Meet the team
Lesley Taylor
Founder, Director & Principal Medical Writer
PhD, CMPP
Lesley Taylor
Founder, Director & Principal Medical Writer
PhD, CMPP
Specialist in neuroscience, oncology, clinical pharmacology, rare diseases, hepatology, and haematology
Prior to founding Alchemy Medical Writing in 2018, Lesley gained extensive experience working in industry, academia, and the public sector. A dedicated and skilled medical writing professional since 2011, she demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills alongside a passion for problem-solving and people-management. Specialising in developing meaningful relationships with clients and co-workers alike, she is an effective collaborator, building Alchemy into a diverse team of over a dozen medical writers. Outside of work she enjoys weightlifting, reading, spending time with horses, and walking with friends.
Lesley has ISMPP accreditation as a Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP)
Adam Taylor
Director & Principal Medical Writer
PhD
Adam Taylor
Director & Principal Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in rare diseases, neuroscience, multiple sclerosis, oncology, epilepsy, bone biology, and rheumatology
Adam began his medical writing career within the pharmaceutical industry in 2014, quickly progressing to a senior level where he wrote and guided key documents for pivotal and pipeline programs before joining Alchemy as co-director in 2020. As well as leading and supporting the ‘A Team’ at Alchemy, Adam remains passionate about writing and loves nothing more than getting stuck into a protocol or clinical study report. A diehard cycling fan, and appreciative of the opportunity for some friendly competition at the teams meet-ups, Adam is also happy to kick back and enjoy lively debate with the team each year when Great British Bake Off hits our screens.
Lee-Anne Simpson
Project Manager
Lee-Anne Simpson
Project Manager
Specialist in all things Microsoft and keeping the Alchemy clock ticking
Hailing from Durban, South Africa, Lee joined Alchemy as a project manager in 2020, bringing over five years’ experience in managing workloads over multiple projects and teams. A strong believer in ‘teamwork makes the dream work’, she focuses on making sure our writers have everything they need to deliver their gold-standard writing services. Outside of work, she enjoys riding her horse, running in mud, gardening, and foraging in the countryside for all sorts of wild herbal things.
Jessica Pound
Head of Medical Communications
MChem
Jessica Pound
Head of Medical Communications
MChem
Specialist in autoimmune diseases, rheumatology, dermatology, neurology, oncology, haematology, hypercholesterolaemia, aesthetics, and rare diseases
Renowned for her BBC4-style science documentaries, and currently our Veeva queen, Jessica heads up our talented team of med comms writers, bringing extensive experience across a vast range of medical communications. With a masters in medicinal chemistry, she has been writing since 2017, and is skilled at quickly understanding and translating vast quantities of information into compliant, attractive, and informative pieces. Sailing, baking, yoga, and her dog Barney make her happy outside of work.
Sam Alston
Head of Regulatory Writing
PhD
Sam Alston
Head of Regulatory Writing
PhD
Specialist in pain, psychiatry, neurology, anti-infectives (antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral), women’s health, cardiovascular, and metabolism
With over 20 years of experience in medical writing, Sam has authored a wide range of clinical regulatory documents including CTD Modules 2.5 and 2.7, ISE and ISS, briefing documents, regulatory responses, CSRs, and more. As the lead-author on numerous global regulatory submissions, she has worked on NDAs, BLAs and MAAs for new chemical entities, supplementals for additional adult indications, formulations, and paediatric extrapolation. To relax, Sam enjoys swimming, cycling and yoga, or simply spending time with family.
Nicola Beadle
Principal Medical Writer
PhD
Nicola Beadle
Principal Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in immunology, oncology, haematology, diabetes, obesity, growth hormone deficiency, and bone diseases
Nicola has over eight years’ experience as a medical communications writer, where her extensive knowledge of a wide range of therapy areas allows her to communicate complex scientific ideas clearly and comprehensively. Nicola holds a PhD in nanoscience (bone biology) from the University of Manchester. Her passion for delivering work to the highest possible standards has seen her deliver a symposium at EADV and publish several manuscripts simultaneously in high-impact journals. Nicola is proficient with PubMed searches and Microsoft 365, EndNote, DataVision, FUSE, CMAP, and Ntuity. She is most often seen around Wetherby walking her dog, Max.
