Jonathan O’Halloran

Jonathan is the co-founder of QuantuMDx, a Newcastle-based biotech startup looking to revolutionise medical diagnostics around the world. Jonathan’s professional journey began at Lewes Old Grammar School in Sussex where he discovered a passion for genomics. Eventually this led to he and co-founder, Elaine Warburton, to startup QuantuMDx.

Working with frontline health workers in South Africa, they saw an urgent need for medical diagnostics to be available more easily, cheaply and reliably than what currently exists. And while this will help the urgent mission of helping healthcare workers diagnose patients today, it also has the potential to help in the rising global battle against drug resistant bacteria.

Jonathan was recognised for his achievements in 2015 when he was awarded European CTO of the Year, he advised Lord O’Neil’s Review on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2014 and is quoted in the 2018 book; “Superbugs – An Arms Race against Bacteria”.

 

Jonathan’s TEDx Talk

Resistance Is Futile… Or Is It?!

Ever since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, we have lived an utopian existence… relatively free from the horrors of antimicrobial attack and its resulting decimation and death.

However, despite billions of pounds being spent in the pharmaceutical industry, we have ignored the stealthy rise of bacteria, viruses and fungi. They have evolved and armed themselves with defences against our drugs. They are slowly resisting even our best efforts at stopping them. The battlegrounds are our communities, our homes and our bodies. Yet, we are woefully unprepared for the fight and risk returning to the dark days before penicillin.