Prof. Matthew Wood

Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Paediatrics; Deputy Head (Innovation) of the Medical Sciences Division 

In his role as Deputy Head of the Medical Sciences Division of the University of Oxford, Professor Matthew Wood leads strategic coordination of all innovation-related activities. He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of the University of Oxford’s technology transfer organisation, Oxford University Innovation (OUI).

He directs the Laboratory of RNA biology and Neuromuscular Disease investigating the development of RNA-based medicines for neuromuscular disease focusing on the development of advanced generation antisense oligonucleotides for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions.

He is currently Director of MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre and Director of the Oxford Harrington Rare Disease Centre. His research team will form a core component of a new Oxford-based institute known as the Institute for Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM). He has pioneered the development of novel drug delivery systems including peptide and exosome-based technologies for the targeted delivery of macromolecular biologics, including oligonucleotides, to tissues including the brain.

He is a co-founder of the biotech spin-outs Evox Therapeutics (developing therapeutic exosome technology) and PepGen (developing peptide-based drug delivery technology) and has recently led a major UK national initiative to establish a UK Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA).

Matthew is or has been an advisor to numerous research funding agencies including the UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.