OTR Team Members
Please get in touch if you're looking for support with your translational research.
Dr Anita Petiot (Marguerie de Rotrou)
Anita is Head of the OTR, strategically setting the vision of the OTR with stakeholders, managing the team and advising on how to handle difficult cases. She has oversight of the overall project portfolio handled by the office and leads trouble-shooting where necessary. With a PhD in developmental biology (UCL), a postdoc at Cancer Research UK, 10 years’ experience in SMEs at operational, management and scientific levels, her expertise notably includes: setting up start-ups from scratch, product development, fund raising from investors, government, EU, public and private sectors. She joined the OTR in 2015 and was appointed as Head two years later.
Email: am2444@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 335650
Dr Alex Samoshkin
Alex is the Deputy Head of the OTR, where he has worked since 2017. In this role, he focuses on connecting researchers and clinicians with technology and physical science academics to initiate and develop new collaborative translational projects aimed at improving human health. He is responsible for building translational and clinical networks and promoting and fostering external partnerships through existing and new alliances. Alex identifies industry stakeholders, leads and manages multidisciplinary projects and teams from inception to business opportunities.
Email: as2794@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 336802
Dr Caroline Reynolds
Caroline is a Translational Research Programme Manager in the OTR (maternity cover) providing support for translational research applications including NIHR and MRC and project management of funded translational projects. With a background in metabolism biochemistry, Caroline worked in industry for several years before applying project management skills to research management and facilitation. Caroline has managed several institutional awards including BBSRC Impact Acceleration Account, Flexible Talent Mobility Account and the Wellcome Translational Partnership funding. She has recently provided maternity cover for the BRC Cambridge Programme Manager coordinating a programme of translational research across thirteen themes focusing on key health issues.
Email: cmmr2@cam.ac.uk
Ms Cathy MacLean
Cathy is a Translational Research Project Manager in the OTR. With a background in Clinical Laboratory Science, and later an MBA in Health Services Management, Cathy has many years of experience working in the field of clinical research. She has also completed several courses in project management, including both the Foundation and Practitioner level of PRINCE2. Cathy has managed clinical trials and research studies at local, national, and international levels, across multiple therapeutic areas, and engaged with stakeholders at all levels of the project process including funding bodies, pharmaceutical and non-commercial sponsors, regulatory authorities, ethics committees, clinical research networks, local R&D departments, and clinical staff.
Email: cm939@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 74809
Ms Ewa Czekaj
Ewa is a Project Manager and Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Lead. She manages the Wellcome-funded POPPY study, and a BHF translational project. She coordinates PPIE activities across the OTR’s research portfolio. Ewa has extensive experience managing large, multisite grants, including clinical trials. Driven by her passion for bridging the gap between research and the public, she has led numerous involvement and engagement initiatives and actively works with local communities. Ewa also brings expertise in social media management, including running Meta advertising campaigns. She is a qualified Associate Project Manager through the Association for Project Management, Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate, and has recently achieved a Level 3 Data Technician qualification.
Email: ec588@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 748091
Ms Glenda Harden
Glenda is a Research Administrator in the OTR, managing secretarial and administration duties for the OTR’s events and projects. She has much experience working as a PA/Secretary in academia and industry including the National Environmental Research Council, having worked as a Project Administrator with the British Antarctic Survey. She has extensive experience organising meetings and arranging events at an academic level. Glenda spent time abroad working as PA for BHP Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited in Melbourne, BHP is one of the world’s largest mining companies in Australia.
Email: gh392@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Dr Luis Pennanen
Luis is a Translational Project Manager overseeing Cambridge’s Experimental Medicine Initiative and the Sunway-Cambridge Collaboration. He also supports the Clinical Pharmacology Training Course run jointly by the University of Cambridge and AstraZeneca. In his PM role, Luis also looks after some of the translational MRC DPFS and Experimental Medicine projects within the OTR project portfolio. Prior to joining the OTR in 2022, he led entrepreneurship initiatives at a university start-up centre in Germany to support students and early-stage founders in developing viable business ideas and start-ups, while also managing the centre’s grant portfolio. Luis holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Zurich.
Email: ljcp2@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 748091
Dr Magda Gerigk
Magda is a Translational Research Programme Manager in the OTR. She manages a portfolio of projects awarded MRC IAA (Confidence in Concept) funding, helping researchers progress their work toward practical applications by securing additional funding. Before joining the OTR, Magda worked in the coordination and governance of clinical trials. She also had a varied academic career in translational research, from developing organ-on-a-chip models of brain cancer to advancing novel drug-delivery systems. Magda is an apprentice in Data & Insights for Business Decisions at Multiverse and is also working towards a PRINCE2 project management qualification.
Magda is currently on maternity leave.
Email: mg780@cam.ac.uk
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Ms Marija Drinjakovic
Marija joined the OTR team as a Translational Project Manager, bringing over 10 years of experience in leading teams and managing complex projects. With a background in international business, she has a proven track record of driving successful outcomes. Previously, as Head of the International Department at a business school in France, Marija led the institution’s global expansion, fostered international partnerships, and boosted team efficiency. In her current role, she is coordinating a project aimed at enhancing care for preterm infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, with a focus on supporting kangaroo care.
Email: md909@cam.ac.uk
Dr Nesem Ozbey
Nesem is a Translational Research Facilitator at the OTR, managing the MRC IAA Confidence in Concept portfolio. She has a background in Neuroscience and completed her PhD in Molecular Biology at the MRC LMB in Cambridge. She also has experience working in life sciences consulting. At the OTR, she supports researchers with research / funding strategy for impact and patient delivery.
Email: npo21@cam.ac.uk
Dr Reza Salek
Reza is a Translational Research Programme Manager specialising in MedTech and Medical Devices. He focuses on software, app-based solutions, AI, and GenAI (SaMD, AIaMD) applications as medical devices. In this role, he advises University researchers and startups on product development and technical document compliance, including establishing Quality Management Systems, adhering to General Safety and Performance Requirements (GSPR), and ensuring alignment with MHRA and EUMDR stipulations regarding medical device classification. He possesses extensive academic and commercial experience. He previously served as VP and Head of Application Development at Bruker in Germany, where he managed a diverse portfolio of 25 products, including medical diagnostics, and oversaw application development initiatives. Additionally, he led the development of workflow solutions for large-scale computing (IaaS) and multi-omics (multimodal) data analysis and integration at the IARC–World Health Organization in France; established several advanced knowledge resources and IaaS infrastructure at EMBL-EBI in Cambridge; and conducted metabolomics research at the University of Cambridge.
Email: rms72@cam.ac.uk
Ms Zoe McIntyre
Zoe has worked in research facilitation at the University of Cambridge for 10 years, with a particular focus on project management and operational support at all stages of the project life cycle. Zoe joined the OTR team as a Translational Research Project Manager in 2019, and qualified as an Associate Project Manager in 2022 through the Association for Project Management. In her current role as Programme Manager for the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, she coordinates a programme of translational research on key health problems across thirteen themes, including cancer, infection, diabetes, obesity, dementia, cardiovascular, immune and neurological disease and mental health.
Email: zm276@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Office for Translational Research
School of Clinical Medicine
University of Cambridge
Box 111, Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Cambridge CB2 0SP