Team
NeoPhore Team
Michael Shih
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Shih has nearly 20 years of experience in business development, licensing and mergers & acquisitions. He was most recently Vice President of Corporate Development at Kite Pharma, where he led multiple business development opportunities for the Company. Before this, Michael was Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development at Biogen, leading the team responsible for sourcing, structuring and executing strategic collaborations and merger and acquisition opportunities. Prior to joining Biogen, Michael was Vice President and Head of Global Transactions at Sanofi, where he oversaw the structuring and negotiation of business development transactions across Sanofi’s business units. Michael has also held senior business development roles at Epizyme, Forest Laboratories and Eisai.
Stephen Over
Chief Financial Officer
Stephen joined the Neophore Executive Team in July 2021 and brings extensive finance, operations and corporate development leadership experience to the Board. After spending five years at Deloitte and Touche, Stephen moved into industry, holding three senior finance positions with Advanced Medical Solutions plc (an AIM listed medical devices manufacturer). His responsibilities covered all leadership aspects of the finance function, with a role on the inaugural Operations Leadership Team as well as an integral position on the Senior Leadership team for the group’s Branded product portfolio (which accounted for 60% of all revenues). Stephen then went on to join the Senior Leadership Team of Shield Therapeutics plc - an AIM listed commercial stage specialty-pharma company - working extensively on corporate development activities. Stephen has a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Manchester and is a Chartered Accountant (ACA).
Martin Drysdale
Chief Scientific Officer
Martin has over 30 years’ experience in drug discovery across large pharma and biotech as well as charity funded and not-for-profit institutes in both the UK and US. After an Industrial post-doc with Parke-Davis at the PD site in Cambridge, UK, Martin spent time at Wellcome and GlaxoWellcome before leaving to become Head of Chemistry at RiboTargets (Cambridge, UK). Through a series of mergers and acquisitions RiboTargets became Vernalis, where Martin was ultimately Director of Chemistry & Structural Biology (as well as Deputy Research Director). More recently, Martin established the Drug Discovery Unit within the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Beatson Institute in Glasgow, Scotland, and was Director of the Center for the Development of Therapeutics (CDoT) at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
Julian Blagg
Executive Vice President, Drug Discovery
Dr Julian Blagg joined NeoPhore in October 2018; he is an experienced medicinal chemist and oncology drug discovery scientist. Prior to joining NeoPhore, he was Deputy Director, Professor and Head of Chemistry at the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, UK. From 1988 to 2007, Julian practiced medicinal chemistry and drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry (Pfizer), both in the US and UK, where he was responsible for the successful progression of multiple preclinical development candidates into clinical trials across 4 therapeutic areas. With colleagues from the ICR, Julian was recipient of the 2012 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Team Science Award for achievements in drug discovery and served as Chair of the Chemistry in Cancer Research section of the AACR from 2018-2019. He has authored over 200 publications and patents.
Philippe Riou
Director of Biology
Philippe is a trained Cancer Cell Biologist with over 15 years’ experience, gained through translational and drug discovery research programs across academia and more recently biotech in the UK. After receiving his Ph.D. in Oncology from the University of Paris XI in France, Philippe initially completed fundamental postdoctoral studies at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and at King’s College London, where he focused on unravelling the molecular details of complex regulatory mechanisms. Following this, Philippe moved to the London Research Institute and later to the Francis Crick Institute, where he contributed to a wide range of preclinical translational research studies, as academic collaborator, to support a drug discovery effort between charity funded and pharma organisations, with a particular focus on biomarker identification. More recently, Philippe worked as Head of Translational Biology at Novintum Bioscience Ltd., a small biotech company within the field of cancer metabolism.
Maria T. Rodriguez-Plata
Principal Scientist – Immunology
Maria is an immunologist with a strong background in immuno-oncology and virology and is passionate about the development of new human cancer immunotherapies. After receiving her PhD in Immunology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona/IrsiCaixa – AIDS Research Institute, she completed her postdoctoral studies at University College London. She later joined the biotech company Tusk Therapeutics where she worked in the development of first-in-class antibody-based therapeutics against cancer. After the acquisition of the company by Roche in 2018, she joined the spin-off Black Belt TX as project leader in the validation of novel immuno-oncology targets and early drug discovery.
