Matthew Wood

Professor Matthew Wood is Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre (OHC), a unique transatlantic partnership between the University of Oxford and Harrington Discovery Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and Deputy Head of the Medical Sciences Division, along with holding roles as Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Research Vice President of Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Matthew Wood graduated in Medicine from the University of Cape Town in 1987, working in clinical Neuroscience before gaining a doctorate in Physiological Sciences from the University of Oxford in 1993. He has pioneered the development of novel drug delivery systems, including peptide and exosome-based technologies for the targeted delivery of macromolecular biologics, including oligonucleotides, to tissues including the brain. He has authored over 450 scientific papers and has four spin-out companies.

Wood directs the Laboratory of RNA Biology and Neuromuscular Disease investigating development of RNA-based medicines for neuromuscular disease focusing on the development of advanced generation antisense oligonucleotides. His research focuses on the development of advanced generation antisense oligonucleotides for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular conditions, and he co-leads the International MDEX Consortium, a major international translational medicine collaboration.

Career History

• Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre
• Professor of Neuroscience, University of Oxford and Deputy Head of the Medical Sciences Division
• Director, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre (established 2019)
• Co-founder, Evox Therapeutics (2016), established following a landmark 2011 discovery that exosomes could be developed into therapeutic technology for targeted drug delivery
• Co-founder, PepGen (2018), developed over a 10-year collaboration with Dr Michael Gait, using cell-penetrating peptides to enhance therapeutic delivery
• Co-founder, Orfonyx Bio and ISOGenix
• Founding Director, UK Nucleic Acid Therapy Accelerator (NATA)

What Matthew Wood could bring to his role at the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre: With three decades of pioneering research in RNA-based therapeutics and drug delivery innovation, a track record of translating foundational science into four successful biotech spin-outs, and over 450 published papers, Wood brings unparalleled expertise in bridging the gap between academic discovery and clinical application. His established relationships across academic, pharma, and investment communities, combined with his leadership in rare disease advocacy and his directive oversight of major international research collaborations, position him uniquely to execute the OHC's ambitious mission to advance 40 new medicines into clinical development by 2033.

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