Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc announced that Dr Sarah Fortune and Dr Heather Preston will be joining the Group as Non-Executive Directors with effect from 19 December 2023. Sarah Gordon Wild and Wendy Becker, both non-executive directors of the Company, announced their retirement from Board, with effect from 19 December 2023 and at the conclusion of the AGM in 2024, respectively. As a Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Dr Sarah Fortune brings deep expertise in genomic diagnostics and multi-omics approaches to infectious disease, including at the intersection of human genetics.

Her world-leading research has focused on understanding how Tuberculosis (TB) mutates to become drug resistant using a combination of single cell, genetic, and genomic approaches, including nanopore sequencing. In 2019, she led one of three labs awarded funding by the US National Institutes of Health to establish a new center for immunology research to accelerate progress in TB vaccine development - work that remains ongoing. Oxford Nanopore will draw on Sarah's rich experience as the company seeks to develop more sequencing-based applications in the clinical space, including its first sequencing-based test for drug-resistant TB.

Sarah holds a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Yale University. Heather joins the board at a time when Oxford Nanopore's platform and its latest Q20+ chemistry have delivered profound developments in system performance, including accuracy and data yield, positioning it for ambitious growth.  She brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, as a scientist, physician, McKinsey management consultant and long-time investor in biotech and the life sciences, most recently as a Managing Partner of Pivotal BioVentures based in San Francisco. She has been a director of more than 18 private and public technology-based healthcare companies, where she was involved in designing and implementing effective scaling strategies.

Oxford Nanopore will draw on her expertise as it looks to deliver long-term growth and shareholder value. Heather currently sits on the Boards of Oxford Biomedica plc, Oxford Science Enterprises plc and Azura Opthalmics. Heather holds a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School at the University of London. Sarah Gordon Wild, a non-executive director of the Company and the non-executive responsible for workforce engagement, will retire from the Oxford Nanopore Board with effect from 19 December 2023, having served for nine years. Kate Priestman will succeed Sarah as the non-executive director responsible for workforce engagement.

Wendy Becker, a non-executive director, has informed the Board that she will not stand for re-election at the next AGM but will remain a committed supporter of the Company.