Board of Directors

Dr Le Roy Dowey has joined GreenLight from Ulster University, where he worked with academics, clinicians, local councils, funding agencies, and companies ranging from entrepreneurs and SMEs to multinationals, to deliver Innovation Vouchers and Commercial Contract Research, including nutritional and clinical trials.

Le Roy obtained a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from Queen’s University, Belfast and a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry at Ulster University (2002). After a period of post-doctoral research, he became Quality Assurance Officer for Ulster’s Biomedical Sciences Research Institute (BMSRI). Le Roy set up the BMSRI Core Facility Units to support academic and commercial research, and since 2012 he has worked with colleagues to bring over £17.5m of research and innovation funding into the University and NI. In 2015 he was appointed Commercial Manager at C-TRIC (Clinical Translational Research Innovation Centre) where he worked closely with the Western Health and Social Care Trust, Ulster University, Derry City & Strabane District Council, North West Regional College, lnvestNI and local companies, to develop economic growth and supply bio-businesses with support and advice. Le Roy returned to Ulster as BMSRI’s Business Development Manager, managing the Core Facility Units and an expert team of Scientific Assistants/Officers.

Le Roy joined the GreenLight Team in June 2018 as Director of Corporate Development, and is now Chief Operating Officer.

Prof. Mike Barnes is a neurologist and rehabilitation physician and Hon. Professor of Neurorehabilitation. He has been working in the Medical Cannabis field for over 15 years. He wrote the review on medical cannabis for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy in 2016 and since then has been active in the UK and other campaigns for legalisation of medical cannabis. He obtained the first UK license for medicinal cannabis for the little boy with epilepsy- Alfie Dingley. He is Chief Medical Officer of Sol Global.

Rob is a leading business figure in the medical cannabis industry. He is an investor and advisor to a number of cultivation initiatives around the world. He is also the co-founder of European investment group, ECH, and a director of the Canadian group, SOL Global Investments. Previously, he served as Managing Director of an M&A consultancy for the digital media sector and before that successfully exited one of Europe’s leading digital marketing agencies.

John S. Fox, MBA, PhD, MIoD TD
John is a biochemist by training and has over 30 years’ experience of pharmaceutical development gained in both multinational and early stage biotech companies. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Transcriptogen Ltd, an early stage company developing novel oncology compounds based on transcription factor inhibition. His career has covered a number of therapeutic areas, and has involved directing all relevant development functions from bench to late phase regulatory studies. After serving as Director of Planning for Shire Pharmaceuticals, John co-founded and was Chief Operating Officer of Hunter Fleming, a start-up company with an early stage portfolio derived from University research and focused on neuroprotection. After Hunter Fleming was acquired by Newron SpA, John joined Merrion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a drug delivery company based in Dublin, as Chief Development Officer and subsequently Chief Executive.

Having recently relocated back to the United Kingdom, John has kept an interest in supporting university spin-outs and translational research and has been involved in advising new companies in both UK and Ireland. He has been engaged for many years in non-executive roles in university technology transfer and SME Boards.