Vanessa Johnen (2009)
Scientific Director
Vanessa is a life science and healthcare leader whose 17-year career spans academic neuroscience, strategy consulting and philanthropic leadership. A Merton alumna, she holds a DPhil in Neuroscience from the University of Oxford.
Moving from the lab into consulting, she co-founded the Deloitte Neuroscience Institute in Germany and served as a manager at PwC Strategy, shaping growth and innovation strategies for life science and healthcare clients. Her focus was cross-sector partnerships, market access and organisational transformation.
Most recently she was Scientific Director and Chief Programme Officer at the Horten Health Foundation in Switzerland. There she designed and rolled out a new strategy, built the operational team, several advisory and expert boards, and led funding programmes in brain health and precision oncology.
She is now building a strategic advisory practice for philanthropic funders and biotech ventures and serves as Scientific Advisor to PRODO at LMU Munich. Mid-career, she and her husband left consulting to sail the Atlantic, an experience they recount in their book Rewind: A Sailing Adventure (2024).
