Professor Helen McCarthy holds the Chair of Nanomedicine in the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast. Helen is also the Dean of Postgraduate Strategy for the institution with academic oversight of the Graduate School. Helen’s research is centred on novel non-viral delivery systems for nucleic acids and anionic small molecules. These are peptide delivery systems that are purposely designed to solve key criteria for controlled intracellular delivery. Academic research projects include genetic therapies in cancer, chronic wounds and bone regeneration.  Apart from >150 publications, >200 conference proceedings and editorial work, Helen has contributed new knowledge as the inventor of the RALA technology and is a named inventor on 16 patents. This technology was designed to deliver nucleic acids without any toxicity for which there is a clear gap. After 10 years of academic applications of the technology as a PI supported by >5M in funding, supervision of 30 PhD students to completion, mentorship of 14 Postdoctoral Research Assistants, there was sufficient supporting pre-clinical evidence to move into the commercial sector. Helen is currently the CEO of pHion therapeutics, which incorporated in 2017 and went onto win both Invent NI and the All Ireland Seed Corn Awards. pHion currently employs 12 and has recently secured new premises in Catalyst innovation centre in Titanic Quarter with state of the art laboratories. pHion has a pipeline of products supported by 8 Innovate UK grants and a record breaking series A investment. pHion’s goal is bring the first of its kind mRNA vaccine to the clinic while based in Belfast. As a virtual member of Alderley Park, pHion works closely with Aptus Clinical for clinical trials, Seda for CMC, Charles River France for Toxicology and Alembia for Intellectual Property. We also work closely with Medicines Discovery Catapult to provide scientific oversight of our pipeline vaccine development programmes.