Dr Michael Thurn – CEO
Dr Michael Thurn was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mimetica
in September 2006. Over the last 10 years Dr Thurn has been responsible
for 4 IND-enabling programs and been involved in the preclinical evaluation
of over 12 drugs and vaccines for registration in Australia. Dr Thurn’s
previous appointments include, Managing Director of Spinifex Pharmaceuticals
Pty Ltd, Chief Operating Officer at Cytopia Research Pty Ltd, Head
of Drug Development at Xenome Ltd, Anti-cancer Team Leader at Novogen
Ltd, and Senior Toxicologist at the Therapeutic Goods Administration
(TGA). Dr Thurn obtained his Ph.D in Immunology and Biochemistry from
the University of Technology, Sydney in 1994.
Dr Peter Cassidy – CSO
Dr Cassidy developed Mimetica’s core technology during doctoral
studies at The University of Queensland. He patented the work
in 1998 and founded Mimetica in 2001 in partnership with the University
of Queensland. Peter managed the company from 2001-2006, attracting
ISUS and Biotechnology Innovation Fund grants and investments from
BioStart and Start-Up Australia Ventures. He has developed additional
mimetic technologies to extend Mimetica’s technology base to
helix mimetics and new turn mimetics.
Dr Mark Blaskovich – COO
An experienced industrial medicinal chemist, Mark has worked for CEPTYR
Inc and the former peptide mimetics company Molecumetics. He is an
effective team leader with proven project management and partner collaboration
skills. Extensive organic synthesis expertise with both solution phase
and solid phase methods and experience managing project outcomes with
ADME, analytical, computational modeling and biology experts.
Dr Chris Price – Director
Dr Chris Price has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences,
including 15 years in senior management positions with biotechnology
companies. Mostly recently Dr Price was CEO and President of ConjuGon
Inc, a privately held company developing a novel anti-microbial technology.
Prior to that Dr Price was the CEO of Nyxis Neurotherapies in Chicago.
Dr Price has also held senior-level
positions at Monsanto, L.E.K. Consulting, Amoco Technology Company,
and Flow Laboratories. Dr Price has a PhD in Immunology from the University
College of Swansea in the UK and an MBA from The Amos Tuck School of
Business Administration, Dartmouth College, USA.
Nicholas Peace – Director
Nick Peace joined Starfish Ventures in May
2002, focusing on early stage life and materials science investments.
His role includes identification and evaluation of prospective investments,
execution of new portfolio investments and ongoing monitoring of investee
companies. Prior to joining Starfish Ventures, Nick worked as a corporate
lawyer in Melbourne at Freehills and subsequently in London at Mayer
Brown Rowe & Maw,
specializing in mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions
in sectors ranging from telecommunications to specialty chemicals.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Science from
the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration
from INSEAD.
Stephen Robinson – Director
Stephen Robinson has been an executive director of Start-up Australia
Ventures Pty Limited Australia since 1997. Start-up Australia is a
venture capital group specialising in early stage biotechnology investments.
He has been involved in the venture capital industry since 1994. He
is also a director of Protagonist Pty Limited, Caldeon Pty Limited
and Replikun Biotech Pty Limited. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Commerce
(B.Com) with merit from the University of New South Wales and a Master
of Business Administration (MBA) from Macquarie Graduate School of
Management. He is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants
in Australia (CA).
Dr Merilyn Sleigh – Director
Merilyn Sleigh works as a non-executive director and adviser to the
biotechnology sector and its investors through her consulting company InAvanti.
She is currently a director of Clover Corporation and of the Rural Industries
Research and Development Corporation, as well as of Mimetica Pty Ltd. She is
a member of the Federal Government's Task Force developing a 10 year strategy
for the pharmaceutical industry in Australia, and also acts on advisory
committees for CSIRO and for the Garvan Institute.
Merilyn has a PhD in molecular biology and worked as a researcher and manager
with CSIRO before moving to positions as R&D Director for Peptech Ltd, and then
Dean of Life Sciences at the University of NSW.
Prior to joining the board of Mimetica, she was for 6 years the Managing Director
of antibody therapeutics company EvoGenix Ltd, successfully building value in the
company from its start up stage, through listing on the Australian Stock Exchange
to its merger with Peptech Ltd to form Arana Therapeutics
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