Catrina Reed
Principal Medical Writer
PhD
Catrina Reed
Principal Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in anti-infectives (antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral), women’s health, cardiovascular, and metabolism
Catrina is a highly motivated individual with a PhD from the University of Nottingham. Experienced in the antibacterials therapeutic area, she has worked on both new marketing authorisation applications (NDAs) and the continued regulatory surveillance of older products, some that have been acquired through acquisitions and where original data can therefore be challenging/impossible to source. With over 20 years’ insight into all aspects of the pharma industry, she’s also a proficient horsewoman, and resides in Deal, Kent.
Fiona Goodwin
Principal Medical Writer
BSc
Fiona Goodwin
Principal Medical Writer
BSc
Specialist in respiratory medicine, endocrinology, and sexual health
With over 11 years’ medical writing experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Fiona has produced high quality and scientifically accurate deliverables across a range of publications and medical affairs projects. Demonstrating in-depth knowledge of product data and the disease areas worked on, she has led a number of complex accounts/projects, overseeing the quality and scientific integrity of content developed by the team. Allotment gardening, dog walking and open-water swimming keep her busy outside of work.
Melissa Tombs
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Melissa Tombs
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in oncology, immunology, neurology, dermatology, and diabetes
Following a BSc in Biomedical Science and PhD in Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln, Mel started her journey in medical writing in 2020 with Alchemy Medical Writing. Since then, she has proven to be a highly focused and attentive medical writer with experience supporting a wide range of medical communications projects. She is proficient in clear and honest communication with colleagues and clients to aid the delivery of high quality and accurate work to fulfil each brief. Outside of medical writing, Mel enjoys body combat classes, chilling with Dave the rescue cat, and is currently learning to play piano.
Bryony McNamara
Senior Medical Writer
BSc, CMPP
Bryony McNamara
Senior Medical Writer
BSc, CMPP
Specialist in women’s health, rheumatology, oncology, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases
A competent and thorough medical writer since 2019 with two years’ prior experience of systematic literature reviews, Bryony has earned certified medical publication professional (CMPP) accreditation and has been involved in a wide variety of projects across the whole publication spectrum. She also has prior experience in market access health technology assessments and since joining Alchemy, has taken the time to train the whole team on EndNote and literature reviews. Outside of work, Bryony enjoys walking her dog, Oscar, and spending time with friends and family.
Bryony has ISMPP accreditation as a Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP)
Emily Atkinson
Senior Medical Writer
BVMS, BSc, MRCVS, CMPP
Emily Atkinson
Senior Medical Writer
BVMS, BSc, MRCVS, CMPP
Specialist in oncology, dermatology, neurology, immunotherapy, rheumatology, anti-infectives, and veterinary medicine
Notorious for her love of “a bit of healthy competition”, Emily is a capable and creative medical writer who enjoys producing visually appealing and informative communications. With a career in veterinary medicine behind her, she has a keen eye for detail and strives to produce high quality, consistent work across a broad range of document types. A proponent of plain language writing with a friendly, approachable manner, Emily is also CMPP accredited and has achieved the EMWA advanced certificate, demonstrating her drive and motivation for self-progression. Outside of work, Emily loves Pilates, five-a-side football, and baking for family and friends.
Emily has ISMPP accreditation as a Certified Medical Publication Professional (CMPP) and has achieved the EMWA advanced certificate
Claire Macdonald-Clarke
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Claire Macdonald-Clarke
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in nutrition, cardiovascular health, metabolism, bone, and ageing
A versatile medical writer and AfN registered nutritionist, Claire has an impressive background in lecturing and in clinical and epidemiological research with successful collaborations with industry and academia. Her ever-expanding areas of experience include authoring and quality control of regulatory documents. Claire is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys getting involved in community and environmental projects.
