Amy Popple

Scientific leader within drug discovery and development with extensive multidisciplinary project management experience.

Background spans 20 years across pre-clinical, translational and early-late phase clinical research in drug development from discovery to clinical development. Experienced immunologist across several disciplines including immuno-oncology, DNA damage response, skin allergy and immunotoxicology, infectious disease, endothelial/stromal cell biology, lung fibrosis and the microbiome. Knowledge and expertise gained using differing treatment platforms including small molecule inhibitors, antibody therapies, ADCs, radiotherapy, live bacterial therapeutics, DNA/protein/peptide vaccines, adoptive T cell and RNA-based therapies.

Over 15 years of experience as an in vivo pharmacologist, holding in-house project licences, setting up facilities and overseeing external studies at CROs. Substantial experience supporting regulatory strategy, preparing development plans for IND and CTA-enabling programmes, and integrating translational, non-clinical, biomarker, and clinical evidence to support decision-making.

Head (VP) of Translational Science at SymphoRNA (2025-10 – Present)

• Lead translational strategy for transition from preclinical discovery into IND-enabling pharmacology studies to treat fibrotic diseases
• Execute safety, toxicology, efficacy, biodistribution, PK/PD, and disease model validation of RNA-based therapeutics
• Contribute to regulatory filings by providing translational science insights and supporting documentation
• Develop clinical development strategies, including involvement in early regulatory interactions, for the development of combinational RNA therapies

Associate Director of Translational Science at Artios Pharma Ltd (2022-06 – 2025-06)

• Translational science functional lead role within clinical development to develop patient selection strategies and translate pharmacodynamic biomarkers from pre-clinical to clinical assays and companion diagnostics
• Leading immuno-oncology clinical biomarker strategy within Artios
• Leading translational strategy for IND-enabling studies of ADC programs within Artios; including ADC design, interpretation of payload mechanisms, antigen target binding, target expression tissue profiling and biomarker development

Associate Director in Translational Biology at Microbiotica (2020-06 – 2022-06)

Group leader in the design and implementation of IND-enabling pre-clinical MOA models to develop Live Bacterial Therapeutics and Biomarkers in IBD, Immuno-oncology and Gut Epithelial Barrier Repair.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Manchester (2015-11 – 2020-06)

This translational research was funded by Cancer Research UK and investigated the impact of combinational radiotherapy and immunomodulatory agents to treat solid and haematological cancers, specifically to aid in early-phase clinical trial design.

Postdoctoral Research Associate at The University of Manchester (2012-10 – 2015-10)

Worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Faculty of Life Sciences in the field of allergy and immunotoxicology. The research formed part of a collaboration with Unilever using predictive immunology, machine learning, to investigate the pathogenesis of allergic contact dermatitis.

Associate Scientist II at MedImmune, AstraZeneca (2010-10 – 2012-10)

Worked as part of an in vivo Pharmacology team responsible for validation of novel tumour targets. Carried out a range of in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo cell and molecular biology assays and techniques to bring forward science-driven, patient focused projects into MedImmune's oncology portfolio.

PhD in Oncology – The University of Nottingham (2007-10 – 2012-07)

MSc in Cancer Immunotherapy – The University of Nottingham (2006-10 – 2007-08)

BSc (Hons) in Zoology – The University of Nottingham (2001-09 – 2004-06)