OUR MISSION
To develop targeted cancer therapeutics that provide better outcomes for patients
We’re building an Australian company with an ambitious vision to revolutionise cancer treatment across the globe. With exceptional expertise in drug discovery and pre-clinical development, a pipeline of promising drug candidates, and a team comprised of experienced executives, Aucentra is poised for success.
Our next step is to expand our clinical activities to take our discoveries into Phase II clinical trials.
OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM & ADVISORY BOARD
Professor Shudong Wang
Founder & Managing Director
- Head of Drug Discovery and Development, University of South Australia
- Inventor of >90 patents
- >150 publications
- Former Head of Chemistry and Oncology Drug Discovery, Cyclacel, UK
- Founder of two biotech companies
- Consultant to multiple pharma companies
Joe Bayer
Chief Executive Officer
- CEO and Board Director with over 30 years’ experience in a diverse range of healthcare, consumer products and pharmaceutical industries.
- Broad range of senior management roles and director roles held in Australia, UK and Asia
- Experience in listed companies both on the ASX and LSE (London Stock Exchange).
- Strong skillset in strategic and operational management, M&A activity and corporate governance and compliance
Dr David Fuller
Chief Medical Officer
- Experienced pharmaceutical physician with over 30 years’ international experience in drug development & commercialisation with an emphasis on oncology
- He has led successful major market drug approvals (US & EU), had multiple Regulatory Agency interactions (FDA & EMA) and has experience in designing and executing multiple Phase I, II and III studies (US, EU, Asia) both orphan and non-orphan indications
- His R&D experience spans pre-clinical and clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and commercialisation in large and small cap environments
Dr Paul Wabnitz
Clinical Research & Development Director
- Medical Director and experienced Drug Development Consultant in Translational Medicine, Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry.
- Expertise in toxicology, clinical trial design, planning & execution of a first-in-human clinical study.
- Extensive experience with complex novel drugs and targeted combination therapy.
Dr Tina Lavranos
Chief Business & Commercialisation Officer
- Extensive experience in executive leadership and management in the biotechnology and life science industry.
- With 20 years in industry, areas of expertise include executive management, business development, strategic alliances, research and development, operations, and commercialisation.
- A strong business development professional and highly skilled in Drug Discovery and Development of both small molecule drug candidates and biologics.
Professor Shudong Wang
Founder & Managing Director
- Head of Drug Discovery and Development, University of South Australia
- Inventor of >90 patents
- >150 publications
- Former Head of Chemistry and Oncology Drug Discovery, Cyclacel, UK
- Founder of two biotech companies
- Consultant to multiple pharma companies
Joe Bayer
Chief Executive Officer
- CEO and Board Director with over 30 years’ experience in a diverse range of healthcare, consumer products and pharmaceutical industries
- Broad range of senior management roles and director roles held in Australia, UK and Asia
- Experience in listed companies both on the ASX and LSE (London Stock Exchange).
- Strong skillset in strategic and operational management, M&A activity and corporate governance and compliance
Dr David Fuller
Chief Medical Officer
- Experienced pharmaceutical physician with over 30 years’ international experience in drug development & commercialisation with an emphasis on oncology
- He has led successful major market drug approvals (US & EU), had multiple Regulatory Agency interactions (FDA & EMA) and has experience in designing and executing multiple Phase I, II and III studies (US, EU, Asia) both orphan and non-orphan indications
- His R&D experience spans pre-clinical and clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and commercialisation in large and small cap environments
Dr Tina Lavranos
Chief Business & Commercialisation Officer
- Extensive experience in executive leadership and management in the biotechnology and life science industry
- With 20 years in industry, areas of expertise include executive management, business development, strategic alliances, research and development, operations, and commercialisation
- A strong business development professional and highly skilled in Drug Discovery and Development of both small molecule drug candidates and biologics
Dr Paul Wabnitz
Clinical Research & Development Director
- Medical Director and experienced Drug Development Consultant in Translational Medicine, Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry
- Expertise in toxicology, clinical trial design, planning & execution of a first-in-human clinical study
- Extensive experience with complex novel drugs and targeted combination therapy
Maria Maieli
Chief Financial Officer
- Accomplished Executive working with Senior Management & Board to achieve global strategy
- Extensive experience in commercially driven industries having worked 30 years in a combination of ASX listed, unlisted and private companies in the sectors of manufacturing, healthcare and services
