51³Ô¹ÏÍø

About
›
Our
Team

We bring together a world-class, multidisciplinary team of drug development, healthcare and commercialisation experts who are united by a drive to make a positive difference to those living with mental health conditions. 

Our
Executive
Team
Cosmo Feilding Mellen
CEO
Cosmo Feilding Mellen
CEO
Cosmo is a drug development entrepreneur dedicated to unlocking the medical potential of psychoactive substances in order to help patients in need. Cosmo has worked closely with the Beckley Foundation for over 10 years and, in 2016, he co-founded Beckley Research & Innovations to develop ethical business models focused on scientific research into medical cannabis and psychedelics. Cosmo subsequently served as Co-Founder and Managing Director of Beckley Canopy Therapeutics, a cannabis-based drug development company, and Spectrum Biomedical UK, a medical cannabis distribution company. In 2019, both of these companies were acquired by Canopy Growth Corporation, the world’s largest medical cannabis company.
Dr. Rob Conley
Chief Scientific and Medical Officer
Dr. Rob Conley
Chief Scientific and Medical Officer
Dr. Rob Conley is the Chief Scientific Advisor at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. He previously served as Senior Vice President at Eleusis and Chief Science Officer, Neuroscience at Eli Lilly and Co. Prior to that he had a long academic career, first at the University of Pittsburgh and then at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He remains an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology at Maryland. Rob holds an MD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a BA from Johns Hopkins University. He completed a Psychiatry residency at the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as the Chief Resident. Rob is also a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Michael Norris
Chief Financial Officer
Michael Norris
Chief Financial Officer
Experienced CFO with a demonstrated history of working in public markets and private equity. Skilled in Fundraising, IPOs, Turnarounds, Business Planning, Mergers & Acquisitions and with a sector focus on eCommerce, Technology and Biomedical. Strong entrepreneurial background and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Dr. Fiona Dunbar
Chief Medical Advisor
Dr. Fiona Dunbar
Chief Medical Advisor
Fiona Dunbar is a Pharmaceutical Physician and the former Vice President of Global Medical Affairs and Patient Engagement at Janssen (the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson). During her 29-year career at Janssen, Fiona held positions of increasing responsibility within Research & Development and Medical Affairs. She contributed to drug development across a range of therapeutic areas including neurosciences, immunology, oncology and infectious diseases, and was involved in the development of Esketamine (Spravato), the first psychedelic-based psychiatric drug to be licensed by the FDA (2019). A native Zimbabwean and dual citizen of Canada and Great Britain, Fiona brings an international perspective to her work. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, she was a Medical Officer at the South African Institute of Medical Research. She holds an MB BCh from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.
Becky Verity
Chief Commercial Officer
Becky Verity
Chief Commercial Officer
Becky is an engineering graduate who holds an MBA and has worked for more than 18 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Holding executive positions at regional and local operating company level within Johnson & Johnson, Becky is an experienced commercial leader who has lead teams working across multiple therapy areas, with an in depth knowledge of market access, commercial strategy and go to market models. Becky has experience in digital transformation in healthcare and a passion for the opportunity that this presents to optimise outcomes for both patients and the healthcare system.
Matt Hartley
Chief Operating Officer
Matt Hartley
Chief Operating Officer
Matt Hartley is an experienced strategy and operations executive, having held senior positions at a number of biotech startups working across modalities (small molecule, gene therapy, medical devices) and therapy areas (CNS, ophthalmology, oncology). He also has experience as founder and CEO of a technology startup where he spent 6 years developing and running globally deployed patient companion platforms for MNC pharma clients such as Bayer. A stint as a pharma analyst at Morgan Stanley and Citibank at the beginning of his career keeps him sensitive to commercial considerations.
Tim Mason
Chief Development Officer
Tim Mason
Chief Development Officer
