We are experts in skin biology
Ten Bio is an internationally trusted research partner
We provide optimized human skin models for skin biology testing. By restoring and maintaining physiological skin tension using our patented TenSkin™ culture platform, Ten Bio has succeeded in creating a live and fully functional testing platform for skin-based research across a wide range of areas including medical aesthetics, cosmetics, drug development and medical device testing.
Our products and research services generate exacting and clinically relevant data to accurately predict how products will work in vivo. Better and more predictive data means better decisions in clinical planning, resulting in accelerated new product development with significantly lower R&D costs.
A passionate team of biologists, physicists and engineers
Our clients and research partners receive a wealth of support from their very first engagement with us our multi-disciplinary team bringing a unique set of skills that support the development of our products and research services. Our scientific team has decades of experience in a wide range of dermatological areas including drug discovery, drug delivery, skin model development and general skin biology. With labs in Dundee, Scotland and Kannapolis, NC, we can offer our specialized services to global clients and provide our ready-to-use TenSkin™ model direct to customer laboratories.
Our team
Ken Fyvie
Non-Executive Chairman
Ken brings extensive commercial knowledge, with a career featuring a diverse range of positions, and 40 years of experience of the life sciences sector through working in pharmaceutical industry in sales and marketing roles and as a member of the management group at PA Consulting Group. During his tenure at PA Consulting Group, he focused on business strategy, new product development, commercialization, performance enhancement, and organizational development across diverse companies, from Big Pharma to start-ups. In recent years, Ken has served as an independent consultant, collaborating with specialist service providers in the life sciences sector, and lending his expertise to the boards of start-up companies, aiding in strategy development and engagement with new opportunities.
Robyn Hickerson
CEO
Robyn is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ten Bio Ltd, focusing on the development and commercialization of our innovative ex vivo human skin models. Previously, she served as Principal Investigator at the University of Dundee, specializing in biological chemistry and drug discovery for skin disorders. With a career spanning academia and industry, she has led multi-million-pound research projects, managed interdisciplinary teams, and successfully navigated regulatory pathways for clinical trials. With a PhD from the University of Utah and esteemed accolades including a Marie Curie Fellowship, she brings extensive expertise in nucleic acid-based therapeutics and a proven track record of fruitful collaborations with industry partners.
Michael Conneely
CSO & COO
Michael currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer, where he oversees the development of novel ex vivo human skin models. Formerly a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the University of Dundee, his research expertise lies in applying physics and engineering-based approaches to dermatological research, focusing on tissue culture models for drug delivery evaluation and skin disorder diagnosis tools. With a PhD in Physics from the University of Dundee and a background in medical physics and experimental physics from the University of Aberdeen and Trinity College Dublin, respectively, he brings a multidisciplinary skill set to his role. Alongside his scientific contributions, he has co-authored numerous publications and patents, demonstrating his commitment to advancing dermatological research and technology.
Scientific advisory board
Ten Bio is most pleased to have the support and expert guidance of a distinguished panel of scientific advisors. The advisors’ experience in skin biology and its research will be immensely valuable as the company advances its range of products and services that can be deployed on behalf of our clients in a model of research partnership.
Prof Alan Irvine
As Professor in Dermatology at Trinity College Dublin, Alan brings 25 years’ experience of design, conduct and analysis of industry and investigator led, clinical trials for common and orphan diseases. His research interests span discovery science to clinical trials, with themes including epithelial genetics, disease mechanisms in, and therapy of, atopic dermatitis and therapeutic repurposing in rare/orphan diseases.
Prof Giuseppe Valacchi
Giuseppe is Professor in Physiology at the University of Ferrara, Adjunct Professor at Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea and Professor in Regenerative Medicine at North Caroline State University and brings a wealth of experience to the Advisory Board. His research has focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that define the physio-pathological responses of tissue, specifically cutaneous tissue, to altered redox homeostasis with special focus on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that define these responses.
Extended Team
The efforts of Ten Bio’s leadership team are supported by our scientists, technicians and contracted administration staff located at Ten Bio’s labs within the University of Dundee and on the Kannapolis Campus in North Carolina.