de Compostela and Loughborough University.

At HEE Juan's role as MedTech Service Manager is to operate as a point of contact between healthcare companies and the NHS, to help companies access NHS clinical expertise, perform clinical trials within the NHS, and to help them in identifying early adopters within our network of Trusts in the East of England. Juan has just obtained a MBA from The Open University.

Robert Donald
Innovation Manager (Medical Technology)

Robert moved from the commercial sector where he worked in intellectual property for a large Anglo-American Corporate. Previously he has worked in the biotech field in the area of therapeutic proteins.

Robert holds both a degree in Biotechnology (BSc) from Reading University and a Masters degree in Intellectual Property Management (LLM) from the University of Bournemouth.

Tracy Coultas
Innovation Manager for Publications and Training Aids

Tracy originally joined Health Enterprise East in February 2007 in the new role of Customer Liaison Executive. Previously Tracy worked in sales and marketing for a hydraulics manufacturer, where she gained the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Professional Diploma in Marketing.

Tracy has experience of working in the public sector through her time working for the MOD at RAF Wyton, and also in local media having previously worked for the Cambridge Evening News in advertising sales. Tracy also holds a BA degree in History from Lancaster University

Dr Kerstin Castle
Innovation Manager (Medical Technology)

Currently on maternity leave, Kerstin started her career as a research chemist at Schering AG in Germany, before moving to the UK and enjoying 5 years in the research department of Schering Agrochemicals as a synthetic organic chemist.

Kerstin gained a degree in medicinal chemistry from the Universtity of Hertfordshire whilst on day release from Schering, followed some years later by an MSc and PhD from the University of Reading.

Prior to joining Health Enterprise East, Kerstin worked for a science consultancy specialising in Open Innovation and as a product marketing manager for Astron Clinica, where she gained valuable experience in the marketing of a medical device.

Steve Lott
IT & Database Manager

Steve joined HEE in September 2007 in the new role of Database Administrator. Steven studied Biochemistry at The University of Wales, Swansea before leaving to manage a Public House and develop his semi-professional music career.

He moved to HEE from the Forensic Science Service where he worked as a Technical Trainer specialising in DNA profile and mixture profile interpretation.

Dilys Wilkinson
Office Administrator / PA

Dilys previously worked for Proctor & Gamble where she worked for five years in Consumer Relations. Her previous positions included Depot Administrator with Arriva and Clerical Assistant in the Health Service.

She holds a Certificate in IT and Computing from the Open University and an NVQ and Assessors qualification in Customer Service.

Chris Armstrong
Marketing Coordinator

Chris joined Health Enterprise East in August 2009 as the new Marketing Coordinator. With a communications background including Press Office, Public Engagement and Internal Communications within the public sector Chris brings a number of years experience to HEE.

In his last role as Events Coordinator Chris was responsible for coordinating a range of events and conferences ranging from 150 + business seminars and 2012 Legacy Conferences to awarding winning stands at regional shows.