PacMab
Board of Directors and Senior Management
Left to right: Professor Robert Raison, Alan Liddle, Dr Rosanne Dunn.
"Alan built Micromedical from a start-up medical engineering company to an international provider of emergency medical diagnostic products and a developer of artificial heart technology."
Alan Liddle, BA (Hons), MBA, FAICD.
Chief Executive Officer
Alan has 18 years experience in developing technology businesses in the biotechnology, medical and telecommunications industries.
For 12 years Alan was Chief Executive Officer of Micromedical Industries Ltd. (now Ventracor Limited). Alan built Micromedical from a start-up medical engineering company to an international provider of emergency medical diagnostic products and a developer of artificial heart technology. Micromedical achieved several USA FDA clearances for cardiac monitoring products that were used in the NASA space shuttle program, international airlines, hospitals and medical practices in the USA, Europe and Asia. Under Alan's leadership Micromedical completed development of the Victor Chang Artificial Heart and established the Ventrassist Artificial Heart Program.
Alan is a founder and director of Sensory Networks Inc., a California based leading technology developer of high performance embedded network security products and a director of ASX listed funds management company, Wallace Absolute Return Limited.
Alan was awarded a BA. (Hons), Psychology from theUniversity of Sydney, and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management in the University of New South Wales. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Alan is a co-founder of PacMab.
"Professor Raison has over 25 years experience in molecular immunology and genetic engineering."
Professor Robert Raison,B.Sc, Ph.D, FAIBiol.
Chief Scientific Officer
Professor Raison, a co-founder of PacMab, has over 25 years experience in molecular immunology and genetic engineering.
In 1975, after completing a PhD in molecular immunology at Monash University in association with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, he undertook postdoctoral studies at UCLA. He returned to Australiain 1977 to join the CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry. He subsequently spent 10 years in the Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, where he was a founding member of the Clinical Immunology Research Centre. He was appointed as Professor of Immunology at UTS in 1989, and has served in leadership roles including Head of Department, Deputy Dean of Science and Associate Dean (Research). He has served on a number of NHMRC Grant Review Committees and on key research advisory/review committees at Royal North Shore Hospital.
Robert has had a long association with monoclonal antibody research. His laboratory at the University of Sydney was one of the first in Australia to utilise monoclonal antibody technology. During this period he was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Monoclonal Australia Ltd, an early Australian biotechnology company. Robert's interest in applied research has also led to a number of industry collaborations in the aquaculture and human therapeutics areas. This research has been supported by competitively awarded funding totalling $3.5 million over the last 10 years.
Robert has published over 75 scientific papers in peer-reviewed, international journals including Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), the Journal of Experimental Medicine and the Journal of Immunology. He is a member of several national and international scientific societies, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Biology and a member of the Editorial Board of Developmental and Comparative Immunology.
"Rosanne co-founded PacMab and has played a major role in setting and achieving the scientific objectives of the Company."
Dr Rosanne Dunn, B.Sc(Hons), M.Sc, Ph.D, GAICD
Director of Research
Dr Dunn has 15 years experience in the field of molecular biology with particular expertise in molecular antibody engineering. She has substantial experience in dealing with international clinical research organisations and commercial manufacturing organisations.
Rosanne co-founded PacMab and has played a major role in setting and achieving the scientific objectives of the Company. This includes the development of broad based Intellectual Property protection resulting in several patent applications.
Prior to founding PacMab, Rosanne was a Senior Research Associate in a R&D syndicated project within UTS. She was involved in the genetic isolation and production of novel recombinant proteins for therapeutic use. Her previous appointment was at the National University of Singapore as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Bioprocessing Technology Centre.
Rosanne was awarded a PhD in antibody engineering from UTS and has published 14 scientific research papers in peer reviewed international journals. She has also been the recipient of UTS research grants and has served on conference committees with the Royal North Shore Hospital.
Senior Management
Dr Parisa Asvadi, Derek Bolling.
"Parisa has 7 years experience in the field of antibody engineering..."
Dr Parisa Asvadi BSc (Hons), PhD.
Principal Research Scientist
Parisa has 7 years experience in the field of antibody engineering with specific expertise in the design and production of humanised antibodies and antibody fragments. Prior to joining PacMab, Parisa was a research scientist in the Centre for Thrombosis and Vascular Research at the University of New South Wales where she was involved in establishing a number of production systems for generating engineered antibodies and biological therapeutics. Parisa also played a major role in the foundation of an antibody engineering laboratory in Singapore.
