BHF CRE and Cambridge Cardiovascular annual symposium 2026

Date: 30 April 2026
Venue: Robinson College, Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AN

This symposium brings together researchers from diverse disciplines to showcase cutting-edge work in cardiovascular science, spanning areas such as heart disease, stroke, and cardiac regeneration. It also features discussions on generation, intellectual property, and patient and public engagement initiatives that support the advancement and impact of cardiovascular research.

Ash Earl, a senior associate in our chemistry and life sciences team, will co-present the session “From ideas to impact: making the most of your IP’’ at 12:15 alongside Laura Donnelly, an associate director of technology development and licensing at Cambridge Enterprise.

The session will cover:

• Different ways to commercialise research, along with an action plan to turn it into practice.
• How intellectual property rights support research and commercialisation.
• What types of intellectual property rights exist.
• High-level considerations for protecting inventions arising from cardiovascular research.

By the end of the talk, attendees will have an understanding of the commercialisation journey from idea to market, and how intellectual property rights can be used to support commercialisation. This knowledge will equip participants to ask the right questions when planning to transform research into products and services.

Speaker

Ash Earl, Senior Associate and European and UK Patent Attorney

Ash is a European and UK patent attorney and advises clients in the pharmaceutical and chemistry sectors. He specialises in small molecule pharmaceuticals and has expertise working with new chemical entities, medical uses, polymorphs, dosage regimen, salt forms and deuterated compounds.

Ash has extensive experience at drafting patent specifications, global patent prosecution, and defending and opposing European patents. He has helped clients to secure patent protection for their commercial products in key territories, including the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Ash has successfully represented clients in high-stakes opposition and appeal proceedings at the European Patent Office, involving marketed drugs and other products. He has also performed due diligence exercises for patent portfolios, provided freedom to operate opinions and helped his clients to evaluate partnering opportunities.