Our Team

Committee Members
0

Leadership

Eren Photo (2)

Eren Akgun

President

COO: Seren Ford

Seren Ford

Chief Operating Officer

General Counsel: Jiyoon Kim

Jiyoon Kim

General Counsel

Marketing & Engagement

Nancy Locke

VP Marketing & Engagement

Brian Chan

Senior Director of Marketing

Mashia Jaafari headshot

Mashia Jaafari

Director of Engagement

Alara

Alara Urunga

Director of Marketing

Patricia Nalule

Patricia Nalule

Director of Marketing

Institutional Relations

VP Institutional Relations: David Michael

David Michael

VP Institutional Relations

Noa

Noa Devey

Director of Institutional Relations

Corporate Partnerships

VP Corporate Partnerships: Benedetta Mammi

Benedetta Mammi

VP Corporate Partnerships

VP Corporate Partnerships: Ivan Solomakhin

Ivan Solomakhin

VP Corporate Partnerships

Nathan

Nathan Patel

Director Corporate Partnerships

Mirriam

Mirriam Domocos

Director Corporate Partnerships

Alan

Alan Zhuang

Director Corporate Partnerships

OUBT Consulting

MD Consulting: Ramy Alesi Slama

Ramy Alesi Slama

Managing Director

Angela Sun

VP Consulting

Operations & Events

VP Events: Giulia Gardumi

Giulia Gardumi

VP Events

Nicholas

Nicholas Murray

Head of Conferences

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President: Eren Akgun

Eren is a third-year Biomedical Sciences student at the University of Oxford, specialising in neuroscience. He has researched the neural circuits underlying perception and behaviour, most recently in the King Lab on cortical feedback pathways and auditory plasticity, supported by a Lister Institute Summer Studentship and presented at the Institute’s Annual Fellows’ Meeting.

He is President of the Oxford University Biotech Society (OUBT), where he previously served as VP Events and Program Director of IGNITE, the society’s startup accelerator, where he supported Oxford-based ventures. At OUBT, he has led high-impact programming – setting up and inviting high-profile speakers across academia, biotech, and venture – to strengthen connections between Oxford’s research community and industry.

Eren works at the intersection of science and venture. He contributed to Bactoplastic, a project developing bioplastics from food waste that won the $25,000 Earth Prize as global runner-up in 2023. He gained further experience in venture creation as a Summer Intern at Ahren Innovation Capital, working in longevity, neuroscience, and AI, and as a Venture Scout for the Oxford Seed Fund. He also served as Treasurer of the Oxford University Scientific Society.

At Keble College, Eren was Co-Captain of the Boat Club. In his free time, he enjoys rowing, squash, and engaging with new ideas at the interface of neuroscience and innovation.

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Chief Operating Officer: Seren Ford

Seren is a third-year DPhil student on the Wellcome Genomic Medicine and Statistics programme, studying gene regulation in the lab of Professor Doug Higgs FRS. Seren has a first-class degree in Biochemistry from Oxford, and was awarded the Gibbs Project Prize for her Master's dissertation. Seren has previously taken leadership roles in rowing (Women's Boat Club Captain at both Keble and Queen's College), and as Head of Content for a charity supporting broader access to top universities. As the Chief Operating Officer of OUBT, Seren plays a key role in driving the society's mission to be the leading community for biotechnology in the Oxford ecosystem, connecting students, researchers, and industry. In her spare time, she enjoys rowing, running, and knitting.

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VP Institutional Relations - David Michael

David is a 2nd year doctoral researcher at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, where he utilizes omics sequencing approaches to uncover biomarkers for early cancer detection and therapeutic development. His previous research work at Imperial College London and the University of Bath spans validating non‑coding genetic variants in type 2 diabetes, exploring non-coding RNA interactions with tumour-suppressor genes, and utilizing CRISPR technologies and stem cells to investigate the complex gene regulatory environment under health and disease.

Beyond academia, he has worked as an Associate Business Management Consultant at Alpharosso Consulting, where he led the development of KPI frameworks, process optimization, and workforce development, resulting in a 65% improvement in client performance metrics within 9 months. As Vice President (Institutional Relations) at the Oxford University Biotech Society (OUBT), David leads efforts to strengthen collaborations across Oxford’s departments, divisions, societies, and global institutional partners to accelerate biotech innovation and support student-led entrepreneurship.

 

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VP Marketing & Engagement: Nancy Locke

Nancy is a fourth year MBiol Biology student at The Queen’s College. Her Masters project in the Preston Lab, specialises on RNA binding proteins involved in the plant immune response.  As OUBT’s VP of Engagement and Marketing she will lead projects and promote content on different platforms to increase member base and outreach. Outside of academia, she enjoys yoga and travelling.

