CGT Catapult: Angela Thomas OBE, Christine Soden

The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Catapult has appointed Professor Angela Thomas OBE and Christine Soden as non-executive Directors to its Board.

The CGT Catapult was established as an independent center of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialization. The new appointments will join current Board members in supporting the activities of the Catapult.

Christine Soden (pictured right) has more than 25 years of experience in board positions in executive and non-executive roles at both public and private companies.

She is currently a non-executive Director of Elementis plc. having recently been Chief Financial Officer at Acacia Pharma Group plc, and having held previous positions at Electrical Geodesics Inc, BTG plc (now part of Boston Scientific) as well as Optos plc and Celltech-Chiroscience plc.

After qualifying in medicine and training in adult and paediatric haematology, Professor Angela Thomas has held a number of positions across the medical sector. She is currently the Acting President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and an honorary professor at the University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. 

Professor Thomas (pictured left) worked as a Consultant Paediatric Haematologist as the Royal Hospital for Sick Children Edinburgh and has also served as Director of the Haemophilia Centre at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh until June 2017. She is a former president of the British Society for Haematology.

Thomas has been involved in the regulation of medicines at a national, European and international level since 2002. She was vice-chair of the UK’s Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and chaired its Clinical Trials, Biologicals and Vaccines Expert Advisory Group (EAG).

In 2018, she was awarded an OBE for her services to the Regulation of Medicines for the protection and promotion of Public Health, and she continues to work for the licensing authority (MHRA) on the efficacy and safety of medicines.