“I believe in what LightOx is doing, across all our projects. For our flagship oral pre-cancer project, I am confident that we can provide a viable treatment alternative for patients and to genuinely make their lives better.”
What’s your name and job title?
Dr Cole Sims, Biology Team Leader
How long have you been at LightOx?
I’ve been at LightOx for just under 3 years.
Can you share a bit about your previous experience in the health and life sciences industry?
LightOx is my first job in industry having completed a PhD and a postdoc before joining. My PhD was in molecular cardiology but I switched fields to prostate cancer for my postdoc, with the throughline being my expertise in CRISPR/Cas9 and gene editing of stem cells.
What are your particular areas of interest and expertise? And what role do you play in the development of LightOx’s new therapies for oral cancer and wound care or in supporting the LightOx business?
Since joining LightOx, I have been leading on the biological testing and candidate selection for our oral pre-cancer project. This includes standard cell culture and molecular biology techniques but most importantly managing the Biology Team.
I am involved in both our oral pre-cancer and antimicrobial projects, leading the biological testing on each. In addition to these areas, I have been gathering data using LightOx’s PhotoReact365 box for its potential as a quencher of autofluorescence in tissues.
What do you like the most, or find the most interesting about your role?
I love the people I work with and manage. Facilitating their growth and helping them develop new skills is something I find very rewarding.
I love that my role is varied; I’m not just doing one thing on repeat. Working across The Biosphere, Durham University, and at home means that I am never bored of my scenery!
I believe in what LightOx are doing, across all our projects. For our flagship oral pre-cancer project, I am confident that we can provide a viable treatment alternative for patients and to genuinely make their lives better.
What does a typical working day at LightOx look like for you?
My day is a mixture. I have meetings with colleagues, collaborators or subcontractors but mixed in with my own lab work and helping my staff troubleshoot problems they may have. The Biology Team works very collaboratively and so we all chip in to make sure the overall project progresses towards our goal.
What are your hopes or ambitions for the projects you’re working on?
I want to see us get our lead compound into a clinical trial for treating oral epithelial dysplasia. This will be a huge achievement for a small team and company like LightOx and I will be immensely proud when we achieve this. This is the goal we are all working towards and we keep our eyes on the prize!
When you are not at work how do you like to unwind?
I play football for a local team and have recently got more into golf. I am terrible but I enjoy it!
Who are the 4 guests dead or alive you would invite to your dinner party?
Bo Burnham, Tim Minchin, Bernie Sanders, and my grandfather Clive Rush
Finally, in another life what would have been your dream job?
Screenwriter
