CNS and Ageing Advisory Board
Mo Alavijeh
Philip Oliver
Michael O’Neill
Alan Palmer
Steve Poile
Mark Treherne
Mo Alavijeh
Managing Director, Pharmidex
Mohammad Alavijeh is a science entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having responsibilities as wide-ranging as R&D and innovation, business development and strategic alliances. His experience covers most therapeutic areas, notably CNS, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, infection, cancer and inflammation (asthma and arthritis). Dr. Alavijeh is now a world leading authority in CNS DMPK, with distinctive competence in neuro-pharmacokinetics.
Prior to co-founding Pharmidex in 2003, a company that has grown into a world leader in CNS solutions powered by NeuroPK®, Dr. Alavijeh was head of drug metabolism, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (DMPK/PD) at Vernalis Research, before which he was DMPK team leader at Aventis Pharma. On the academia front, Dr. Alavijeh worked within the Clinical Neurology Department at the Institute of Neurology, University College London. Dr Alavijeh is also a board member of The International Medical Education Trust and a committee member of The Society for Medicine Research.
Alan Palmer
Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of MS Therapeutics
Alan Palmer is the Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of MS Therapeutics. He is a serial entrurpenur with substantial knowledge and experience of neurodegenerative disorders and their treatment. After a PhD and post doctoral work at the Institute of Neurology, he became a Principal Investigator at both the Alzheimer’s disease Research Centre and the Head Injury Research Centre at the University of Pittsburgh. He then worked for Wyeth Research before co-founding Cerebrus Ltd (which later became Vernalis Ltd) followed by Pharmidex Pharmaceutical Services Ltd. In 2005, the London Biotechnology Network voted him ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’. He is a visiting Professor at the School of Pharmacy in London, a Fellow of the Society of Biology and a former Chairman of the Society for Medicines Research; he also sits on the Board of One Nucleus and is a member of the Scientific Advisory.
Philip Oliver
Global External Research and Development, Europe and MENA Eli Lilly and Co Ltd, Windlesham Surrey
Philip has 22 years of experience in European Life Sciences, primarily in drug development and BD and licensing, areas in which he has worked on many neuroscience projects with European pharma and Biotech and has brokered a wide range of collaborations. Philip leads the group at Eli Lilly responsible for finding and evaluating European external partnership opportunities across Lilly’s therapeutic areas of interest from discovery to marketed products. Partnerships which can range from “standard” licensing deals, to innovative collaboration models associated with Lilly’s FIPNET “Fully Integrated Pharmaceutical Network” strategy.
Michael O’Neill
Eolas Biosciences Ltd
Dr Michael O’Neill has had a career of more than 20 years in research in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry, working for Merck, Laboratorios Almirall and Eli Lilly. Michael’s career has given him an expert knowledge of neuro-psychiatric disorders, balanced with a strong grasp of strategic principals of pharmaceutical development and the broader workings of the industry.
Michael has authored over 80 papers, book chapters and abstracts. He has held an adjunct appointments at the University of Leeds, Sussex and the Institute of Psychiatry. He advises companies and investors on issues relating to CNS drug discovery and development.
Steve Poile
CEO, Wildwood Ventures Ltd
Steve Poile is the founder and chief executive officer of Wildwood Ventures Ltd., the publisher of CurrentPartnering, the online provider of best practice, business information and intelligence for dealmakers, and Current Agreements, premium subscription database providing comprehensive business information and intelligence with access to thousands of contract documents, giving coverage of all deals and alliances across the life sciences sector. Steve has over 20 years experience in the life sciences sector having previously founded Pharmalicensing and co-founded Bridgehead International. Prior to an his entrepreneurial career, Steve was a business development manager at both Reckitt Pharmaceuticals and development scientist at GlaxoSmithKline.
Mark Treherne
CEO, Senexis
Mark Treherne obtained his PhD in pharmacology from Cambridge University before holding a faculty position at the University of Basel. He now has 25 years experience in the discovery of novel treatments for diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems, latterly working on Alzheimer's disease. Mark was formerly at Pfizer, where he was responsible for research into neurodegenerative diseases, where he left in 1997 to set up Cambridge Drug Discovery, which was then sold to BioFocus. Mark has now been involved in raising over £100 million for various biotechnology companies and joined Senexis as Chief Executive in 2002. Board of GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics.