Spotlight on Business Development

Since August 2022 Charlotte has been operating as the Drug Discovery Unit’s Business Development Manager, a role in which she brings not only a broad scientific knowledge base but also a proven track record of successful drug discovery project management and leadership skills. Before commencing her new position within the Unit, Charlotte was employed as Scientific Liaison for our Innovative Targets portfolio, a challenging and fast paced role crucial for establishing and managing partnerships with both academic and commercial industry-based collaborators. With this experience Charlotte has become an invaluable member of the leadership team for identifying dynamic commercial opportunities which complement and challenge the expertise within the DDU.

Charlotte’s career began in academia with a ten-year fellowship focused career in metabolic disease during which she began her Novo Nordisk Fellowship, giving her an insight into industry led scientific research. With this combined experience Charlotte looked to fuse her love of academiabased research with a role that she could utilise her growing commercial and project management skills. With this goal in mind, she took up the challenge of Scientific Liaison within the DDU in 2018. Her role spanned the breadth of the drug discovery process; from triaging novel targets, assessment of commercial markets, building connections with both external academics and pharmaceutical companies, whilst also forging good working relationships with colleagues within the DDU and the wider scientific community at the University of Dundee itself.

In her new role, Charlotte is focused on developing a DDU wide business strategy that ensures longevity for the DDU through maintaining and forging new synergistic partnerships, highlighting what sets the DDU apart from others.

“Although our portfolios are diverse, I believe our strength as a Drug Discovery Engine lies in our expertise, staff and focus to find new therapeutics.”

During the pandemic the DDU were successful in maintaining partnerships and workflows and were able to build a new and successful Coronavirus portfolio, an achievement made possible by utilising the already established and robust platforms within the DDU. With these workflows already in place within the Unit, new assets were quickly de-risked and moved forward smoothly into full programmes of research.

“The work we have been able to move forward in the COVID space highlights how quickly we can utilise our existing platforms to de-risk targets and move them forward efficiently across our different portfolios and areas of research. This is something I want to exploit more of, opening more opportunities for collaboration, with both internal and external partnerships, across the DDU.”

Charlotte’s new position allows her to remain an integral part of the ITP management team as well as being able to apply her insights of commercial and academic drug discovery experience to the wider DDU management team.

“I feel the DDU is moving into a new and exciting phase, with our new Head of the DDU, Ian Gilbert, bringing forward fresh ideas, alongside our Innovative Targets portfolio eager to connect with new opportunities and partnerships to not only build upon our existing knowledge but lead the DDU in innovative scientific partnerships. It is a very exciting time to be leading our business strategy.”

To find out more or discuss potential collaborations or business opportunities please contact Charlotte at c.j.z.green@dundee.ac.uk