In 2000, Parisa was a visiting scientist with the biotechnology company Target Quest B.V., a subsidiary of Dyax Corporation. During this period Parisa developed extensive skills in the area of antibody engineering using phage display technology.
Parisa was awarded a PhD in antibody engineering from the University of Technology, Sydney in 1999, and has published research papers in peer reviewed international journals.
"Derek has over 20 years experience in accounting and financial management."
Derek Bolling, BBus, MBA, FCPA, FCIS
Company Secretary
Derek has over 20 years experience in accounting and financial management including senior financial and information systems management positions in the banking, telecommunications, resources, manufacturing and medical diagnostics sectors. He has experience in the implementation and operation of large scale financial systems, financial management of resource projects, contract negotiation and change management of the finance function.
Derek is currently a consultant in accounting and financial management to start-up companies in the biomedical and computer engineering fields.
Derek holds a BBus (Accounting) from Deakin University and a MBA from the University of Central Queensland. He is a Fellow of CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries.
Scientific Advisory Board
Professor Allen Edmundson, Dr Walter John Urba, Dr Andrew Spencer, Dean Snyder, Associate Professor Kevin Broady.
"Allen Edmundson is a distinguished scientist in the field of protein structures, design and X-Ray crystallography and has extensive experience in the field of monoclonal antibodies."
Professor Allen Edmundson, BA, PH.D
Emeritus Professor, Head of Crystallography, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Allen Edmundson is a distinguished scientist in the field of protein structure, design and X-Ray crystallography and has extensive experience in the field of monoclonal antibodies. His pioneering studies on the 3-dimensional structure of antibodies were instrumental in understanding the relationship between structure and specificity of an antibody molecule. He also played a key role, in a collaboration with H. Mario Geyson at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, in developing what is now known as the field of combinatorial chemistry.
From 1995 to 2003, Allen was Head of Crystallography, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City.
Allen has previously been a Senior scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, Professor of Biology, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Utah, and Chair of Macromolecular Crystallography, Harrington Cancer Centre, Amarillo, Texas.
Allen has a BA from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D from The Rockefeller University, New York. He is a member of the American Crystallographic Association, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Association of Immunologists and Charter Member of the Protein Society. Allen's contributions to science have been acknowledged through the receipt of an NIH Merit Award and through inclusion as one of the two thousand outstanding scientists of the twentieth century in Strathmore's VIP Section of Who's Who.
"Walter Urba has published more than 170 original research papers in international scientific journals in the fields of immunology and oncology..."
Dr Walter John Urba, BA, MD, Ph.D
Dr Walter Urba is a Clinical Oncologist with an outstanding record of achievement in immunology research. After completing his BA at Rutgers University he undertook a PhD at UCLA under the mentorship of the internationally renowned immunogeneticist, Professor William Hildemann. Walter Urba completed his MD at the University of Miami in 1981. Following a period as a Clinical Staff Fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Walter became Head of Clinical Immunology Services and subsequently Director of the Clinical Services Program at the National Cancer Institute Frederick Cancer Research and Development Centre in Frederick, Maryland.
In 1993 Walter was appointed to his current position as Medical Director, Cancer Program and Director, Cancer Research at the Robert W Franz Cancer Research Centre, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Portland Medical Centre in Portland Oregon.
Walter Urba has published more than 170 original research papers in international scientific journals in the fields of immunology and oncology and has particular expertise in the design and implementation of clinical trials of novel immunotherapy drugs. This expertise is recognised through his role as a member of the Editorial Board of the highly regarded Journal of Immunotherapy. He has served on a number of committees for the American Association of Clinical Oncology and was awarded a National Institutes of Health Award of Merit "for the development of the first cytokine therapy capable of significantly accelerating platelet recovery after high dose chemotherapy".
"Andrew's main research interests are translational and clinical trial development in both Multiple Myeloma (MM) and non- Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)."
Dr Andrew Spencer MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, DM
Dr Andrew Spencer graduated from the University of Queensland in 1983. He successfully completed fellowship requirements for both the Australian College of Physicians and the Australasian College of Pathologists in 1992. Following this he accepted a Leukemia Research Fund (UK) Fellowship spending the next 3 years at the Hammersmith Hospital, London, working principally in the area of bone marrow transplantation. During this time he also successfully completed a Doctorate of Medicine at the University of London.
