Paul Mercer

Paul Mercer is Head of Industry Partnerships at the Francis Crick Institute in London, where he leads the strategy and delivery of major collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotech partners. Since joining the Crick in 2018, he has built and managed multi-million-pound partnerships with companies including GSK, AstraZeneca and MSD, securing over £35M to support translational research, researcher mobility and industry-academic exchange.

Paul has more than 20 years’ experience working at the interface between academia and industry. He previously held a unique dual appointment between UCL and GSK, leading the scientific and operational strategy of a £5M academic- industry partnership in fibrosis research. Earlier roles at Pfizer, Novartis and Imperial College have given him first-hand experience of how discovery science can be shaped into programmes of value for both academic and industrial partners.

At the Crick, Paul is uniquely positioned to work closely with researchers and a variety of pharma and technology partners, to identifying compelling opportunities for partnerships to enhance scientific and translational impact. He is particularly interested in how early conversations, shared vision, and trust-building can turn initial interest into sustainable partnerships.