A future with no barriers to building a family
Our mission is to transform reproductive health outcomes and make reliable treatments available to all.
Societies and economies are changing, and people want to start families later in life.
But human biology makes this difficult and expensive, and an absence of effective treatments and technologies means that healthcare providers can’t do much to help.
U-Ploid is taking action.
We are committed to producing innovative therapeutics to tackle the age-related infertility crisis and give individuals the reproductive flexibility fit for today’s world. To this end, we are developing highly scalable treatments that allow for seamless integration into IVF procedures worldwide.
Our Team
Jordan is a physician and Schwarzman Scholar with a medical degree from Imperial College London and a Master of Global Affairs from Tsinghua University. Before founding U-Ploid, he held commercial leadership roles at PicnicHealth, where he built the company's European pharmaceutical partnerships, and Holmusk, where he led M&A and strategic partnerships across behavioural health. Jordan is passionate about combining science, compassion, and innovation to give more people the chance to build the families they dream of.
Chloe holds a PhD in Cell Biology and Meiosis from the University of Göttingen, funded by a Boehringer Ingelheim Fellowship, where her research characterised the mechanisms of chromosome errors in mammalian oocytes. She is co-first author of the field's leading review on oocyte aneuploidy in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, and her work is published in Nature Cell Biology. Previously an R&D Scientist at Bit Bio, Chloe has built U-Ploid's pre-clinical and CMC infrastructure from scratch. She is dedicated to advancing reproductive healthcare and translating fundamental biology into therapies that reach patients.
Alex holds a PhD in Biology and Bioengineering from Caltech and completed an EMBO-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Max Planck Institute, where he designed the first artificial cohesion system shown to protect mammalian eggs from aneuploidy-causing errors. As a Visiting Scientist at Bourn Hall, the world's first IVF clinic, he translated this work to human oocytes alongside clinical embryology teams. Alex has almost 2 decades of experience in reproductive biology and bioengineering, with publications in Molecular Cell, Nature Cell Biology, and Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. His experience at Bourn Hall revealed to him the difficult journey women undertake when trying to conceive by assisted reproduction, and remains a motivation that drives his work at U-Ploid.
Eirini holds a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of Göttingen, awarded summa cum laude, where her doctoral research focused on the mechanisms of chromosome segregation errors in mammalian oocytes. She brings specialist expertise in oocyte culture, microinjection, and advanced imaging including light-sheet, STED, and expansion microscopy. Her work is published in Nature Communications and Current Biology. With a comprehensive understanding of the challenges within the fertility sector, Eirini is dedicated to leveraging her expertise to advance reproductive healthcare through innovation.
Hannah holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Plymouth and is a certified ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor. She joins U-Ploid from Barinthus Biotherapeutics, where she managed GCP-compliant immunology laboratory operations and sample management. She previously supervised a team of up to 30 technicians at UK Biocentre during the national COVID-19 testing programme, overseeing training, health and safety, and laboratory compliance.
Tim is Ph.D immunologist by training and brings over 25 years of global regulatory affairs experience to U-Ploid Biotechnologies. Across his career Tim has worked across multiple disease areas and product methodologies, including bringing CAR-T and gene editing products to patients. Tim brings a strong track record of developing novel products and accelerating their registration, and has held senior leadership roles at companies such as Celgene, Autolus and most recently at Vertex, where he spent 3.5 years leading the International regulatory affairs team, including overseeing the CASGEVY programme, the world's first approved CRISPR therapeutic. Tim is also experienced at working with regulators and other government bodies to improve the regulatory environment, having contributed at EFPIA committees and having chaired the UK BIA regulatory affairs advisory committee for 4 years.
Emily holds an MSc in Clinical Embryology from the University of Oxford, where she achieved a Distinction, and a First Class BSc in Biological Sciences from Durham University. Her Oxford training includes hands-on experience with human gametes across IVF techniques including ICSI, vitrification, and preimplantation genetic testing. She previously spent a year as an R&D Scientist at The Electrospinning Company, developing nanofibrous biomaterials for medical devices in ISO-certified cleanroom environments.
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Sarah brings over two decades of clinical research experience to U-Ploid Biotechnologies having managed and directed multi-country trials, built high-performing teams and accelerated site start-up and compliance across biotech, pharma and CRO environments. Most recently at Avillion, she led global clinical trial oversight contributing to the FDA approval of AirSupra. Previously, at GW Pharmaceuticals (now Jazz Pharmaceuticals), she built and led the US and EU clinical research teams through the pivotal programme for Epidiolex, supporting both FDA and EMA approvals in rare paediatric epilepsy. Sarah is a lay member of the London, Brighton and Sussex Research Ethics Committee.
Our Advisors
Prof Alison Campbell is Chief Scientific Officer of the Care Fertility Group which currently consists of 19 IVF laboratories in the UK, Ireland, Spain and the US. Alison is a Consultant Embryologist, Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and has published widely in the field of clinical embryology. Alison is a developer, implementer and author of time-lapse algorithms to predict ploidy and live birth and her team have recently developed an award-winning artificial intelligence tool to support embryo selection across the Care clinics. Alison has a passion for the training and development of embryologists and has established a dedicated practical training centre for embryologists which is now home to the UK’s first university-industry joint Master’s degree in Clinical Embryology. Alison actively shares her knowledge and experience, lecturing worldwide and participating on scientific advisory board including the scientific and clinical advances advisory committee for the UK’s regulator (HFEA). She is also part of the editorial boards for Human Reproduction and Reproductive BioMedicine Online and Vice President of Alpha Scientists in Reproductive Medicine.
