New faces at the Bionomics

By Graeme O'Neill
Thursday, 27 May, 2004

Adelaide drug-discovery company Bionomics (ASX:BNO, US OTC:BMICY) has appointed Dr Tim Harris, CEO and co-founder of US biotech Structural GenomiX, to its advisory board.

Harris was director of biotechnology at Glaxo Group Research in the UK, from 1989-93, and senior vice-president of R&D for Sequana Therapeutics from 1993-99. Sequana became Axys Pharmaceuticals in 1998.

The company also announced the retirement of three of its current scientific advisory board members: Prof Mathew Vadas, Prof Erkki Ruoslahti, and Prof Axel Ulrich, whose four-year terms have expired.

CEO Dr Deborah Rathjen paid tribute to Vadas, who was Bionomics' scientific co-founder, for guiding the company's formation, and for recognising the potential of genomics to improve human health.

The company has also announced the appointment of expatriate Australian -- and Adelaidean -- Dr Kerstin Holata, as its director of drug discovery.

A Flinders University graduate and PhD, Holata did postgraduate research at Northwestern University in the US, and has been working for Pfizer, validating novel ion-channel drug targets and establishing high-throughput screening systems for drug discovery.

Bionomics has a major drug-discovery program targeting central nervous system ion channel disorders including epilepsy and anxiety.

Related News

Quitting smoking increases life expectancy even for seniors

Although the benefits of quitting smoking diminish with age, there are still substantial gains...

Stem cell transplants treat blindness in mini pigs

Scientists have successfully transplanted retinas made from stem cells into blind mini pigs,...

Sugary drinks raise cardiovascular disease risk, but occasional sweets don't

Although higher sugar intake raises your risk of certain cardiovascular diseases, consuming sweet...


  • All content Copyright © 2024 Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd