At the heart of Cellestial Health is a constellation of brilliant minds: our dedicated core team, world-class scientific advisory board, and visionary funders, all working in harmony to propel our mission forward.
Each quarter, we convene with our board and investors to share updates on the preclinical progress of our lead candidate, keeping them aligned with the groundbreaking developments on our horizon.
Just as the stars guide us, our collective expertise and collaborations illuminate the path toward transformative therapies for Parkinson’s and beyond.
Our Board of Directors
Dr Nat Hastings
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Nat Hastings has over 10 years of experience in clinical research and bioengineering at the University of Cambridge with specialist knowledge in astrocytic network biology and Parkinson’s disease. Grant management and equity fundraise.
Mr Stephen Grant
Chairman
Stephen Grant, Chairman, executive level international leader with experience in pharma, biotech, and life science, overseeing all stages of business growth from early fundraising to successful exit strategies.
Dr Natalie Pankova
Director
Dr Natalie Pankova, Zinc Director, venture builder and operations manager in health technology, biotech, diagnostics, and therapeutics development.
Our Management Team
Dr Nat Hastings
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Nat Hastings has over 10 years of experience in clinical research and bioengineering at the University of Cambridge with specialist knowledge in astrocytic network biology and Parkinson’s disease. Grant management and equity fundraise.
Dr Peter Bach
Head of Drug Development
Dr Peter Bach brings extensive experience in drug development and CRO partner management. He successfully navigated international regulatory submissions and planned preclinical + early clinical studies. Oversaw >120 drugs through various development stages with around 7 of them reaching a licenced drug product stage.
Dr Shawn Manning
Finance & Operations
Dr Shawn Manning’s career spans >30 years in life sciences overseeing multiple aspects of corporate strategy planning, governance, and operations management. He brings experience in financial planning and modelling with a focus on medical research.
Dr Lewis Pennicott
Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Lewis Pennicott is a medicinal chemist with over 20 years’ experience across biotech, academic and CRO environments. He has led small-molecule programmes from hit discovery through to lead optimisation and candidate selection. Lewis brings deep expertise in complex synthesis, SAR-driven design and collaborative drug discovery to support the development of novel therapies for neurological disease.
Our Scientific Advisory Board
Professor Malu Tansey
Parkinson’s and Inflammation Advisor
Prof Tansey, Parkinson’s Advisor, James A. Caplin MD, Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease, Professor of Neurology, Director of Neuroimmunology Research & Executive Associate Director of Education at Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine. She is an expert in the inflammatory aspects driving Parkinson’s disease.
Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini
Parkinson’s Modelling Advisor
Prof Grazia Spillantini, Parkinson’s Advisor and Professor of Molecular Neurology at University of Cambridge, is a pioneer of alpha-synuclein research that described how abnormal protein misfolding contributes to cell dysfunction and demise in Parkinson’s.
Dr Jonathan Brotchie
Parkinson’s Drug Translation Advisor
Dr Brotchie, Parkinson’s Advisor, a co-founder and Chairman of Atuka Inc specialising in advanced preclinical Parkison’s models and translatability of disease mechanisms from models to clinic. He has led translational research that supported the advancement of 14 drug candidates to clinical studies.
Dr John Skidmore,
Pharmacology Advisor
Dr John Skidmore, Chief Scientific Officer, Alborada Drug Discovery Institute at Cambridge, offers advice in medicinal chemistry and biodistribution assessments of pharmaceuticals.
Dr Paul Ford,
Clinical Trials Advisor
Dr Paul Ford, a co-founder of Phraktion, is a clinical development and pharmaceutical discovery clinician expert. He has worked across all aspects of drug development and clinical trial design.
Professor Claire Thompson
Formulation Advisor
Prof Claire Thompson, formulation expert and entrepreneur, supporting drug development through multiple milestones and ensuring translational viability.
Our Business Advisors
Mr Martyn Postle
Licencing Advisor
Martyn Postle is a Senior Director who has worked in and for the life science sector for over 40 years with a network in Europe, USA, Asia, and the Middle East. He has a track record of building successful businesses from the ground up.
Mr Toby Wilson Waterworth
Corporate and Strategic Advisor
Toby Wilson Waterworth, Business Advisor, an internationally experienced Board member and senior executive with broad experience of developing biopharmaceutical and healthcare companies as well as navigating regulatory pathways to bring drugs to market, with a track record of previous success.
Ms Ro Gardner
Operations Advisor
Ro Gardner, Operations Advisor, expert in logistics, management, governance, business administration, and communications with a specific focus on companies at earlier stages of growth.
Our Funders & Partners
Our Professional Organisation Membership