Alexia Hervieu
Principal Scientist – Biology
Dr. Hervieu is a trained cell biologist with expertise in tumor biology, signal transduction, and translational research with particular focus on target identification/validation and PD biomarker development. Alexia received her Ph.D. in Tumor Biology from Queen Mary University of London at Barts Cancer Institute, where her work unravelled molecular downstream signalling of the oncogene cMet. Following this, Alexia obtained a post-doctorate fellowship at The Institute of Cancer Research, within the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutic Unit, working on target identification to be considered for potential drug discovery project. Those investigations lead to the identification of druggable targets in a specific tumor type, together with the molecular mechanisms driving tumoral activity.
Sam Weeks
Scientist - Biology
Sam is a trained cell biologist with a background in stem cell biology and regulation of cell fate decisions. In partnership with AstraZeneca, Sam completed his PhD in stem cell epigenetics at UCL Cancer Institute in 2022. Here, he demonstrated a role for pan-cancer target Stag1 in organising DNA into higher order structures. Continuing research of Stag proteins, Sam completed a post-doctoral fellowship, where he identified a novel function for the Cancer Testis Antigen, Stag3, in regulating post-transcriptional gene expression.
Syahmi Azman
Scientist - Biology
Syahmi is a cell biologist with a strong background in cancer biology. He obtained his PhD from Barts Cancer Institute, at Queen Mary University of London, where he focused on uncovering therapeutic vulnerabilities downstream of RAS signalling in pancreatic cancer. He later took on a position as a Translational Scientist at AstraZeneca. In this role, he contributed to the development of pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers to enhance early-phase clinical trials within the company's oncology drug portfolio.
Chris Smith
Scientist - Biology
Chris is a scientist specialising in cancer cell biology. He earned his PhD in Biosciences and Medicine from the University of Surrey in 2023, where his research focused on identifying novel biomarkers and developing treatments for neuroendocrine prostate cancer, an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer. Following his academic achievements, Chris transitioned to an industrial scientist role at HOX Therapeutics Ltd, where he contributed to accelerating the development of innovative small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer through a hit-to-lead process.
Ruben Simon
Laboratory Manager
Ruben joined NeoPhore in January 2024. Armed with an MSc in Cancer Cell Biology, he conducted research on LMTK3 expression in breast cancer during his academic journey. Then, Ruben transitioned to the dynamic realm of clinical trials, contributing as a Research Assistant. Specializing in human challenge models involving viruses, his work played a pivotal role in advancing medical research methodologies as well as conducting rigorous testing on diverse samples, generating essential data that played a key role in advancing drug discovery initiatives for an array of CROs. With a passion for unravelling the complexities of cancer biology, Ruben is committed to driving scientific advancements in this field through his role as Lab Manager in NeoPhore.
Sapphire Sawyer
Research Associate
Sapphire is a skilled molecular cell biologist with a robust background in cancer cell biology. Her interest in the field was sparked during her BSc in Biomedical Science, where she investigated the effects of cancer therapies on non-small cell lung carcinoma and identified potential therapeutic targets. She subsequently started working in drug discovery at Storm Therapeutics, where she developed assays to explore the role of RNA-modifying enzymes in cancer. This assay pipeline has been instrumental in the development of first-in-class inhibitors by Storm Therapeutics.
Pedro Rodriguez
Executive Assistant
Pedro graduated from Exeter University with a BA (hons) in English & Social Sciences and has been a career Executive Assistant ever since. With particular expertise in the area of operations, project and event management he has supported C-Suite executives across a diversity of industries working at companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Coca Cola, Cable & Wireless and ITV. Pedro entered the world of biotechnology when joining NeoPhore early in 2020.
