John Ridley
Chief Business and Alliance Officer
John is responsible for Autifony’s drug discovery collaborations
John brings over 25 years of experience in ion channel research, spanning academia, drug discovery, and contract research organisations. His career includes a decade as a research scientist, followed by 15 years in commercial roles at the interface of science and business.
Before joining Autifony, John was part of the founding team at Metrion Biosciences, a specialist ion channel contract research organisation. As Director of Commercial Operations, he led the Client Services team and played a key role in business development, strategic partnerships, and broader commercial activities.
Prior to Metrion, John held various roles at Xention, an ion channel-focused drug discovery company. He initially helped establish a novel drug discovery program targeting atrial fibrillation, while also contributing to research in neuropathic pain and autoimmune disease programmes. He later transitioned into business development, where he successfully identified a partner for Xention’s Kv1.3 program.
John holds a BSc in Pharmacology and a PhD in Cardiac Electrophysiology from the University of Bristol, along with an MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge.