A science and business graduate, Tim is a pharmaceutical professional with over 18 years’ experience working with both small start-ups and large pharmaceutical companies. Tim has a keen passion for integrating naturally derived medicines with evidenced based clinical development. Having formerly served as Head of Clinical Development for Beckley Canopy Therapeutics and as an advisor to the Beckley Foundation, Tim is an experienced cannabis and psychedelic-based drug developer with a strong focus on efficient delivery of projects from preclinical to commercialisation.
Ruth Bateson
VP Head of Clinical Operations
Ruth Bateson
VP Head of Clinical Operations
Clinical Research Professional with over 25 years’ experience in the management and delivery of clinical trials across all phases and a range of therapeutic areas, within Clinical Research Organizations, Pharmaceutical/Biotech companies and the academic sector. Strong track record of systems development, project delivery, functional department and line management. BSc (Hons) in Nutrition and a Pg. Dip in Pharmaceutical Medicine
Claire Roberts
VP Head of Clinical Development and Regulatory
Claire Roberts
VP Head of Clinical Development and Regulatory
Claire has over 35 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D, including discovery research and all phases of clinical development in the Neuroscience therapy area. Prior to her time at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, Claire worked in the Alzheimer’s disease area on lecanemab with Eisai, and in orphan epilepsy area on epidiolex with GW Pharmaceuticals. In her early career, Claire focused on psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety, building on her PhD work which investigated the role of 5HT auto-receptors in depression.
Our
Board of
Directors
Cosmo Feilding Mellen
CEO
Cosmo Feilding Mellen
CEO
Cosmo is a drug development entrepreneur dedicated to unlocking the medical potential of psychoactive substances in order to help patients in need. Cosmo has worked closely with the Beckley Foundation for over 10 years and, in 2016, he co-founded Beckley Research & Innovations to develop ethical business models focused on scientific research into medical cannabis and psychedelics. Cosmo subsequently served as Co-Founder and Managing Director of Beckley Canopy Therapeutics, a cannabis-based drug development company, and Spectrum Biomedical UK, a medical cannabis distribution company. In 2019, both of these companies were acquired by Canopy Growth Corporation, the world’s largest medical cannabis company.
Marc Wayne
Chairman
Marc Wayne
Chairman
Marc Wayne is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in starting and operating new ventures. In 2012 Marc co-founded Bedrocan Canada Inc (Bedrocan), one of the first federally licensed producers of medical cannabis in Canada and took the company public in 2014. In 2015, Marc successfully merged Bedrocan with Tweed Marijuana Inc. a key transaction that lead to the formation of Canopy Growth Corporation, now the largest cannabis company globally, where Marc served as Managing Director until December 2016. Subsequently, Marc became Founding President and CEO of Canopy Health Innovations, and Canopy Animal Health, and served as Co-Managing Director of Beckley Canopy Therapeutics – three innovative cannabis research organizations that achieved successful exits. Considered a pioneer in the medical cannabis space, Marc was also instrumental in developing the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids. (CCIC). Since its inception in 2007, the CCIC continues to be a global innovator in education and research on medical uses of cannabis.
Michael Norris
Chief Financial Officer
Michael Norris
Chief Financial Officer
Experienced CFO with a demonstrated history of working in public markets and private equity. Skilled in Fundraising, IPOs, Turnarounds, Business Planning, Mergers & Acquisitions and with a sector focus on eCommerce, Technology and Biomedical. Strong entrepreneurial background and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Adam George
Independent Director
Adam George
Independent Director
With nearly two decades of experience in the pharmaceuticals industry, Adam previously served as Chief Financial Officer for five years at GW Pharmaceuticals, the UK-based drug development company focused on using cannabinoid therapeutics for treating a range of diseases. During this time he oversaw the company’s initial public offering on Nasdaq, and was involved in subsequent fundraisings totalling over $1.4 billion. Adam went on to serve as UK Managing Director from 2017 until December 2020, where he held joint responsibility for leading GW Pharmaceuticals’ Research and Development programmes. Since 2018 he has also served as Audit Committee Chairman for clinical-stage biopharma NuCana Plc, in addition to multiple senior financial roles across both public and private companies during his 30-year career. Adam is a chartered accountant and holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Bristol.
Christian Af Jochnick
Investor