Board of Directors
Robert James
Chairman, NeoPhore
Robert has worked in the commercial exploitation of intellectual property for more than 20 years. He first worked at Cancer Research Campaign Technology (now Cancer Research Technology, the commercialisation and development arm of Cancer Research UK) for seven years before moving to the early stage venture capital company, Prelude Ventures. He was a founding Partner of DFJ Esprit before leaving in 2010 to create Sixth Element Capital. Robert has been involved in many early stage technologies and businesses which in aggregate have raised over £200m in financing and has been involved in raising four VC funds. He played a central role in licensing Temodal to Schering Plough and the PARP inhibitor Rucaparib to Agouron (now Clovis); he has been lead investor in successful life science technologies and businesses in diagnosis, tools and therapeutics such as Oxford Immunotec (Nasdaq:OXFD), Kiadis (Euronext:KDS) and DNA Research Innovations (now owned by ThermoFisher Scientific). Robert has a PhD in Biochemistry and a degree in Genetics.
Pietro Puglisi
Director
Pietro is a biomedical engineer with over a decade of experience in life sciences investments and innovation. He is a founding partner at Claris Ventures, investment firm based in Turin (Italy), with focus on early-stage biotech ventures. He started his career at LifeSciences Consultants in 2010 and later joined Innogest VC firm’s healthcare practice. Prior to launching Claris Ventures, he was involved in financing rounds of several Italy-based biopharma startup companies, acting as an independent director at Kither Biotech (PI3Kγ-inhibitors for cystic fibrosis treatment) and Restorative Neurotechnologies (digital therapies for neurological rehab). Pietro received an M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and an MBA from Collége des Ingenièurs (France/Italy).
Heikki Lanckriet
Director
Heikki is a biochemical engineer with a passion for combining the worlds of scientific innovation and business. After having founded his own company 19 years ago, he has focussed on building, growing and investing in innovative life science companies. He is currently the CEO of, and a significant shareholder in, 4basebio, an AIM listed company focussing on next generation gene therapies. Prior to this, Heikki led Expedeon, a German listed life sciences company. In 2020 Heikki concluded the sale to Abcam plc for €120m of Expedeon’s proteomics and immunology business; and the subsequent rebranding and refocus of the company to 2Invest AG, an investment company with a focus on the life science sector. Heikki continues to be heavily involved in the science also acting as CSO for 4basebio and Expedeon previously. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Ghent, Belgium and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK. He has also published papers in high impact peer-reviewed international scientific journals and is named inventor on a multitude of patents.
John Haurum
Non-Executive Director
John Haurum has a long and successful career in the international biotech industry. John was previously Chief Executive Officer of F-star, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of novel bispecific antibodies that target the immune system to fight cancer. Under his leadership, F-star successfully raised €200 million in equity and non-dilutive funding. John also led the formation of several strategic collaborations with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in immune-oncology, including AbbVie and Merck KGaA, and in central nervous system disorders with Denali Therapeutics. John was also instrumental in the development of the next wave of immunotherapies, establishing a substantial pipeline of candidates with the potential to benefit cancer patients. Prior to F-star, John was VP Research at ImClone Systems, prior to this he was the CSO and Co-Founder of Symphogen.
John is currently Executive Chairman of the Board at Synklino. Dr Haurum has a Medical Degree and MSc in Immunology from Aarhus University, and a DPhil in Immunology from the University of Oxford.
Marianne Bjordal
Director
Marianne is a partner with 3B Future Health Fund and serves as board director of several early stage private EU and US companies. Prior to joining 3B Future Health, Marianne worked as a researcher for the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). She is a former Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher and was awarded the AXA Prize from the French Academy of Science in 2014.
Marianne received an M.Sc. in Molecular Biology from the University of Bergen in Norway, a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Nice in France and an MBA from the IAE Nice Graduate School of Management, France.
Scientific Advisory Board
Alberto Bardelli
Scientific Founder
Professor Alberto Bardelli Ph.D. is a founding scientist of NeoPhore and Professor in the Department of Oncology at the University of Torino. Professor Bardelli’s research includes ground-breaking mechanistic insights into dynamic neoantigen evolution and cancer immunology, complemented by his long history of impactful studies in the genetics translational biology of personalised cancer therapy. In addition to his role in founding NeoPhore, Professor Bardelli also co-founded Horizon Discovery, Plc and he is also the President Elect of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR).
