Dr. Deborah O'Neil is a biotechnology entrepreneur and an academic immunologist by training. She has over two decades of experience - spanning academia and industry - in the field of antimicrobial peptides and anti-infectives research & development. Deborah studied at University College London and then worked in postdoctoral positions in internationally acclaimed laboratories in San Diego and Ghent before moving to Aberdeen.  It was here where, in order to fully develop the therapeutic and commercial potential of novel antimicrobial peptides, she formed NovaBiotics; successfully spinning the business out of the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Research Institute in 2004. She has since grown NovaBiotics to a leading global biotechnology business developing a portfolio of first-in-class, clinical-stage compounds and a robust and exciting pipeline of earlier stage anti-infective drug candidates. NovaBiotics’ technology potentially addresses the urgent, unmet need for safe and effective antimicrobials for difficult to treat and drug resistant fungal and bacterial infections. Deborah secured a landmark co-development and licensing deal for NovaBiotics’ lead product candidate, Novexatin, with Taro Pharmaceuticals in 2013 and since founding the business, has raised more than £20 million in equity and grant funding. She is the editor of the European Biopharmaceutical Review, a member of the Scottish Life Sciences Advisory Board, the Scottish Parliamentary Innovation Forum and sits on the Board of the Scottish Life Sciences Association.