Upon returning to Australia in 1996 Dr Spencer worked for 3 years as a Staff Specialist Haematologist for the Hunter Area Pathology Service (HAPS) and established both a molecular haematology diagnostic service within HAPS and the Hunter Haematology Research group. Dr Spencer moved in Melbourne in 1999. He is presently a Senior Specialist in Haematology and Head of the Myeloma Research Group (MRG) at the Alfred Hospital, Principal Specialist in Haematology and Head of the Haematology Unit at Monash Medical centre (Southern Health) and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Monash University.
His main research interests are translational and clinical trial development in both Multiple Myeloma (MM) and non- Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL). The focus of these activities is mainly on the identification and subsequent evaluation of potential novel therapeutic approaches. Under his direction the MRG have developed a variety of in vitro and murine models for the evaluation of compounds in MM. This activity has formed the basis for a number of pre-clinical and early clinical phase collaborations with overseas pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Amgen and Pharmion. Since 1997 he has designed and completed a number of multicentre clinical therapeutic trials in both MM and NHL including the largest Phase III trial as yet undertaken in MM in Australasia (ALLG MM6) examining the role of the immunomodulatory agent thalidomide.
Dr Spencer is presently Vice Chair of the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group (ALLG) and serves as the Chair of the ALLG Myeloma Disease Subcommittee. He is Victoria Councillor for the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand (HSANZ) and is Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee for the Leukaemia Foundation of Victoria (LFV). He serves in advisory capacity in the area of drug development for a number of pharmaceutical companies including Janssen-Cilag, Novartis and Amgen.
"Dean has 25 years experience in the field of USA Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) regulatory work in both pharmaceuticals and medical devices."
Dean Snyder, Esq., B.Pharm, D.Juris
Dean has 25 years experience in the field of USA Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) regulatory work in both pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Presently he is in private practice of law and regulatory consulting to US domestic and international health industry companies on US FDA regulatory filings, clearances and compliance matters.
Previously, Dean was a regulatory attorney and senior attorney at Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Chicago, Illinois. Prior to then Dean was a regulatory attorney and manager of regulatory affairs for American Hospital Supply Corporation.
In these various roles, Dean has worked on and prepared numerous applications and submissions to the US FDA for both medical devices and pharmaceutical drugs. He has also conducted planning, regulatory audits and was general counsel for corporate divisions that were producing new drugs and manufacturing and marketing existing drugs including the licensing of new facilities. He participated in the US FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee to assess impact of its activities on the market. Dean also drafted legislation for the State of California to enable more cost effective distribution of medical nutritional supplies.
Dean was awarded a B.S.(with Highest Distinction), Purdue University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, and a D.Juris from the University of Michigan Law School.
Dean has been an author to many Medico-legal publications including: "Medical Malpractice Digest", 1993; Ausman and Snyder's Medical Library, Lawyers Edition, 1987 (11 volumes medical encyclopedia for lawyers); author and editor, "The Interpharm International Dictionary of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing" Interpharm Press, 1992; contributing author, "The Citation", medical malpractice newsletter (Office of General Counsel American Medical Assoc.) 1975 - 1990.
"Kevin has substantial expertise in protein purification and characterisation as well as the expression and production of recombinant proteins."
Associate Professor Kevin Broady, BSc (Hons) Ph.D
Dept of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Technology, Sydney.
Kevin has substantial expertise in protein purification and characterisation as well as the expression and production of recombinant proteins. His research interests at UTS include the immunochemistry of toxins, the development of toxin vaccines and the use of monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment.
After a Fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology, Germany, Kevin worked for several years in the pathology industry before joining the Krolling Institute at the Royal North Shore Hospital.
He was Head of Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at UTS from 1995 - 1999 and Director of Biotechnology Courses from 2000 - 2003. He also chaired the joint UTS/RNSH Animal Care and Ethics Committee.
Kevin has a PhD in micro biology from the University of NSW and held a Humboldt Fellowship at the Max-Planck Institute for Immunobiology in Freiburg, Germany. He is a member of national (ASM and ASI) and international (IS) scientific societies. Kevin has over 30 published scientific papers in peer-reviewed international journals.
Kevin is a co-founder of PacMab.