Luis Alberto Diaz Jr
SAB member
An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Dr. Diaz is the Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. Dr. Diaz was the senior clinical investigator on pivotal clinical studies that led to the FDA approval of the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as indicated for any cancer with defective DNA mismatch repair. Dr. Diaz's breakthrough clinical studies underpin NeoPhore's therapeutic concept, which aims to induce neoantigen creation and cancer immunity using small-molecule inhibitors of mismatch repair, particularly in combination with other immunotherapy approaches. In addition to his research and clinical practice, Dr. Diaz is a founder of Personal Genome Diagnostics, Sysmex Inostics, Papgene Inc and PagerBox.
Josep Tabernero
SAB Member
Josep Tabernero holds MD and PhD degrees from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain, and he is currently Head of the Medical Oncology Department at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Director of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and Professor of Medicine at UVic-UCC. He has been Principal Investigator of several Phase I pharmacodynamic studies and translational projects with tumor-directed targeted therapies and immune therapies.
His research aims at potentiating molecular therapies targeting specific oncoproteins and accelerating more effective personalized cancer medicines for patients displaying genetic lesions or pathway disregulation.
Dr. Tabernero serves on the Editorial Boards of various top tier journals including Annals of Oncology, ESMO Open, Cancer Discovery, Clinical Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment Reviews and Nature Reviews in Clinical Oncology. He has (co) authored approximately 500 peer-reviewed papers.
He was the President (2018 – 2019) and is currently the Past President (2020-2021) of the European Society for Medical Oncology´s (ESMO), and is also member of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He has also been a member of the Educational and Scientific Committees of the ESMO, ECCO, ASCO, AACR, AACR/NCI/EORTC, ASCO Gastrointestinal, TAT and WCGIC meetings
Gordon B. Mills
SAB Member
Gordon B. Mills, MD, PhD, is the Director of Precision Oncology, Director of SMMART trials, and holds the Wayne and Julie Drinkward Endowed Chair in Precision Oncology in the Knight Cancer Institute. In these roles, he is responsible for the implementation of an integrated program of tumor analysis, decision-making and implementation of novel precision oncology trials. The key goal will be to use serial tumor and liquid biopsies to evaluate and target adaptive responses in the tumor and the tumor ecosystem including the immune system in real time to interdict cancer evolution. These lead to the concept of adapting patient therapy faster than the tumor can evolve. The overarching goal is to perform deep molecular analysis of each patient “to let the patient teach us what is important”. This process is facilitated by the implementation and integration of a comprehensive suite of high-throughput technologies including assessment of genomic aberrations, transcriptional profiles, functional proteomics and metabolomics, and drug screening using conventional and high content imaging systems. We have also implemented a comprehensive functional genomics program designed to distinguish drivers from passengers with an emphasis on neomorphic aberrations and identify their therapeutic liabilities. His laboratory studies have identified multiple novel drug combinations and has translated these to the clinic with a suite of clinical trials. Dr. Mills has published more than 1000 papers and holds more than 20 patents. Dr. Mills has served as principal investigator or project investigator on many national peer-reviewed grants including NIH/NCI SPOREs and team grants (U01, U2C and U54), Stand Up To Cancer, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation, and Komen Foundation grants. His efforts have been recognized in the Komen Foundation’s Brinker Award for Scientific Excellence, the Finneran Family Prize for Translational Research, the AACR Team Science Award, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Career Award for Innovative Research and has been elected to the AACR Academy. Dr. Mills has been very successful in supporting training, mentoring, and career development for young scientists including graduate students, fellows, and junior faculty. The majority of his trainees have developed successful research careers rising through the ranks to full professor, department chairs, and institute directors. Based on this role, he has been nominated for and awarded multiple mentoring awards, including the Stand Up 2 Cancer Laura Ziskin Prize for Mentoring and the inaugural Waun Ki Hong award for mentorship. At the Knight Cancer Institute, Dr. Mills plays a major role in the mentoring, support and career develop for young scientists and, in particular, physician scientists.