About OPSL

Professor Peter Lodge – co-inventor of the technology – is regarded as one of Europe’s top transplant surgeons. He holds the positions of Consultant in Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery (St James's University Hospital) and Professor of Surgery (University of Leeds) and has been Clinical Director for Surgery for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Prof Lodge has been a consultant surgeon since 1992.

He trained in surgery in Yorkshire and at Harvard Medical School, where he worked during 1991-2. His main interests have been in hepato-pancreato-biliary and transplantation surgery, for which he has been awarded many national and international honours. As one of the UK’s most experienced surgeons, he has carried out more than 2000 liver resections, 950 liver transplants, 850 kidney transplants and he is also experienced in pancreas, intestinal and multivisceral grafts.
He recently initiated live donor liver transplantation in Leeds, providing improved services for NHS patients. Prof Lodge has published more than 200 papers in peer reviewed journals and has written 28 book chapters, including “Liver” in the most recent edition of Gray’s Anatomy.​

Dr David Potts – co-inventor of the technology – graduated with a London University Degree in Pharmacy and Membership of the Pharmaceutical Society. His main interests were in Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacy and Physiology. He joined Leeds University in 1964 to read for a PhD in water and salt balance within the Department of Physiology.

He was awarded a US Government Travelling Fellowship to work at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland from 1971-1972 where he learned the techniques of isolated perfusion of kidney tubules, a state of the art approach to the study of kidney tubule epithelial cells.

It was the subsequent application of this technique in Leeds that led to his interest in organ preservation and his realisation that transplant preservation solutions could be improved by developing their effectiveness in studies of the function of isolated tissues and organs.

Mal is an experienced life science start-up CEO and is responsible for OPSL’s direction and strategy. She has experience across both large Pharma – including Degussa Pharmaceuticals & Glaxo Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline) – and medical technology start-ups where she has held Board level positions since 2000.

Mal was CEO of Celltran Ltd for six years, launching two ATMPs and acquiring Belgium based Xcellentis. She has raised significant finance for early stage companies, and has gained regulatory approvals in med-tech and in the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Mal holds an MBA, and studied Pharmaceutical Science. She is a member of the OPSL Board of Directors.

Clare has extensive experience working across the industrial, academic, and clinical interface to develop and exploit opportunities for the commercialisation of multi-disciplinary research.

After completing a PhD in Biochemistry, Clare worked for a university spin out company for six years where she was responsible for leading the scientific and technical development of innovative healthcare technologies.

Seun is responsible for setting up and running the OPSL’s quality system and the day-to-day operations of the organisation, bringing 10 years’ experience in quality management and operational excellence within academic, biotechnology and medical device companies.

With experience at Genzyme Biosurgery (Cambridge, USA), UK Stem Cell Bank and Smith & Nephew (York, UK), she has in-depth knowledge and understanding of international and statutory regulations, managing workstreams within GMP and GLP environments. She is GLP-trained and a certified ISO9001 auditor.

Seun is PMI PMP (project management professional) and APMG PRINCE2 Certified.