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VP Events - Giulia Gardumi

Giulia is a third year Biomedical Sciences undergraduate at New college. She is particularly interested in the field of cancer sciences and new emerging immunotherapies - completing her undergraduate research project looking at recombinant monoclonal antibodies for clear cell renal cell carcinoma. As VP of Events, Giulia is responsible for putting together the term cards - which will be full of inspiring talks from researchers and key industry players, allowing students to form connections and learn more about the world of biotech. In her spare time, she enjoys running, reading and trying new coffee spots.

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Managing Director - Ramy Alesi Slama

Ramy is a 4th year DPhil student in Medical Sciences at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, specialising in using single-cell, multi-omic approaches to parse the heterogeneous landscape of haematological malignancies. With over 6 years of combined academic and industry research experience, his work is published in over five high impact peer-reviewed journals.

As MD leading the OUBT Consulting Branch, Ramy hopes to create consulting opportunities within the Oxford academic ecosystem whilst establishing and fostering productive relationships amongst biotech innovators, working consultants and OUBT members. He has successfully led multiple student consulting projects at Oxford, delivering actionable strategies and outputs that have been implemented by clients.

Outside of research and consulting, Ramy actively competes in Olympic Weightlifting, having represented Oxford at the national university level.

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VP Corporate Partnerships - Benedetta Mammi

Benedetta is a graduate researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute whose work examines how emerging technologies shape markets and consumer practices. Drawing on several years in London’s tech sector, she serves as OUBT’s VP of Corporate Partnerships, building value-aligned relationships to support the Society’s flagship programmes and partner organisations. Her focus is on connecting researchers, founders and industry partners to translate ideas into impact across the biotech ecosystem.

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VP Consulting - Angela Sun

Angela is a 4th year DPhil student at the department of Biochemistry where she studies the mechanism of action and the uptake pathways of protein toxins in Gram-negative bacteria, aiming to design and engineer novel antibiotics against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as a research and development intern at a synthetic biology company developing proof-of-concept ‘alcohol-terminating microbes’ as probiotics. As VP of the OUBT Consulting branch, Angela aims to deliver impactful projects to biotech innovators whilst providing students opportunities to work on real-world challenges.

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VP Corporate Partnerships - Ivan Solomakhin

Ivan is a third-year undergraduate biochemist at Merton college. He has a keen interest in academic research, having worked part time studying the transmission of AMR-harbouring plasmids in gut microbiota using bioinformatic methods in collaboration with the MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge.

As VP of Corporate Partnerships, Ivan aims to maintain and build relationships between key institutions and companies that align with the mission of Oxford University Biotech Society (OUBT).

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Director Corporate Partnerships - Nathan Patel

Nathan is a third-year Engineering Science undergraduate at the University of Oxford, pursuing an integrated Master’s specialising in Biomedical Engineering alongside Robotics and Optimal, Learning-Based Control. As Director of Corporate Partnerships, he is committed to building long-term relationships across the biotech sector, particularly focused on bringing university spinouts and emerging startups into the OUBT hub. His role centres on creating collaborations that generate value for both partners and members, opening up opportunities for engagement, mentorship and sponsorship.

Nathan brings prior experience from interning at an Oxford healthcare biotech spinout, working at the Saïd Business School on AI and Machine Learning programmes, and serving as Head of Corporate Partnerships at Engineers Without Borders Oxford. He is also a passionate jazz drummer, having performed with the historic Donut Kings big band and now with his own band, Blue Suede.

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Director Corporate Partnerships - Mirriam Domocos

Mirriam is a second-year MRes (Master of Science by Research) student in Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. At the Salman Lab, she investigates the therapeutic potential of low-intensity light therapy (photobiomodulation) in restoring blood–brain barrier homeostasis in disease. Prior to Oxford, she graduated with an undergraduate degree in Applied Medical Sciences from University College London (UCL), where she conducted research on the mechanisms of placenta accreta spectrum disorders. Mirriam’s research experience dates back to 2016 and spans international institutions, including the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in New York and the Medical University of Vienna.

Beyond academia, she is deeply interested in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, with a long-term goal of accelerating the translation of novel therapeutics into the clinic and promoting equitable access to healthcare. As Director of Corporate Partnerships at the Oxford University Biotechnology Society, Mirriam is eager to connect academia and industry, build transformative collaborations, and drive meaningful innovation. She hopes to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators to bridge the gap between discovery and impact.

