Dr Ashton Harper studied medicine at University College London graduating with both an MBBS and a B.Sc. in physiology and pharmacology. He worked as a doctor in the NHS and trained as a gastrointestinal surgeon achieving membership of the Royal College of Surgeons. During training he was awarded a post-graduate travelling fellowship to visit the Cleveland Clinic in the USA to observe world leading doctors manage inflammatory bowel disease. In 2015 he joined Protexin, a UK based biotechnology company developing microbiome focused products. Ashton was the Medical Director for the company following its acquisition by ADM in 2018. He joined Roche Diagnostics in August 2020 as Head of Medical Affairs for the UK & Ireland where he leads a team responsible for clinical research across oncology, cardiology, neurology, infectious diseases, critical care and women’s health. During his career in industry he has designed and initiated numerous novel interventional clinical trials in a range of therapeutic areas and has lectured frequently on an international stage. He has published in the fields of surgery, gastroenterology, neurology, infectious diseases and microbiology, and has presented his work at multiple national and international medical congresses.