Richard Kitney

Richard Kitney is Professor of Biomedical Systems Engineering at Imperial College London and a globally recognised leader in synthetic biology. He is co founder and co director of both the EPSRC National Centre for Synthetic Biology and Innovation (CSynBI) and SynbiCITE, the UK’s national innovation and translation centre for synthetic biology. Since 2003, he has been at the forefront of the field, playing a pivotal role in shaping its development in the UK and internationally, and serves as a council member of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC). Kitney has championed synthetic biology across government, industry and academia, and has been instrumental in translating the field into commercially viable technologies, products and services, including co founding the specialist venture fund SynBioVen. He chaired the Royal Academy of Engineering’s landmark inquiry into synthetic biology and contributed to the UK’s national roadmaps for the field, helping to define its strategic direction and global impact.