Meet the team

Professor Ivan Wall

Ivan is Professor of Regenerative Medicine at University of Birmingham, where he is Co-Director of RESILIENCE: the UK Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence, funded by the Office for Life Sciences, a department of the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. RESILIENCE is a UK-wide Centre that brings together the leading training providers in bioprocessing and translation of medicines, and their focus is on skills/training, outreach and coaching, in order to build a sustainable medicines manufacturing workforce that can meet rapidly evolving sector needs.

Ivan began his academic career at UCL Biochemical Engineering (2009-2017) progressing from Lecturer to Reader, before moving to Aston University (2018-2022) as Professor of Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing. Throughout his career, Ivan has led innovative skills initiatives throughout his career. He set up a range of training programmes including undergraduate, master’s and apprenticeship programmes. He holds a PhD in cell and molecular biology and an MBA via apprenticeship route.

In 2020, he co-founded FourPlus, who build digitalised and automated software platforms for workforce growth and technology integration for life science manufacturers, educators and vendors. FourPlus software includes spatial computing (VR/AR) and data/AI processing and has to date been used for training in core GMP behaviours and bioprocess operations across the UK. Ivan is an advocate for digital transformation to standardise training, increase workplace readiness in graduates and to accelerate onboarding of new hires. He has spoken widely at conferences and in press on the opportunities for digital transformation to unlock net zero training.

Dr Patricia Esteban

Dr Patricia P. Esteban is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering and the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI) at the University of Birmingham. Her research focus combines material science and bioprocessing with the aim to establish biologically relevant platforms where tailored cell-to-matrix interactions in vitro can mimic physiological mechanisms seen in native tissues, or lead to the manipulation of cell fate on a dish. These technologies aim to advance the development of cellular therapies and tissue engineering approaches to in vitro models of disease.

Patricia is part of the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI), an interdisciplinary network of over 70 academics working together to advance new technologies and treatments that encourage better tissue healing and rehabilitation tools. The HTI brings together leading experts from a variety of disciplines across the University of Birmingham, including chemical engineering, biomedical science, computer science, applied mathematics, chemistry and physics. Researchers across campus are working collaboratively to speed up the translation of new discoveries into health applications.

Dr Reshma Nazeer

Reshma is the Process Development and Training Manager at RESILIENCE. She holds a PhD in Cancer and Genomic Sciences from the University of Birmingham. Following her doctorate, she worked as a Cell and Gene Therapy Scientist at OXB, Oxford and later as a GMP Quality Officer at UOB. Along the way, Reshma has developed a strong skill set in advanced therapies, GMP compliance, quality assurance, and their application in healthcare.

In her current role as Process Development and Training Manager for RESILIENCE, Reshma leads the medicines manufacturing skills training programmes at the University of Birmingham. Her focus is on fostering industry-relevant expertise in medicines manufacturing, particularly in the rapidly evolving fields of advanced therapies and personalised treatments. Reshma is deeply committed to developing innovative process development strategies and training procedures aimed at strengthening the medicines manufacturing workforce. By doing so, she hopes to make advanced therapies and personalised treatments more accessible for public benefit, driving progress in healthcare and improving patient outcomes.

Richard Todd

Richard is the Process Development and Digital Training Fellow at RESILIENCE. He is an accomplished microbiological research scientist with experience across industry and academia. He began his career at Hygiena Ltd., contributing to food microbiology research and leading staff training and SOP development. He holds an MSc in Immunology from Imperial College London and an MBA, combining scientific expertise with business insight. At Imperial, he researched novel adjuvants for an RNA-based influenza vaccine.

During the pandemic, Richard played a key role at the UK government’s largest COVID testing facility, leading training efforts and ensuring quality standards. Now, as a Process Development Digital Training Fellow, he designs and delivers training programmes to support the development of advanced therapies—including cell and gene therapies, biopharmaceuticals, and vaccines. Using hands-on techniques and digital tools like VR/AR, he supports a wide range of learners across academia, industry, and the NHS, sharing best practices and fostering innovation in the life sciences sector.