Dr Hayley Brown, Cancer Research UK
Talk title: TBC
Biography: Hayley Brown is a Science Engagement Manager at Cancer Research UK. After completing two master’s placements with the charity in 2019 and 2020, she joined permanently in 2022.
As part of the Science Engagement team, Hayley helps bring the stories behind Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research to supporters and the wider public. This is delivered through a range of formats, from written reports and presentations to interactive experiences and video content. The team also contributes towards large-scale organisation-wide project such as the documentary series 'Cancer Detectives: Finding the clues' in partnership with Channel 4 and 'The Rest Is Science' podcast in partnership with Goalhanger.
Hayley specialises in engaging corporate partners and local supporter groups with Cancer Research UK’s science. She also works closely with researchers across Scotland and supports activity within the Children and Young People’s Cancers team, helping to ensure their work is accessible and impactful for diverse audiences.
Stuart McElroy, BioAscent Discovery
Tentative talk title: A Journey Without a Map: Finding Opportunity in Drug Discovery
Biography: Stuart McElroy is Director of Biosciences at BioAscent Discovery, where he leads multidisciplinary drug discovery programmes for biotech and pharmaceutical clients. Originally trained as a pharmacologist, Stuart's career has taken him from biotech-style drug discovery in academia at the Dundee Drug Discovery Unit, through pan-European academic-industry drug discovery collaborations, to commercialising academic drug discovery by helping transition a grant-funded research team into BioAscent Discovery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also helped lead the establishment of the Glasgow Lighthouse Laboratory, one of the UK's large-scale COVID testing facilities.
In his talk, "A Journey Without a Map: Finding Opportunity in Drug Discovery", Stuart reflects on an unplanned career shaped by curiosity, change and the opportunities that emerged along the way. He shares his perspective on some of the career paths available to pharmacologists, and why careers often evolve through taking opportunities rather than following a carefully defined plan.
More speaker information will be available soon.