Kate Devine, M.D. serves as US Fertility's Chief Medical Officer, leads its dedicated Research Division, and supports the faculty of the six USF-affiliated Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility fellowships. A board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Devine cares for patients in Washington, D.C., and served as Research Director at Shady Grove Fertility for more than a decade. She is Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at George Washington University and Associate Program Director for the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Devine served as Chair of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI) Research Committee and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) Quality Assurance Committee and on the Editorial Board of Fertility and Sterility. She has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications, has received numerous research grants and awards, including the 2023 ASRM New Investigator Award, and has spoken nationally and internationally on the topic of her research, which focuses primarily on endometrial receptivity and optimization of frozen embryo transfer protocols. She earned her BA from Columbia University and MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed residency at New York University Medical Center and fellowship at the NIH.
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Kathryn Golden is a CMC executive experienced in shepherding drug candidates from early discovery to pivotal trials via integrated process development, phase-appropriate quality and regulatory coordination, and management of contract manufacturing organizations. She is currently the Vice President of Technical Operations at Ottimo Pharma and the managing director of Golden Bio Consulting. She has been an early employee at seven biotechnology start-ups, including bit.bio, Q32 Bio and Codiak BioSciences. Kathryn is particularly passionate about increasing access to transformative therapies and is a co-founder of Sunflower Therapeutics, a start-up utilizing yeast manufacturing technologies to provide biologics to underserved populations. She received her S.B. in Chemical Engineering and M. Eng. in Bioengineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and holds an M.B.A. from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
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Professor Helen Picton is Head of the Reproduction and Early Development Research Group and Programme Manager for MSc and PGDip in Clinical Embryology and Assisted Reproduction Technology at the University of Leeds as well as Honorary Consultant and Scientific Director of Leeds Fertility within the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Helen achieved her BSc in Animal Production Science from the University of Edinburgh in 1985 before achieving her PhD from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1989. Helen’s research is focused on the development of a detailed understanding of the cellular, metabolic and molecular biology of ovarian follicles, oocytes and embryos in humans and domestic animals. Helen is actively involved in the identification of cellular and molecular markers of oocyte and embryo quality, the development of methods for the in vitro maturation of oocytes, oocyte and ovarian tissue freezing and the therapeutic production of oocytes in vitro for the preservation of fertility in girls and women or the conservation of female germ plasm in domestic and rare species. Most recently her team has designed and tested microfluidic culture devices to aid embryo production in vitro. Helen’s research laboratory has been the recipient of numerous research awards and prizes and she has supervised over 100 MSc research projects, and 32 PhD. and MD fellows. Helen has filed 4 patents and has published over 135 original research papers, reviews and book chapters in the field of female reproduction, fertility and the conservation of fertility. Helen has delivered over 128 invited lectures, seminars, symposium papers or prize lectures at national and international conferences and workshops worldwide. Helen is the former Chair of the UK Society for Reproduction and Fertility and the former Coordinator of the ESHRE Task Force on Fertility Preservation in Severe Diseases. She has acted as a temporary technical advisor to the WHO. She is a current member of the UKRI, MRC Population Systems and Medicine Board.
Dr Sesh Sunkara is a Clinical Academic at Kings College London, UK and a Consultant Gynaecologist and Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine at Kings Fertility. She has authored over 100 peer reviewed scientific publications in Reproductive Medicine. She is listed in the TOP 0.1% of worldwide scholars in Reproductive Techniques (Expertise in Reproductive Techniques: February 2020 - Expertscape.com) and 2024 TOP Scholar by GPS, ranked 0.5% of all scholars worldwide based on publication record, impact and quality of scholarly contributions. She has a dual accreditation from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and dual Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine Subspecialty. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She also has a postgraduate research degree in Reproductive Medicine - Doctor of Medicine, MD awarded by Kings College London for her thesis titled “Interventions for poor responders undergoing in vitro fertilisation treatment”. She was Associate Editor for Human Reproduction Update Journal from 2018 t0 2022 and Associate Editor of the Human Reproduction Journal from 2014 to 2018. She is on the Editorial Board of Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology Journal, Associate Editor of Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation Journal and an expert reviewer for several other journals. She has been an expert reviewer for NIHR HTA commissioning briefs and reports. She was invited as education faculty member for the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) in 2020 based on her international recognition and expertise. She is on the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Guideline Development Group and author of the ESHRE evidence based clinical guidelines such as - Ovarian Stimulation in IVF, Unexplained Infertility. She is the Chair for the ESHRE guideline - Preconception Care in Fertility (in progress). She is on the British Fertility Society Policy and Practice (BFS P&P) guideline committee for PGT-A and is also developing the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Scientific Impact Paper (RCOG SIP) on The Clinical and Scientific Applications of PGT-A, PGT-M, PGT-SR, and PGT-P in Assisted Reproductive Technology. Additionally, she is an advisor for evidence-based guidelines by several other international Fertility Societies.
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Mary Vinson is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning early research, preclinical development, and programme and portfolio management across the UK life sciences sector. She most recently served as VP Cell Therapy Program Leader at bit.bio, the Cambridge synthetic biology company developing precision-programmed human cells. Before that she spent several years at Autolus, the CAR-T cell therapy developer, where she rose through successive roles to VP of Projects and Portfolio, overseeing delivery across a complex clinical-stage pipeline. Earlier in her career she was Preclinical Programme Director at Cantab Biopharmaceuticals and Group Head of Project Management at Proximagen, following a decade as a research scientist at GlaxoSmithKline. Her published work from that period contributed to the neuroscience and immunology literature, including studies on myelin-associated glycoprotein and sialoadhesin. Today Mary works as an independent consultant and biotech advisor, and holds an Entrepreneur in Residence position with CIC's Life Sciences team.
Join us as we redefine the future of reproductive health.
We’re building the next generation of reproductive therapeutics, driven by science and compassion.
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