A team of dedicated
& unique people

Founding Chief Executive Officer & Board Director

Delphine Charvin is an experienced drug developer, scientist and entrepreneur in neurological diseases. She brings two decades of experience from senior leadership and managerial positions in international pharmaceutical, biotech and start-up companies, including Addex Pharmaceuticals, Merck-Serono, Prexton Therapeutics, Lundbeck and Stalicla. As the Chief Scientific Officer of Prexton, she developed a program from lead identification up to clinical phase II and played a crucial role in the company development since inception, then series A and series B fundraising, and finally in the successful exit with the acquisition of the company by Lundbeck.

Prior to Elkedonia, Delphine was the Operating Partner of the startup studio Argobio. She has contributed to the set-up of a neurology franchise within the Studio and, together with Mélanie Rouillier, Yves Ribeill and Jocelyne Caboche, she developed the Elkedonia project from preincubation to NewCo creation. Delphine has 15 years of experience working with startups, biotechs, pharma companies and VCs. Over the past 10 years, she has held co-founding and managerial positions in drug discovery and clinical development companies that have raised over €150 million.

Delphine holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Paris VI Sorbonne University, France, a post-doctorate from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, and a Finance certification from INSEAD.

VP, Chief Operations Officer & Co-Founder

Mélanie Rouillier brings over 15 years of experience in project management and drug development in international and multi-cultural environments. She was previously Senior Project Coordinator at Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), where she managed more than 30 projects in a virtual public/private partnership setting, and then Scientific Project Manager at Argobio Studio. Prior to that, Mélanie was an Associate Scientist at Addex Therapeutics, where she gained expertise in in vitro pharmacology, HTS and drug discovery and development. Over the past 15 years, Mélanie has managed R&D activities ranging from target validation to IND filing for innovative small molecules targeting CNS and infectious diseases. She brings knowledge in technology platforms, in vitro pharmacology, high-thoughput screening, drug discovery, as well as strong communication and collaboration skills.

Mélanie holds an Engineer diploma, MSc in biotechnology from Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg (ESBS), France, a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, and a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) degree.

Chief Financial Officer

Sarah Delbaere is an accomplished Chief Financial Officer with over 25 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. She has consistently driven value creation by shaping financial strategy, securing major funding, and supporting the scaling of innovative healthcare companies.

A key partner to executive teams and investors, Sarah has led high-impact financial initiatives, including successful private and public fundraising, an IPO on Euronext, and strategic financing with institutional partners. She is deeply experienced in navigating complex environments, from start-up structuring to listed company governance.

Throughout her career, she has been a trusted contributor at Board level, presenting financial performance, strategic plans, and growth scenarios to directors and stakeholders, ensuring clear, data-driven decision-making.

Her track record includes senior leadership roles at Advicenne, Takeda France, and Ferring, where she drove transformation programs, optimised operations, and implemented best-in-class financial and governance frameworks. More recently, she has focused on supporting biotech ventures and incubators, bringing hands-on leadership across finance, funding, HR, and corporate structuring.

Sarah combines strategic vision with execution excellence, making her a key asset in dynamic, innovation-driven environments.

Sarah holds a University degree in Applied Economics, and a Licence in European Law from University of Ghent, Belgium.

Chief Discovery Officer

Anna Quattropani is a seasoned biotech leader with over 25 years of expertise in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, and non-clinical development. She has a proven track record in establishing drug discovery projects, designing small-molecule clinical candidates, and advancing them from discovery through Phase II clinical development.

Prior to joining Elkedonia, Anna held various roles at pharmaceutical companies (Serono, Merck KGaA) and biotech firms (Asceneuron, Draupnir Bio, Anavo Therapeutics). Her work spans a diverse range of drug targets and modalities, including targeted protein degradation, enzyme inhibition, orthosteric/allosteric GPCR and ion channel modulation, and protein-protein interaction modulation. She has contributed across multiple therapeutic areas, with a particular focus on neurological diseases. As a founding member of Asceneuron, she is inventor of ASN90, an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor licensed for Phase II development in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Anna earned her PhD in Organic and Organometallic Chemistry from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and completed a postdoctorate at UC Irvine, USA. She is the inventor of 55 patents and the author of 23 peer-reviewed publications.

In vitro Pharmacology Lead

Francesca Houghton is an interdisciplinary scientist with a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL). Her scientific background spans protein science, biophysics and structural biology, with a focus on characterising protein-ligand interactions and supporting drug discovery and optimisation.

She has worked on a range of molecular targets, from extracellular receptors to intracellular kinases, and brings hands-on expertise in advanced biophysical and structural techniques such as SPR, X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM. Her experience spans multiple modalities, from screening and characterising peptide inhibitors of protein-protein interactions to biophysical characterisation of small-molecule compounds.

Francesca thrives in fast-paced, collaborative environments and brings a track record of scientific communication, having presented at international conferences and led cross-disciplinary collaborations across academic and biotech settings.

Francesca holds a BA and MSc in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the University College London (UCL).

Office Manager and Executive Team Assistant

Delphine Gautier holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Intercultural Negotiation and has built a 12-year career in sales coordination and management, working across industries including relocation services, insurance, and health-oriented products. Throughout her career, she has consistently been drawn to roles where her work carries a tangible impact, whether helping individuals through major life transitions or promoting solutions designed to improve daily wellbeing.

Before joining Elkedonia, Delphine crossed paths with Delphine Charvin and Mélanie Rouillier, where she was struck by their dedication, scientific vision, and unwavering commitment. When the opportunity arose to join their venture, it was a natural step, one that aligned perfectly with her core conviction that work should have meaning and serve a greater purpose.

At Elkedonia, she oversees the administrative and organizational backbone of the company, ensuring the organization runs smoothly across its international offices. From internal procedures and compliance to board logistics and team coordination, Delphine brings structure, care, and a human touch to Elkedonia’s daily operations.