Emily Merrell has worked within the Healthcare sector for 25+ years with global development experience spanning Biotech, Pharma, CROs, and the NHS. In addition to roles in drug development, Emily has also worked as a consultant within The National Healthcare System (NHS) where she led the development and implementation of a virtual COVID hospital that resulted in improved outcomes for COVID-19 patients. She was also previously Head of the Catapults ATTC Network Coordination during phase 1 of the ATTC Programme focused on Clinical Adoption of ATMPs. Her clinical development experience spans all therapeutic areas and all stages of the clinical development lifecycle, from First In Human trials to Long-Term Follow-Up and Post Marketing surveillances. Prior to joining the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult as current Director of the ATTC Network, she was Senior Director of Therapeutic Expertise and Head of the Centre for Cell & Gene Therapy at ICON driving the strategic & operational growth of the Centre’s capabilities which has so far supported the delivery of 170+ Cell and Gene Therapy Clinical Trials over the last 5 years across a diverse range of therapeutic areas, development phases and technologies. Emily has a passion for enabling new ways of working by challenging ‘traditional models’ and cultivating more integrative working within and across organizations as the driving force of improving health outcomes for patients worldwide.