Last week, we were delighted to welcome Pippa Heylings MP, Charlotte Cane MP and Councillor Olaf Hauk to the Milner Therapeutics Institute.
The visit provided an opportunity to showcase our mission and impact, including our pioneering research, collaborations with partners across academia and industry, and the work of our incubator space in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Cathy Tralau-Stewart, Milner Executive Director, presented an overview of the Institute’s vision, while Head of Entrepreneurship Alexandra Huëner described our enterprise initiatives, including the Milner incubator space, Founders Growth Community, and Cambridge NeuroWorks. Beyond world-class research, the Milner Institute plays a vital role in growing and nurturing the next generation of life sciences companies. Early-stage ventures are a driving force behind biomedical innovation, but they face significant hurdles, including access to funding, state-of-the-art facilities, and specialist expertise. It was fantastic to show Pippa, Charlotte and Olaf how, through our enterprise programmes, we provide the environment, mentorship, and networks needed for these young companies to thrive.
Another highlight of the visit was a tour of the University of Cambridge–AstraZeneca–MRC Functional Genomics Screening Lab, launched earlier this year. The facility aims to accelerate the development of biomarkers and therapeutics for disease through functional interrogation of the genome at scale — an example of how collaboration with big pharma and academia can speed the journey from discovery to patient benefit.
We were also delighted to welcome Ed Watson, Managing Director and Senior Communications Manager for the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, who presented future plans for the campus and its role in shaping the broader ecosystem.
We are grateful to Pippa, Charlotte and Olaf for their interest in our work and for taking the time to explore how the Milner Institute is contributing not only to the future of healthcare and biomedical innovation, but also to the sustainable growth of early-stage companies that will pioneer the next generation of medicines.
