David Browning

Non-executive Chairman

David joined Llusern as non-executive Chairman in October 2024. David applies 40 years life-science experience translating scientific discoveries to deliver…
Read more

David Browning

David joined Llusern as non-executive Chairman in October 2024. David applies 40 years life-science experience translating scientific discoveries to deliver global market impact.

His experience includes time working a clinical biochemist for the NHS before moving onto roles with Amersham international, J&J, Philips, MediCity/BioCity (now Pioneer Group), Oxford University and UK and international start-ups and spin-outs.

As well as working with the leadership team at Llusern David holds roles as a Board member or Advisor with the Institute for Cancer Research, Precision Health Technology Accelerator, Clinical Immunology Service, OBN and several digital medtech companies.

Dr Emma Hayhurst

Chief Executive Officer

Emma is a microbiologist and the author of several publications on the subject. In 2016 Emma and Jeroen were awarded…
Read more

Dr Emma Hayhurst

Emma is a microbiologist and the author of several publications on the subject. In 2016 Emma and Jeroen were awarded a Discovery Award from the Longitude Prize and NESTA to develop an affordable diagnostic tool to combat antibiotic resistance. This award provided the funding that has resulted in the development of Llusern’s UTI test panel and Lodestar DX platform.

Emma is known for her passion for addressing inequalities in both healthcare and the gender balance in STEM businesses. This conviction has seen her make regular appearances at speaking engagements, on podcasts and national press, TV and radio, including Woman’s Hour on Radio 4.

In 2022 Emma was the recipient of Innovate UK’s prestigious Women in Innovation Award.

emma@llusern.co.uk

Martyn Lewis, Managing Director

Martyn Lewis

Managing Director

Martyn is a senior business professional who joined Llusern in 2022. He has an extensive background in business development, marketing…
Read more

Martyn Lewis

Martyn is a senior business professional who joined Llusern in 2022. He has an extensive background in business development, marketing and sales, after a career that started in travel before moving into the world of marketing agencies, retail and ultimately medical diagnostics.

Martyn leads on Llusern’s commercial activities including distribution strategy, marketing and communications and the day to day running of the business.

martyn@llusern.co.uk

Jeroen Nieuwland, Chief Scientific Officer

Dr Jeroen Nieuwland

Chief Scientific Officer

Jeroen is a molecular geneticist who received his PhD from the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands in 2004. He…
Read more

Dr Jeroen Nieuwland

Jeroen is a molecular geneticist who received his PhD from the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands in 2004. He was then awarded a European Marie Curie Fellowship to work at the University of Cambridge in the Institute of Biotechnology.

Jeroen has over two decades experience in developing and using molecular technology in fundamental and applied research. He co-manages many of Llusern’s research and product development projects, and leads on quality management and regulatory compliance.

jeroen@llusern.co.uk

Dr Gary Dowthwaite, Llusern Scientific

Dr Gary Dowthwaite

Operations Manager

Gary joined Llusern Scientific after a career working in academic laboratories and molecular and point of care diagnostics for more…
Read more

Dr Gary Dowthwaite

Gary joined Llusern Scientific after a career working in academic laboratories and molecular and point of care diagnostics for more than 25 years. In that time he has managed portfolios of products and overseen the establishment of laboratory production facilities under ISO 13485.

Gary oversees production operations, ensuring that Llusern’s products are made to the highest standards.

Ayako van der Goes van Naters

Ayako Van Der Goes Van Naters

Senior R&D Scientist

Ayako is a Research Scientist who worked as a Senior Research Assistant at the University of South Wales for eight…
Read more

Ayako Van Der Goes Van Naters

Ayako is a Research Scientist who worked as a Senior Research Assistant at the University of South Wales for eight years prior to joining Llusern.

Before joining USW Ayako worked at Pfizer UK as a Clinical Research Associate and at the Max Planck Institute in Germany where she undertook molecular biology research.

ayako@llusern.co.uk

Jo Diggle

Joanna Diggle

Product Manager

Joanna joined Llusern from Public Health Wales where she worked as an Associate Practitioner in microbiology labs specialising in infectious…
Read more

Joanna Diggle

Joanna joined Llusern from Public Health Wales where she worked as an Associate Practitioner in microbiology labs specialising in infectious diseases and AMR. At Llusern she leads on engagement with distributors and supporting sites undertaking clinical evaluations of Lodestar DX and the UTI panel.

