New leadership at ELRIG aims to expand collaboration across drug discovery

ELRIG (European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group), the volunteer-led, not-for-profit organisation that supports the global drug discovery community, has announced the appointment of Dr Del Trezise as its new Chair of the Board. In his new role, Trezise will lead ELRIG’s efforts to drive collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange through a broad portfolio of scientific conferences, networking events, webinars and digital content.

A new chapter of leadership for ELRIG

Trezise succeeds Melanie Leveridge, who completed a transformative four-year tenure as Chair. Under her leadership, ELRIG saw significant growth, overcame the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded its professional team, and embedded equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) values throughout the organisation.

A seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in academic, biotech, and biopharma environments, Trezise brings decades of scientific and commercial leadership to the role. He currently holds leadership and advisory roles with Sartorius, Axol Bioscience, Semarion, and Refeyn. He is also widely recognised for co-founding the European division of Essen BioScience in 2009, where he helped pioneer industrial-scale, live-cell imaging platforms for drug discovery. His earlier career at GlaxoSmithKline R&D included senior roles in biological reagents, assay development, and compound profiling.

Trezise has been a key figure in the ELRIG community since 2013, serving in various volunteer roles including Scientific Programme Chair, Early Career Professionals Work Group Leader, and Head of the Innovation Work Group. He joined the ELRIG Board in 2017 and now steps into the Chair role with a vision to deepen engagement and expand ELRIG’s impact on the global drug discovery landscape.

Speaking on his appointment, Trezise said:

“Mel has been an outstanding leader, guiding ELRIG through significant growth, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding the professional team, and embedding meaningful EDI principles. I’m excited to build on this foundation by further strengthening collaboration between our community partners through our world-class conferences and events. I look forward to working with the highly talented ELRIG Board, leadership team and volunteer network in fulfilling this ambition.”

Dr Del Trezise, Chair of ELRIG and Head of Strategy Development for Laboratory Products and Services at Sartorius.

Trezise’s first major act as Chair will be to host Drug Discovery 2025, ELRIG’s flagship event, taking place in Liverpool, UK, on 21–22 October 2025.

Building on a legacy of growth and inclusion

Outgoing Chair Melanie Leveridge, who is also Vice President of Assays, Profiling & Cell Sciences at AstraZeneca, commented:

“Del is widely respected for his scientific and business leadership across biotech and pharmaceutical R&D. Over the past decade, he has helped shape ELRIG, particularly in supporting early-career professionals and startups. It has been an honour to serve as Chair, and I look forward to seeing ELRIG continue to grow under Del’s guidance.”

Strengthening the ELRIG community

Trezise’s appointment follows a series of strategic additions to the ELRIG Board, further reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to scientific excellence, innovation, and community engagement:

• Dr Laura Ajram, Chief Executive, British Neuroscience Association – Awards Work Group Leader
• Dr Lisa Mohamet, Senior Scientific Director, GSK – Innovation Work Group Leader
• Dr Rob Howes, Senior Director, Charles River Laboratories – Sustainability Work Group Leader
• Alison Leightley, Event Marketing Manager, Redgate Software – Engagement Strategy Work Group Leader

Together, the ELRIG Board represents a vibrant and diverse cross-section of the life sciences community, united by a shared mission to support over 22,000 professionals across biopharma, biotech, CROs, academia, and industry vendors.

To learn more about ELRIG and its leadership team, visit: https://elrig.org/the-team/