Scientists Supporting Scientists

Steve Roome

Co-Founder
CEO

» Education: PhD in Chemistry, University of Nottingham, UK

» Background: Postdoc at University of Sussex. 20+ years of experience in the commercial chemical synthesis of small molecule receptor ligands, enzyme modulators, peptides, and fluorescent ligands. Industry experience at Tocris Cookson (now Tocris Bioscience), GE Healthcare, Ascent Scientific and Abcam.

» What I do: Oversee our mission to make science more accessible, ensuring we develop the best possible products at the best possible price for researchers worldwide.

» Fun fact: I came close to naming my first child “Molly-Bdenum”.

» Contact on LinkedIn

Sam Roome

Co-Founder
Marketing Director & Science Communicator

» Education: PhD in Pharmacology, University of Bristol

» Background: Neuroscientist specialising in addiction & reward pathways, scientific wordsmith. Industry experience at Tocris, Ascent Scientific, & Abcam

» What I do: Find creative ways to tell researchers about Hello Bio. Translate complex science into engaging content — from blog articles and scientific guides to educational resources.

» Fun fact: Once tried to explain chemogenetics using only emojis. It mostly worked.

» Contact on LinkedIn

James Flanaghan

Co-Founder
Product Development & Scientific Support, 

» Education: BSc in Biology & Biochemistry, University of Keele

» Background: Over a decade of experience in the life sciences industry, developed through real-world work with researchers at Ascent Scientific and beyond.

» What I do: I help scientists get the most from our products — from developing cutting-edge tools to offering expert support and troubleshooting when experiments don’t go to plan.

» Fun fact: I once had to bribe my lab mates with homemade cakes to help me clean up a Brilliant Blue G spillage in the lab. Still not sure if the cake or guilt worked better.

» Contact on LinkedIn 

Katie Marsalo

USA Office Manager

» Background: A logistics pro and customer advocate with 20+ years of experience, supporting scientists across the U.S. — keeping orders flowing and labs running smoothly.

» What I do: I manage our U.S. operations — overseeing warehouse coordination, order processing, and delivery across North America & Canada. I’m your go-to for fast answers about stock, shipping, and U.S. logistics.

» Fun fact: I have a cat named Rosie who thinks she's the real office manager.

Daria Dolecka

Customer Service Executive

» Background: A customer service specialist with a background in fast-paced international support, fluent in Polish and passionate about helping researchers around the world.

» What I do: I’m one of the first people you’ll speak to if you have a question! I focus on our UK, EU, and international customers. I make sure every Hello Bio customer gets speedy, friendly help with orders, delivery timelines, and product queries — no chatbot in sight.

» Fun fact: I have two mischievous ferrets. If I were naming them today, I’d probably go with “DREADD” and “PSEM”.

Paul Byrne

Head of Chemistry

» Education: PhD in Chemistry, University of Sussex, UK

» Background: A specialist in small-molecule synthesis & drug development. Industry experience at Tocris, Ascent Scientific and Abcam.

» What I do: I design, optimize, and manufacture high-purity biochemicals, peptides, reagents and ligands, ensuring every batch meets strict quality control standards.

» Fun fact: I can name every chemical structure in our catalog… and every 80s rock band hit.

Alen Eapen

DevOps Manager

» Education: PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Bristol, UK

» Background: A former postdoc in Professor Graham Collingridge’s lab, Alen trained in electrophysiology & computational modelling. Alen first joined Hello Bio as an intern where he used his passion for software engineering to automate time-consuming tasks. He now brings a scientist’s precision to all things tech.

» What I do: I make sure our digital systems are fast, secure, and scientist-friendly — from our website to the behind-the-scenes tech that keeps Hello Bio running smoothly.

» Fun fact: I once recorded from a single neuron - now I enjoy debugging entire software systems.