About us

Patrick Chaltin has been the Managing Director of the Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3) since its inception in 2006. He is a qualified European Patent Attorney, and was previously active as IP manager at the IP unit of KU Leuven Research & Development, which he joined in 2002. During his tenure at KU Leuven, he was responsible for the management of KU Leuven-created IP in the pharmaceutical field, including work from the Rega Institute for Medical Research. He is a Board member for Cytura Therapeutics and was previously on the Board of Directors of Okapi Sciences until its acquisition by Aratana. In 2003, he was also member of the Capricorn Venture Partners deal flow committee for the analysis of new investment opportunities. He holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry of KU Leuven. Patrick Chaltin is co-author of several peer-reviewed scientific publications and is inventor on multiple patent applications.

After completing a PhD in organic chemistry (University of Montpellier – 2000), Arnaud Marchand pursued postdoctoral research as an associate in the laboratory of medicinal chemistry (Rega Institute , KU Leuven) where he focused on the synthesis of new modified nucleotides as well as various newly designed delivery systems for nucleotides. In 2002, Arnaud Marchand joined 4AZA Bioscience as a research scientist in medicinal chemistry where he managed several hit-to-lead and lead optimization projects on small molecules with immunomodulatory activity. In 2004, he joined PIERRE FABRE Laboratories as senior medicinal chemist, contributing to several research programmes in oncology. In August 2007, Arnaud Marchand joined CISTIM as Director of Medicinal Chemistry, where he currently leads a team conducting several hit-to-lead and lead optimization research programmes in different therapeutic areas such as infectious diseases, CNS-related disorders, auto-immune disorders and oncology. He is inventor on a number of patent applications in different therapeutic areas, and his work has been published in several papers in international scientific journals.

Stefaan Allemeersch joined CD3 in June 2011 and brings over fifteen years of broad professional experience in business development, corporate finance and marketing in the life sciences industry. Before joining CD3, he held several positions at GlaxoSmithKline Biologics in Strategic Marketing, Tender Business and Business Development. From 1998 to 2006, he was Director Healthcare, Corporate Finance & Capital Markets and Director of Corporate Banking at Fortis from 2006 to 2011. He also served as Vice President Business Development at Kiadis Pharma. Mr. Allemeersch holds an MSc degree in Bio-Engineering from KU Leuven and obtained a Masters in Management from Vlekho Brussels.

Diana Torgersen is a life sciences executive operating at the intersection of science, investment, and strategy, with experience spanning venture capital, investment banking, and global pharma.
Most recently, Diana led Innovation Ecosystem Integration at Organon, where she built and launched the company’s external innovation platform, expanding pipeline access through partnership and investment models. She brings together expertise in R&D, business development, and capital allocation, to shape external engagement strategy and positioning within the global women’s health ecosystem.
Prior to Organon, Diana worked as a venture investor at Novo Holdings, focusing on European life sciences investments, company creation, and portfolio development across early- and late-stage therapeutic assets. She has been involved in multiple investments and exits, and supported portfolio companies at board level.
Earlier, she held a senior business development role at Chiesi, where she led transactions across rare diseases, special care, and neonatology. She began her career in healthcare investment banking at Credit Suisse.
Diana holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford, with additional research experience at the NIH and Karolinska Institute. She brings a combination of scientific depth, transaction experience, and ecosystem connectivity to support strategic decision-making, innovation access, and value creation in life sciences.

Paul is General Manager of KU Leuven Research & Development (LRD), the knowledge and technology transfer unit of KU Leuven, which has been ranked by Reuters as most innovative university in Europe for four consecutive years. He coordinates cooperation with companies, patenting/licensing, creating spin-off companies and stimulating regional development. He is also chairman of the investment fund Gemma Frisius, board member of the Fondation Fournier-Majoie pour l’Innovation, board member of RZ Tienen, member of the supervisory board of Brightlands Chemelot Campus (NL), board member of Quest for Growth (Euronext Brussels), advisor at various investment companies, and board member or chairman of several high tech and life science companies. From 2006 to 2010 he was vice-president of ASTP (Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals). Prior to joining LRD, Paul was working at KPMG and at an investment company.

Keith is currently chair of Neobe Tx, Enedra Tx and Awen Oncology and is a director of Nodus Oncology, Pharmenable Tx and Revolver Tx.

