Leire is an Associate Director at AstraZeneca, where she leads cross-functional teams in functional genomics and early drug discovery across immunology, respiratory, oncology, and cell therapy, driven by the belief that every novel target is a chance to change a life. Originally from Barcelona, she holds an MSc in Immune Molecular Pathology from Imperial College London and a PhD in Cancer Genetics from the University of Cambridge. Her industry career spans GSK, Horizon Discovery, and AstraZeneca, where she has built and scaled phenotypic and CRISPR-based screening and iPSC capabilities, combining advanced perturbation libraries with physiologically relevant models and AI-driven analysis of large-scale genetic screening datasets to translate complex biology into decisive portfolio moves. An entrepreneurial leader and former co-founder of a Cambridge healthcare venture, she brings a purposeful and inclusive approach to both science and team building. Beyond R&D, she strengthens scientific communities as a founding leader of the HBA Cambridge branch and an active mentor and judge for innovation programmes.