Man with beard and glasses headshot

Dewi Whiffen

Production Scientist

Dewi graduated from the University of South Wales with a degree in Applied Bioscience in 2023. Dewi manages Llusern’s assay…
Read more

Dewi Whiffen

Dewi graduated from the University of South Wales with a degree in Applied Bioscience in 2023. Dewi manages Llusern’s assay production and assists Jeroen and Ayako with R&D.

He is a natural problem solver and a never-ending source of very good ideas.

dewi@llusern.co.uk

Bob Yang Chief Medical Officer at Llusern Scientific

Mr Bob Yang

Chief Medical Officer

Mr Yang is a highly accomplished urology consultant and brings extensive expertise in complex and recurrent UTIs and male and…
Read more

Mr Bob Yang

Mr Yang is a highly accomplished urology consultant and brings extensive expertise in complex and recurrent UTIs and male and female incontinence. He has made significant contributions to antibiotic-free treatment options for recurrent UTIs and has been pioneering research in sub-lingual UTI vaccines and male incontinence devices.

Bob is Lead Editor for Springer Nature academic textbooks on Urinary Tract Infections and Male Incontinence and continues to pioneer in his field as a urology consultant at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Hospital and an Associate Lecturer at Oxford University.

Maddy Kennedy, CFO

Maddy Kennedy

Chief Financial Officer

Maddy Kennedy brings over 25 years of experience in financial strategy, investor relations, and corporate governance to Llusern Scientific.  Known…
Read more

Maddy Kennedy

Maddy Kennedy brings over 25 years of experience in financial strategy, investor relations, and corporate governance to Llusern Scientific.  Known for her ability to translate complex development programs into clear financial plans, Maddy has successfully guided life sciences and technology businesses through strategic growth, M&A, IPOs, and exit planning.

Maddy has held leadership roles at companies such as Maxwellia, Kesmalea Therapeutics, and Psioxus Therapeutics. She brings strong governance expertise from Non-Executive Director roles at Nuformix plc, Heartbeat CIC, and Tetris Pharma. She is currently also CFO at PBD Biotech and Fermtech.

Mark Preston, CTO

Mark Preston

Chief Technology Officer

Mark has extensive expertise in biotech, data analytics, and cloud technologies. As CTO, Mark leads the development of Lodestar DX overseeing…
Read more

Mark Preston

Mark has extensive expertise in biotech, data analytics, and cloud technologies. As CTO, Mark leads the development of Lodestar DX overseeing technological innovation, scalability, and compliance.

Mark’s early career includes experience in embedded systems and devices at Sony and Panasonic, working on networking hardware, mobile phones, and microscopes. His later work in app development, AI-driven insights, and workflow optimization enabled him to deliver scalable, secure, and compliant solutions for start-ups and global organizations, including vaccine manufacturers.

As a Founder and Managing Director of consultancy firm Prismea, Mark helps biotech companies innovate with data analytics, cloud systems, and regulatory compliance as well as navigating medical regulatory frameworks with organizations such as the MHRA.

Ralf Gütlein

Non-executive Director

Ralf is a highly experienced IVD engineer who has 15 years experience working at point-of-care specialists DiaSpect Medical and EKF…
Read more

Ralf Gütlein

Ralf is a highly experienced IVD engineer who has 15 years experience working at point-of-care specialists DiaSpect Medical and EKF Diagnostics. He is also a managing shareholder of Straubtec, an industrial machinery manufacturer in Sailauf, Germany.

Andrew C smiling

Andrew Creighton

Non-executive Director

Andrew is a property developer and investor. He is a Director of Fastnet Property Investment as well as Llusern Scientific.
Read more

Andrew Creighton

Andrew is a property developer and investor. He is a Director of Fastnet Property Investment as well as Llusern Scientific.

Dr Abdul Ghafur MD MRCP FRCPath

Board Advisor

Dr Abdul Ghafur is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases at a leading hospital in Chennai, India. He is highly active…
Read more

Dr Abdul Ghafur MD MRCP FRCPath

Dr Abdul Ghafur is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases at a leading hospital in Chennai, India. He is highly active in developing India’s policy for antibiotic use and is a frequent contributor on the subject in the Indian media and a regular speaker at congresses .

Prior to his current role Dr Ghafur worked as a registrar at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London and also at the Ministry of Health in the United Arab Emirates. Dr Ghafur was a member of the judging panel of the Longitude Prize on AMR and has a keen interest in working with start-up medtech businesses.

The Lodestar DX analyser and testing system is registered with the European Patent Office (European Patent Application no: 22732302.9) and the US Patent and Trademark Office (no.18/558,490).