Oncimmune Holdings plc (LON: ONC), a leader in the development, manufacture and commercialisation of personalised immunodiagnostics for the screening, detection and care of cancer, has today announced the appointment of a new Scientific Board. Chaired by Professor Peter W.M Johnson, the SB includes Dr. Richard M Roope, Dr. Nora Pashayan and Professor Ola S Winqvist. The new SB members replace the previous members who have ably supported the Company through its first phase of growth, and reflects the Company’s progress to focus on delivering personalised immunodiagnostics for the screening, detection and care of cancer.
Professor Peter W.M Johnson CBE MD FRCP FMedSci, an expert in the development and assessment of Immuno-Oncology, is Professor of Medical Oncology in Southampton, CRUK’s Chief Clinician and Director of the Francis Crick Institute Cancer Research Network. Professor Johnson trained in Medical Oncology at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, where his research developed molecular techniques to detect very low levels of lymphoma in blood. Professor Johnson was awarded a CBE in the HM Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday honours list for services to medical research.
In addition to the appointment of Professor Johnson, the following have also been appointed to the SB:
Dr. Richard M Roope MA FRCGP is a General Practitioner and UK Clinical Lead for Cancer at the Royal College of General Practitioners. He is a Senior Clinical Advisor (Prevention and Early Diagnosis) at Cancer Research UK, and a member of the National Cancer Advisory Group. Dr. Roope trained at Cambridge University and the University of London graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree. In 2015, he was elected to Fellowship of the RCGP for contributions to Cancer Management.
Dr. Nora Pashayan MD MSc MSt PhD FFPH is a Clinical Reader in Applied Health Research at University College London, a qualified GP and Honorary Consultant in Public Health at University College London Hospitals, as well as a member of the Breast Cancer Now Scientific Advisory Board. She received a MSc in Epidemiology from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and MSt in Public Health and PhD from the University of Cambridge before commencing a research career at the University of Cambridge, focusing on early detection, particularly in risk-stratified screening of cancer.
Professor Ola S Winqvist MD PhD is a Professor of Cellular Immunotherapy at the Karolinska Institute and Senior Consultant in Clinical Immunology at the Karolinska University Hospital. Professor Winqvist received his medical qualification in 1991 at the University of Uppsala. He then went on to achieve a PhD, focusing on experimental medicine and autoantigens in Addison’s disease. He held a post-doctoral position at the Scripps Research Institute in California for three years and was Chairman of the Swedish Clinical Immunology Society until 2017.
Dr Adam Hill, CEO of Oncimmune Holdings plc commented:
“Oncimmune’s forward strategy is designed to unlock the latent potential in the Company’s immunogenic protein platform, through developing a number of commercial propositions, underpinned by leading immunodiagnostic science. I am delighted that Professor Johnson, preeminent as an authority in cancer and immunology, has accepted our offer to Chair the Company’s new SB, leading a team of experts, namely Dr Roope, Dr Pashayan and Prof Winqvist, who are all leaders in their chosen fields at the intersection of Cancer and Immunology, as well as medical practitioners. I look forward to working with them, leveraging their expertise as we deliver the next chapter of Oncimmune’s growth over the next three years.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Oncimmune’s inaugural Scientific Advisory Board for their service and valuable contributions over the last three years; their support has proved invaluable and I wish them well in their future endeavours.”