- Background knowledge in finance, corporate governance, risk and operations management
Charmaine Symons
Chief of Staff
- Experience in executive operations and biotech management, with a focus within the health and biotech industry
- Expertise in business processes, within the private and public sector, with broad skills in project planning and management
- Specialised focus to strategically maximise organisational productivity and efficiency
Dr Jasmine Karanjia
Manager, Clinical Programs
- PhD in pharmacology with expertise in areas of Drug Discovery, Cancer Cell Biology, Pharmacokinetics and Mouse Xenograft Models
- Prior industrial R&D experience in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) and Bio-analytical Method Development and Validation
Dr Theodosia Teo
Director, Clinical Operations
- PhD in cancer biology with > 8-years’ experience in drug discovery & development
- > 10-years laboratory experience, especially in meeting ISO standards
- Area of expertise includes computational modeling, high-throughput genotyping, and strategic planning
Dr John de Groot MD
Scientific Advisory Board Member
- Chief of the Neuro-Oncology Division at the University of California San Francisco
- Specialised in the treatment of patients with brain tumours
- Served as Director of clinical research in neuro-oncology and interim Chair of the department of neuro-oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Professor Chris Pepper
Scientific Advisory Board Member
- R M Phillips Chair in Experimental Medicine at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK
- Extensive research career with a patient focus, with over 100 papers published in high impact factor journals
- Focus on B-cell lymphocytic leukemia
- Author of 9 global patents as co-founder of TeloNostiX
Mr Jun Liu
Director
- Board Member, Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co. Ltd
- Senior Biochemical Engineer
- 30 years’ experience in drug R&D and manufacturing
- Expert in industrial transformation of drugs from laboratory to production
Professor Ian Olver AM
Advisory Board Member
- MBBS MD PhhD FRACP FAChPM MRACMA
- Medical oncologist and bio-ethicist
- Chaired 6 national cancer and ethics committees
- Former CEO, Cancer Council Australia
- Former Clinical Director, Royal Adelaide Hospital Cancer Centre
- Established 2 clinical centers
- >300 publications
Dr Jose Iglesias
Advisory Board Member
- Independent oncology consultant, Director, APEX Oncology Consulting
- International leader in clinical pharmaceutical development
- >20 years’ experience as a Chief Medical Advisor or Director in the field of oncology
- Led a range of international clinical trials
- Worked for major international companies such as Eli Lily and AMGEN, as well as start-up and mid-tier biotech companies
Dr John de Groot MD
Scientific Advisory Board Member
- Chief of the Neuro-Oncology Division at the University of California San Francisco
- Specialised in the treatment of patients with brain tumours
- Served as Director of clinical research in neuro-oncology and interim Chair of the department of neuro-oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Professor Chris Pepper
Scientific Advisory Board Member
- R M Phillips Chair in Experimental Medicine at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, UK
- Extensive research career with a patient focus, with over 100 papers published in high impact factor journals
- Focus on B-cell lymphocytic leukemia
- Author of 9 global patents as co-founder of TeloNosti
Mr Jun Liu
Director
- Board Member, Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co. Ltd
- Senior Biochemical Engineer
- 30 years’ experience in drug R&D and manufacturing
- Expert in industrial transformation of drugs from laboratory to production
Dr Jose Iglesias
Advisory Board Member
- Independent oncology consultant, Director, APEX Oncology Consulting
- International leader in clinical pharmaceutical development
- >20 years’ experience as a Chief Medical Advisor or Director in the field of oncology
- Led a range of international clinical trials
- Worked for major international companies such as Eli Lily and AMGEN, as well as start-up and mid-tier biotech companies
Professor Ian Olver AM
Advisory Board Member
- MBBS MD PhhD FRACP FAChPM MRACMA
- Medical oncologist and bio-ethicist
- Chaired 6 national cancer and ethics committees
- Former CEO, Cancer Council Australia
- Former Clinical Director, Royal Adelaide Hospital Cancer Centre
- Established 2 clinical centers
- >300 publications
OUR CONSUMER ADVISORY GROUP
John Clements
Dr Marilyn Mackinder
Dahlia Matkovic
Sarah Tinney
Chris Tretheway
Our Consumer Advisory Group exists to gain input from cancer survivors, as well as others whose lives have been touched by the disease, on our proposed research activities and findings, to ensure that issues important to consumers are identified, prioritised and shared.
Advisory Group members have the opportunity to contribute to our research and be the voice for cancer patients, an important interface between our scientists and the community, ensuring our projects remain focused on research that is impactful and can make a real difference for patients.
© 2023 AUCENTRA
All rights reserved.
Lab image photography by Chris Oaten.