Welcome to Oxford+, the podcast series that explores the myths and truths of the Oxford investing landscape hosted by Susannah de Jager. Since moving to Oxford, Susannah has collaborated with experts, entrepreneurs, and government to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital. Oxford+ aims to inform, inspire, and connect. We'll talk to Founders, investors, academics, politicians, and facilitators and explore how Oxford is open for business.
Could the same genetic data help us develop better medicines and identify disease risk years before symptoms appear?
In this episode of Oxford+ in Partnership with Mishcon de Reya, Susannah de Jager speaks with Sir Peter Donnelly, CEO and co-founder of Genomics, about turning Oxford research into tools for drug discovery and preventative healthcare. Peter explains why assembling public data takes years of careful work, and how human genetics can help scientists choose drug targets and the patients most likely to benefit.
The conversation also examines agentic AI, which lets scientists ask questions of genetic data without waiting for specialist analysis. On the healthcare side, Peter describes how polygenic risk scores could guide screening and prevention according to individual risk rather than age alone.
Research reported by Exeter on 22 October 2026 (https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-health-and-life-sciences/average-human-genome-described-for-first-time-with-implications-for-disease-risk/), drawing on nearly one million genomes, stresses that genetic risk needs clinical and environmental context. That distinction matters as Peter discusses personalised medicine, Our Future Health and the practical challenge of making prevention work within existing healthcare systems.
(00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+
(01:14) - From Mathematics to Human Genetics
(04:27) - Turning Oxford Research into Genomics
(09:10) - Why Combining Genetic Data Is Difficult
(13:14) - Using Genetics to Choose Better Drug Targets
(17:57) - Choosing Patients and Partnering with Vertex
(20:16) - Agentic AI and Access to Genetic Analysis
(25:25) - Polygenic Risk Scores and Disease Prevention
(29:17) - Personalising Screening and Preventative Care
(32:00) - Our Future Health and the NHS
(35:54) - International Healthcare Opportunities
(38:10) - Growing Genomics and Funding Its Next Steps
Sir Peter Donnelly: Professor Sir Peter Donnelly FRS, FMedSci is CEO and co-founder of Genomics and Emeritus Professor of Statistical Science at the University of Oxford. His work applies statistics and probability to human genetics and disease risk. He held leading roles in the International HapMap Project and the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, and previously directed Oxford’s Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics. In 2014, he co-founded Genomics to turn genetic research into tools for drug discovery and disease prevention. He was knighted in 2019 for services to the understanding of human genetics in disease.
Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.
Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannah-de-jager-2b980b27/) and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content (https://oxfordplus.substack.com/)
Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya (https://www.mishcon.com/) and HSBC Innovation Banking (https://www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/gb/en).
Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four (https://www.storyninetyfour.com/) in Oxford.
19 Oct 2026
Oxford+ In Brief with Gordon Sangera, Founder of Oxford Nanopore
What would success look like if Oxford turned more of its scientific discoveries into lasting businesses?
In this Oxford+ in Brief episode, Susannah de Jager puts a series of quick-fire questions to Oxford Nanopore co-founder Gordon Sanghera. His answer starts with homegrown companies that remain independent and create jobs and wealth in the UK. He distinguishes independence from ownership, leaving room for overseas investors without abandoning that ambition.
Gordon describes an Oxford innovation ecosystem with growing energy, pointing newcomers towards OX Tech Week and the Lamb & Flag. But he also argues that Oxford recognises promising technologies too slowly and should commit investment more quickly when a breakthrough appears credible.
Looking towards 2050, Gordon imagines stronger late-stage development support in Oxford, drawing on the Fraunhofer model. His final proposal is more focused collaboration across fragmented research and spin-outs, organised around selected areas where Oxford could build stronger technology businesses.
Gordon Sanghera: Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE is the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Nanopore Technologies. He helped build the business from its formation in 2005 through to its 2021 London Stock Exchange listing. His background combines bioelectronics, product development and manufacturing, including earlier roles at MediSense working on blood glucose testing systems. In October 2026, IP Group confirmed that he had joined Matter Machine, a University of Liverpool spin-out developing AI-powered materials discovery technology, to lead its commercialisation strategy. His experience of turning university research into a commercial business informs his views on Oxford's funding and company-building challenges.
Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.
Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannah-de-jager-2b980b27/) and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content (https://oxfordplus.substack.com/)
Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya (https://www.mishcon.com/) and HSBC Innovation Banking (https://www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/gb/en).
Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four (https://www.storyninetyfour.com/) in Oxford, UK.
12 Oct 2026
How Gordon Sanghera Built Oxford Nanopore
What does it take to build a global deep tech company without leaving the UK?
Oxford Nanopore co-founder Gordon Sanghera joins Susannah de Jager on Oxford+ in partnership with Mishcon de Reya to explain how an Oxford spinout became an international sequencing business. From his earlier work at MediSense to Nanopore’s London listing, Gordon describes the decisions that shaped the company and the gaps that still hold UK founders back.
His account challenges cautious fundraising and the habit of proving a technology before planning its manufacture. He explains how honest budgets attracted patient capital, why building production capacity helped speed up development, and how employee share sales supported continuity through years of growth.
The conversation comes as British Business Bank research published on 29 September (https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/news-and-events/news/uk-venture-capital-reaches-parity-us-returns-late-stage-performance-gap-narrows) reports UK venture funds matching US pooled total-value returns for 2002–2021 vintages. Fund performance and access to growth funding remain different questions, a distinction that runs through Gordon’s argument.
Gordon also considers technological sovereignty and AI in genomics. His case is for continued investment in biology, chemistry and electronics, with AI helping researchers make better use of the data those fields produce.
(00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+
(01:51) - Oxford’s Progress and the Scale-Up Funding Gap
(04:39) - From MediSense to Oxford Nanopore
(08:08) - Choosing the Hardest Technical Challenge
(13:02) - Finding Patient Capital through Honest Budgets
(17:26) - Building Manufacturing into the Strategy
(21:35) - Choosing London over NASDAQ
(25:30) - Employee Equity and Private-Market Liquidity
(29:18) - Ambition, Culture and Technological Sovereignty
(33:44) - AI and the UK’s Scientific Strengths
(37:23) - Genomic Data and the Next Opportunity
Gordon Sanghera: Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE FRS is a co-founder of Oxford Nanopore Technologies and its technology innovation adviser. He led the company for 21 years, from an Oxford spinout to its London Stock Exchange listing in 2021. His work centres on bioelectronic technologies, including blood glucose monitoring and DNA sequencing. Earlier roles at MediSense covered research, manufacturing process development and worldwide marketing, experience that informed Nanopore’s approach to production and commercial growth. Gordon was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2026.
Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.
Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannah-de-jager-2b980b27/) and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content (https://oxfordplus.substack.com/)
Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya (https://www.mishcon.com/), HSBC Innovation Banking (https://www.hsbcinnovationbanking.com/gb/en), and James Cowper Kreston (https://www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk/).
Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four (https://www.storyninetyfour.com/) in Oxford.
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