Of the Trustees, Peter and Jane act as Mentors as well as overseeing Tafflab. Tafflab also has a number of highly experienced and qualified mentors to support its activities. Should you wish to become a mentor, please contact us at tafflab@tafflab.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

OBE, FRSB, FRSA, Ph.D.

Dr. David Owen has always been involved in biomedical research and the creation of companies to develop better products and services built from new research findings. He is currently a non-executive Director at spin-out companies from Cardiff, Cambridge and Oxford Universities and at the Technology Transfer company at The European Molecular Biology Laboratories in Heidelberg, Germany 

Prof. John Middleton started as an Apprentice in Steel Fabrication with British Steel and has over 35 years experience with major industrial organisations in solving engineering problems. Having gained a BSc in 1975 and MSc in 1976 in Numerical Methods, he was awarded a DSc in 1995 for contribution to research and development in the European Union. He’s published over 250 books and papers on computational engineering and biomechanics and founded the International Symposium Series in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering which is held biannually.

Abigail Chamberlain founded the Welsh Luxury Hamper Company, realising a dream she’s always had of owning her own successful Welsh company that supports other businesses, and reflects the things she loves in her life. A former Tafflab winner, she says these dreams have been made real through the support Tafflab provided alongside that from The Princes Trust and her family.  

Dr. Meloney Bartlett initially trained as an Engineer but has worked in academic publishing for the past 20 years. She has a passion for leading publishing programmes that help researchers address issues of societal importance. Meloney currently works as a consultant and advisor to organisations looking to develop their strategy and impact aligned to their community needs through research, business development and partnership.

Rudi Plaut is an RSA Life Fellow and has participated in numerous RSA events in Wales. A Chartered Engineer developing a company with a world-wide patent for the trapping of bed bugs, Rudi was the first Board Chair of the University of Glamorgan, of the Curriculum, Qualification and Assessment for Wales, and of Techniquest. He was recently the President of the Welsh Scout Council.