ELRIG strenghtens scientific and early career leadership as drug discovery network expand
February 25, 2026The global drug discovery network ELRIG has appointed Dr Kelly Gray and Dr Elaine Duncan to its Board, reinforcing leadership across scientific programming and early career initiatives, according to the organisation’s announcement.
ELRIG, a volunteer-led not-for-profit serving more than 22,000 life science professionals, functions as a collaboration platform connecting biopharma, biotech, CROs, academic groups and industry vendors. While not a commercial entity, its programming influences how emerging science is showcased and how professional networks form across the discovery ecosystem.
Strategic programming and open innovation
Dr Kelly Gray, who succeeds Dr Saleha Patel as Scientific Programme Work Group Leader, brings over two decades of research and open innovation experience, including leadership of the Innovative Health Initiative portfolio at AstraZeneca, according to the organisation.
Her background in global collaboration and open science could reinforce ELRIG’s positioning as a cross-sector platform at a time when drug discovery increasingly depends on distributed innovation models rather than single-company pipelines.
For industry stakeholders, scientific agenda-setting bodies like ELRIG help shape visibility around modalities, translational tools and emerging platforms. Conference themes and speaker selection can influence partnership formation and early-stage capital allocation signals.
Talent pipeline and early career engagement
Dr Elaine Duncan, who takes over the Early Career Professionals Work Group, joins after completing her PhD at the University of Glasgow and conducting research in metabolic disease and GPCR biology. She previously worked at Charles River Laboratories and has been active in STEM outreach initiatives, according to ELRIG.
The early-career focus may appear operational, but talent pipeline strength is increasingly strategic. As biopharma faces productivity pressure and workforce restructuring cycles, organisations that foster early-stage professional engagement contribute indirectly to sector resilience.