Team
The scientists behind the work.
Alan Taylor
Director & Chair of the Board
Alan is an investor and director in BioSeer, contributing legal, governance and strategic oversight to the company's growth in the life sciences and technology space. He works with boards and senior management teams on corporate governance, risk management and regulatory compliance, drawing on extensive experience as a law firm leader and board advisor. Alan has previously served as managing partner and Chairman of a commercial law firm, overseeing its strategic direction, operational performance and client service in complex corporate and regulatory matters — and is experienced in building teams and innovative service delivery across different sectors.
Prof. John W McGrath
Co-founder & Director
Professor of Microbiology at Queen's University Belfast. John co-founded BioSeer in 2020 to apply the university's expertise in environmental microbiology and genomics to real-world public health challenges. His research spans microbial ecology, enzyme biochemistry and biotechnology — and underpins the integrated analytical approach that defines BioSeer's scientific offer.
Dr Deirdre Gilpin
Board Member
Reader and researcher at the School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast. She studied Microbiology at Queen's before completing her PhD and post-doctoral research at the Veterinary Sciences Division in Belfast, then joining the School of Pharmacy. Deirdre co-leads the HALO research group — a multidisciplinary team of pharmacists, scientists and clinicians developing laboratory findings into new clinical and therapeutic approaches — with a focus on respiratory infection in chronic lung diseases including COPD, cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, aiming to better understand lung bacteria to improve treatment and combat antibiotic resistance. She also co-leads the Wastewater Epidemiology Lab at Queen's, where her team has developed tests to measure and characterise human and animal pathogens in wastewater — work with significant public-health applications, from pandemic preparedness to monitoring disease outbreaks in the community.
Colm Warren FCA
Board Member
A PwC-trained Chartered Accountant with over 25 years' experience leading businesses and raising funds for SMEs in Northern Ireland. A veteran of multiple successful private equity exits, Colm has delivered over £150m of institutional capital investment into some of Northern Ireland's most challenged sectors — building the decarbonisation-focused infrastructure now critical to Ireland's circular economy and net-zero ambitions.