Team

Melinda is Professor of Biological and Biomedical Chemistry in the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Robinson College. She was the first woman appointed to an academic position in the department. Her research career has focused on the molecular structure of biological tissues — from bone and vascular tissue to the extracellular matrix more broadly — combining solid-state NMR spectroscopy with a wide range of physical characterisation techniques to understand how tissue structure changes in disease and ageing. She holds an ERC Advanced Grant to study the mechanochemistry of tissues under strain, and her work on the extracellular matrix was recognised with the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Interdisciplinary Prize in 2017. She is the author of a widely used textbook on solid-state NMR spectroscopy. At Ecmera, Melinda leads the company’s scientific strategy, building on decades of ECM research from her Cambridge lab.

Uliana is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry, where her research focuses on the structural and functional features of the extracellular matrix that determine cell behaviour. She uses solid-state NMR alongside Raman and fluorescence lifetime microscopy to study how ECM composition and crosslinking shift with tissue type, disease, and age — work spanning vascular and brain tissue. Her research has contributed to the discovery of non-toxic matrix crosslinkers capable of inducing dormancy or death specifically in cancer cells, forming part of the foundational science behind Ecmera’s platform. At Ecmera, Uliana continues to lead mechanism-of-action and proteomics work underpinning the company’s lead programmes. Uliana holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Biophysics from Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU).

Mun-Leong is a strategic adviser and former senior executive at HSBC Group with over 28 years of international commercial experience working in financial services and Life Sciences & Tech sectors. He works with founders and boards of startups/scaleups in Life Sciences & Tech sectors as a trusted adviser on strategic issues, helping them navigate complex decisions and turn innovation into impactful commercial outcomes by bridging science/technology and business. Mun-Leong brings an international perspective from an executive career spanning Europe, MENA, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America in a variety of regional and global roles. He has held senior leadership and operational positions across HSBC Group, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Staff, Strategy & Corporate Development, Business Development, Group CEO Office, Client Coverage and Investment Banking/M&A. He was also a member of the HSBC Global Banking EMEA Executive Leadership Team. He is an accountant and investment banker by training and holds an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, which he attended as a Cambridge Trust and Chevening Scholar.