Our Team

Dr. Mario Alberto Accardi is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Centessa Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Centessa, he was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Orexia Therapeutics, a neuroscience company harnessing advanced structural biology technologies to discover and develop orexin agonists for narcolepsy and other sleep-wake disorders. At Orexia, he successfully raised a €40M Series A, established multiple strategic partnerships, and led the company through its successful acquisition by Centessa in 2021. Previously, Mario was in life sciences venture capital serving as an Investment Associate at Entrepreneurs Fund, and later as a Venture Partner at Fort Rock Capital. In these roles, he led deals in preclinical and clinical stage biotech companies across different therapeutic areas. Mario is also the founder and one of the key inventors behind Orthonika. Mario holds a Postgraduate in Genomic Medicine, a PhD in Biomedical, and a First-Class Honours MEng Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London.

Dominique is COO at Orthonika and has wide experience of product, business and company development, starting as a Research Scientist for Unilever in the team that launched Clear Blue diagnostics through its Unipath subsidiary. She was Business Development Manager for GSK’s Wellcome Diagnostics subsidiary, licensing-in new product lines and transitioning the business through acquisition by Murex and subsequent 10x sale to Abbott. In 1999 she joined Imperial Innovations to build a portfolio of spin-outs such as Acrobot (sold to Stryker) and Protexeon (sold to Air Products) and became Head of Life Sciences Technology Transfer in anticipation of the company’s IPO in 2006. In 2009 she left Imperial to become CEO at London Genetics, raising £2m to deliver pharmacogenetic services in clinical development, and has since worked in various biotech executive and non-executive roles, including 2 years on the board of the BioIndustry Association and 5 years as a Trustee of the Genetics Society. She holds a BSc in Life Sciences and an MBA with a focus on Technology Entrepreneurship from Imperial College London. She is an LESi Certified Licensing Professional.

Kristina is the CEO of Orthonika, bringing over a decade of experience in the medical device industry with a focus on orthopaedics and biomechanics. She holds a PhD from Imperial College London, undertaking research on the biomechanics of a meniscus prosthesis under the guidance of Professors Andrew Amis and Daniele Dini. Kristina also holds an MSc in Biomedical Engineering with Distinction from Imperial College London and a First Class BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Malta. She was previously involved in designing and prototyping a low-wearing novel hip joint prosthesis for the Malta Hip Project leading to the FUSION Programme award (now incorporated as Garland Surgical Ltd). At Orthonika, Kristina spearheads research and development of the TMR, overseeing pre-clinical testing and in vivo animal studies, and driving progress toward clinical trials.

Professor Amis is the Chair of Orthopaedic Biomechanics at Imperial College London as well as the Head of the Medical Engineering. He has 40 years of research in orthopaedic biomechanics, including the design of artificial human joints, tendons and ligaments and the mechanical analyses of biological systems and structures. He has over 300 peer-reviewed journal publications. In addition to research work, Andrew has acted as a consultant and expert witness for a number of areas of work, including implant design, failures of orthopaedic implants and industrial injuries. Andrew is also a founder and one of the key inventors behind Orthonika.

Prof. Justin Cobb is the Chair of Orthopaedics at Imperial College London and also practises at Cleveland Clinic London, with clinical practice centres focussed on conservative joint surgery, aiming to resurface and preserve worn hips and knees. He leads the musculoskeletal laboratory at Imperial, working closely with the Biomechanics Lab, bringing together surgeons, engineers, and scientists to advance device design and surgical techniques. Justin is also a founder and one of the key inventors behind Orthonika. He previously served at UCLH and is orthopaedic surgeon to His Majesty the King.