Prior to these advisor roles, Keith was CEO of STORM Tx from January 2017 to March 2022 departing when the company was entering the next phase of growth with the clinical development of its first in class METTL3i. Before STORM, Keith was first COO and then for 10 years CEO of Cancer Research Technology Ltd, the commercial arm of Cancer Research UK (CRT – now CRH), where he drove its development to become a global leader in the commercialisation of cancer discoveries. He was instrumental in the launch of the £70m Cancer Research Technology Pioneer Fund in partnership with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and BACIT, developed risk sharing drug discovery alliances with AstraZeneca, Teva, Forma and Merck. He negotiated the formation of the CRUK – Medimmune antibody therapeutics laboratory and developed CRT’s geographical reach through establishment of CRT Inc. in Boston (USA) and partnership with Cancer Therapeutics Pty in Melbourne, Australia.

After completing a PhD at the John Innes Institute and a post-doctoral Fulbright scholarship in the USA, Keith spent ten years managing and commercialising agricultural biotechnology programmes before transitioning to healthcare at CRT in 1998. Keith has a BSc and PhD in genetics and an MBA from the London Business School. He was formerly a director of KuDOS Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mission Therapeutics, Cancer Therapeutics Pty and Inivata Ltd.

Giada is an Investment Manager at the European Investment Fund (EIF), where she focuses on venture capital fund investments across Europe. She has extensive experience in fund selection, portfolio evaluation and private market investing, supporting fund managers that help drive innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth throughout Europe.
Before joining the EIF in 2021, Giada worked in private banking and wealth management with Intesa Sanpaolo, Fideuram Bank and PwC.
Giada holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Financial Economics from the University of Trento and the Erasmus School of Economics, University Rotterdam. She is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Society Luxembourg. As a member of our Investment Committee, Giada brings valuable institutional investment expertise, rigorous analytical insight and a deep understanding of the European venture capital ecosystem.

Robert James has spent more than three decades building, protecting and commercialising breakthrough life science intellectual property, with a consistent focus on early-stage ventures.
He began his career in technology transfer in 1990 as one of the first employees of Cancer Research Campaign Technology, Cancer Research UK’s original technology transfer company, where he worked on the licensing of several seminal academic programmes. He later became a Partner at Prelude Ventures, leading investments in DNA Research Innovations, which developed Charge Switch technology for nucleic acid purification subsequently sold to Invitrogen and Oxford Immunotec.
Robert is the founder of Sixth Element Capital and raised £70 million for the CRT Pioneer Fund (CPF). The fund built a portfolio of 13 investments, with six programmes licensed to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and supported company creation across multiple therapeutic areas. Sixth Element Capital was a founder investor in five companies: Achilles Therapeutics, NeoPhore, Macrophage Pharma, Azeria and Artios. Achilles Therapeutics subsequently completed a successful NASDAQ IPO, raising $175 million.

Dr. Hüser studied biology at the Ruhr-University Bochum. He earned his Ph.D. working in cardiac physiology and biophysics. Following postdoctoral studies at Loyola University Chicago, he joined Bayer AG in Wuppertal, Germany. During his almost 25 year tenure at Bayer, he held different leadership positions in Lead Discovery and Heart & Vascular Disease Research. After a brief tenure as Chief Scientific Officer at Axxam, a Milan (Italy) based contract research organization, Jörg is now working as an independent consultant to Biotech and Academia, supporting their drug discovery projects throughout preclinical research and into early clinical translation.

Dr. Tidén is a Medicinal Chemist and Project Leader, with over 25 years of international experience. Working in Sweden and in the UK as an Associate Director at AstraZeneca, she has a track record in successfully leading and delivering research projects in a number of therapeutic areas, including CNS, Infection, Respiratory and Inflammation. During the past seven years Dr. Tidén has worked as an independent consultant to academia, SMEs and large Pharma, both in leading projects and performing due diligence. She has acted as an evaluator and is an Industry advisor to the Wellcome Trust, UK, and is also a member of the Selection Committee for the Global Health Innovation Technology Fund (GHIT, Japan). Dr. Tidén achieved her MSc and earned her PhD from Stockholm University, Sweden, and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She is currently based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dr. Martin Page (BSc, PhD) has over 30 years’ experience in oncology research and development within pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, holding many senior positions. These include European Oncology Therapeutic Area Head for Glaxo-Wellcome and Global Head of Oncology Research for Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals where Martin was responsible for the integrated small molecule and biologics portfolio across Europe and the USA.