Nessie Riley
Senior Medical Writer
BVetMed, BSc, MRCVS
Nessie Riley
Senior Medical Writer
BVetMed, BSc, MRCVS
Specialist in dermatology, rheumatology, IBD, oncology, digital therapeutics, and veterinary medicine
Drawing upon extensive experience in zoological science and veterinary surgery to inform her work, Nessie is a proficient and mature medical writer with a broad range of skills. A diligent and resolute communicator, she excels at everything from literature searches, to designing patient information leaflets, to thorough data checks. Renowned for her creative flair, she thrives on producing detail-oriented work. Beyond the workplace, you’ll find her either kickboxing or (a tad less violently) tending to her plants.
Laura Neill
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Laura Neill
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in immunology, infectious diseases, vaccines, and microbiology
With extensive expertise in manuscript preparation, draft reviews, and submission, Laura has had numerous publications accepted since joining Alchemy. Prior to joining Alchemy, Laura was a postdoctoral research associate with over 10 years’ experience in conducting, managing, and presenting research in academia. She is also our resident expert in GraphPad Prism, using it to perform complex statistical analysis and create beautiful figures. Now based in Fife, Scotland, Laura enjoys quality time with her husband and two daughters, walking her dog and horse riding.
Kieran Mellody
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Kieran Mellody
Senior Medical Writer
PhD
Specialist in extracellular matrix, oncology, dermatology, breast cancer, and psoriasis
Having co-authored scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, leading kick-off and comment resolution meetings to deliver on regulatory deadlines and presenting his research at both national and international conferences, Kieran is passionate about communicating science to different audiences. Former deputy chair on the University of Manchester research ethics committees and a current member of the Bolton University Industry Advisory Committee (previously a school governor), he is an avid follower of Burnley FC, a wine aficionado and a devoted family man.
Heather Bevan
QC Manager & Senior Medical Writer
MSc
Heather Bevan
QC Manager & Senior Medical Writer
MSc
Specialist in psychiatry, dermatology, and women’s health
One of Alchemy’s most recent recruits, Heather is a talented communicator who began her medical writing career in 2021, working in a CRO environment. Hailing from Swansea, her focus is on regulatory writing and quality control across Phase 1–4 studies, with expertise in psychiatry. An avid reader (aiming for 200 books this year), she enjoys dog walking in the Welsh countryside and watching horror movies, and her superpower is the ability to fall asleep anywhere at any given opportunity.
Euan Paterson
Medical Writer II
PhD
Euan Paterson
Medical Writer II
PhD
Specialist in mental health, oncology, renal disease and ophthalmology.
With a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast, Euan’s post-doctoral research expanded into psychotropic medication and the analysis of mental ill-health. A successful academic publication history and experience in all stages of the research process led to him begin his medical writing career with Eli Lilly, before joining Alchemy, where his experience in working with national datasets and large observational studies is proving invaluable. A biker, hiker and Mourne Mountain man, he’s also a keen martial arts/self-defence advocate.
Melissa Baker
Medical Writer II
PhD, BVMedSci, BVMBVS, MRCVS
Melissa Baker
Medical Writer II
PhD, BVMedSci, BVMBVS, MRCVS
Specialist in oncology, orthopaedics, veterinary science, psychiatry, immunology, and gene therapy
After graduating as a veterinary surgeon in 2015, Melissa spent a few years in clinical practice before gaining a PhD at The University of Edinburgh. Throughout her PhD Melissa had the opportunity to collaborate with many scientists around the world leading to the publication of several peer reviewed manuscripts. She is a keen believer that high quality medical writing can help improve animal and human health and enjoys transforming complicated scientific data into accessible formats for a lay audience. In her free time Melissa enjoys walking her rescue dog and photographing wildlife.
Mark Stuart
Medical Writer I
MPharm
Mark Stuart
Medical Writer I
MPharm
Specialist in pharmacy, therapeutics, precision medicine, drug discovery, and research
Based in Madrid, Spain, Mark is a capable medical writer and GPhC registered pharmacist who enjoys engaging in a wide-range of therapy and disease areas. His can-do attitude, attention to detail and strong desire to expand his knowledge repertoire complement his sound knowledge base and many transferable skills from his experiences in community pharmacy, formulation, and precision medicine. Beyond his laptop, he enjoys festivals and travelling.