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Director Corporate Partnerships - Alan Zhuang

Alan is a second year DPhil student in the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Discovery focused on translational medical research. His work leverages AI and self-driving labs for developing point-of-care, accessible diagnostics. As a Director of Corporate Partnerships, Alan aims to strengthen OUBT’s relationship with the wider biotech community. Outside of science, you can find Alan golfing, fencing, sailing, or taking photos.

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Head of Conferences - Nicholas Murray

Nick is a third year Biomedical sciences student at the University of Oxford specialising in immunology and cancer. He has recently been doing multi-omics research in Julian Knight's group finding novel diagnostic genetic candidates for sepsis severity stratification using machine learning algorithms.
He previously co-directed the IGNITE accelerator as part of OUBT organising events with high profile speakers and securing partnerships across the commercial, legal and research communities in oxford and in industry.
As head of conferences Nick will aim to deliver insightful events that allow students and professionals to connect and be inspired by each other.
Outside OUBT Nick founded and manages Oxford's first padel tennis society and has a freelance photography and videography business in Oxford

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General Counsel - Jiyoon Kim

Jiyoon has gained industry experience in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in Singapore and Morgan Stanley in Tokyo, specializing in fixed income settlements in Japan and equities cash trades transactions for APAC clients in Singapore.

Prior to joining the MBA program at Oxford, Jiyoon completed a Master's degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Studies at Osaka University and published a journal article in Frontiers as the first author: "Nucleus Accumbens Core Dopamine D2 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Control Reversal Learning but not Set-Shifting in Behavioral Flexibility in Male Mice"

(2022). Jiyoon was a member of the Laboratory for BioProcess Systems Engineering, where she gained experience conducting experiments with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells).

As a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group at Morgan Stanley, Jiyoon led the firm-wide Analyst Design Contest (2021) and engaged closely with her APAC clients, leveraging her language skills in English, Japanese, and Korean.

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Senior Director of Marketing & Engagement: Brian Chan

Brian is a second-year Biochemistry undergraduate at Pembroke College. Joining OUBT as a Marketing Director in his first year, he contributed to the society’s short-form videos to expand outreach. His academic interests lie in neurogenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases, which he researched whilst interning at a fund trading healthcare public equities.

Brian organised the inaugural Oxbridge STEM Trek in Hong Kong with OUHKS, collaborating with global pharmas including AstraZeneca, Roche, and automated discovery platforms such as XtalPi. Outside of his studies, he captains the University Men’s 2nd squash team and enjoys cycling and tennis.

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Director of Engagement: Mashia Jaafari

Mashia is a fifth-year medical student at Trinity College, Oxford, with a strong interest in the intersection of medicine and biotechnology. He has conducted research in the Swietach Lab, collaborating with an Oxford-based biotech company to explore novel strategies for cardiac-specific drug targeting. Alongside this, he has gained industry experience through internships at biotech companies and by leading consulting projects in the life sciences sector. With academic publications spanning both cardiology and oncology, Mashia hopes to pursue a career that combines clinical practice with innovation in biotechnology. As director of Engagement and Marketing, he is committed to expanding the Society’s reach and curating impactful events that inspire and connect its members.

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Director of Marketing: Alara Urunga

Alara is a second-year Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry student at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, with a research background in microbiology and synthetic biology. She previously worked on quorum sensing and authored a study on biofilm inhibition published in Stanford INTERSECT.

Alara is also part of the Oxford iGEM 2025 team developing next-generation antimicrobial strategies to selectively eliminate pathogenic bacteria. Her work includes exploring programmable RNA-based switches as a therapeutic approach for precise bacterial targeting. Outside of academics, she is a dedicated musician and serves as first violin in the Oxford University String Ensemble (OUSE).

As Director of Marketing at OUBT, she is passionate about promoting interdisciplinary innovations and increasing visibility to reach wider audiences.

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Director of Institutional Relations: Noa Devey

Noa is a third year MBiol Biology student at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Alongside appreciating the scientific mechanisms underlying biotechnology, she is particularly interested in the business dealings. With experience in consultancy and logistical organisation of student events (such as the Biology Society ball and social events for the University’s Hockey Club), she’s hoping to bring a combination of analytical and organisational skills to the OUBT this year.

Noa is motivated by opportunities that bridge the gap between cutting-edge science and its real-world applications, and she is eager to develop partnerships that connect academic research with industry innovation.

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Director of Marketing: Patricia Nalule

Patricia is a third-year MBiochem student at Lady Margaret Hall with a passion for making science accessible and engaging. She loves exploring the ways biotechnology shapes our societies and sharing these stories with others. As Director of Marketing for OUBT, she's excited to create engaging content that bridges the gap between cutting-edge science and the wider community.

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