2010 Annual Report - Institute for Molecular Bioscience - University ...

17 boards & committees
IMB Advisory Board
disease. He led the team responsible
for finding the origins of the often-fatal
brain tumour, medulloblastoma, and he
is also studying cystic fibrosis and basal
cell carcinomas of the skin. Through
the mapping and isolation of the genes
responsible for these diseases, he has
continued to follow through on each to
understand how the genetic defects lead
to the disease.
The ultimate aim of his work is to discover
the genes which, when altered, cause
the tumour cell to grow in an uncontrolled
fashion. Ultimately this will provide
validated targets against which potential
therapeutics can be developed.
IAN FLETCHER
Ian Fletcher is the Director-General of the
Queensland Government’s Department
of Employment, Economic Development
and Innovation (DEEDI). He has served
in a number of high-level public-sector
roles during his 27-year career. Mr
Fletcher held positions in the New
Zealand diplomatic service, then joined
the United Kingdom civil service in 1989.
He worked for UK Trade and Investment
in arranging the UK’s overseas
commercial network, before becoming
Chief Executive and Comptroller-General
of the Intellectual Property Office.
Mr Fletcher’s career comprises extensive
experience in trade and investment, and
he has already established a substantial
understanding of DEEDI’S business and
the key economic drivers and challenges
facing Queensland’s economy.
PROFESSOR FRANK GANNON
Professor Gannon has been the Director-
General of Science Foundation Ireland
since mid-2007. In January 2011 he will
relocate from Dublin to Brisbane to take
up a role as Director of the Queensland
Institute of Medical Research.
From 1994-2007, Professor Gannon
was the Executive Director of
the European Molecular Biology
Organisation (EMBO), Secretary-General
of the European Molecular Biology
Council, and Senior Scientist at the
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
(EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. His
major research interest is the Estrogen
Receptor as a Transcription Factor and
epigenetics.
He has published over 200 research
articles. In addition, he has been
involved in the establishment of two
spin-out companies and is a member
of an advisory group to the European
Commissioner for Research and
Innovation.
DR RUSSELL HOWARD
Dr Howard is currently CEO and founder
of Oakbio Inc., a cleantech company
in California developing sustainable
microbe-based technologies for making
valuable chemicals currently made by
the petrochemical industry. He is also
founder and former CEO of Maxygen, a
company focused on optimisation and
development of significantly improved
proprietary versions of marketed protein
pharmaceuticals. Maxygen also created
businesses in agriculture (Verdia) and
chemicals manufacture (Codexis).
Originally trained in biochemistry
and chemistry at the University of
Melbourne, Dr Howard spent over 20
years studying infectious diseases,
primarily the molecular basis for the
pathology of malaria. Before joining
Maxygen, Dr Howard served at research
institutes, biotechnology companies
and a pharmaceutical company both in
Australia and overseas, particularly in the
USA. In addition to numerous patents,
Dr Howard has over 140 publications in
peer-reviewed journals.
DR PETER ISDALE, AM
Dr Peter Isdale, AM, is the CEO of
IMBcom Pty Ltd., The University
of Queensland’s commercialisation
company for the IMB. He is a former
Business Director at the Australian
Institute of Marine Science (AIMS),
Australia’s national marine research
agency. He is also a former Principal
Research Scientist at AIMS, and
authored or co-authored more than 30
papers in his field of marine and climate
research.
He has 20 years of experience in the
operation and governance of private,
public and ASX-listed companies in
Australia, Asia and the Pacific Rim. He
is a Member of the Australian Institute of
Company Directors. Dr Isdale currently
holds six non-executive directorships
in biotech companies, senior positions
on Foundations around the world and
is an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M
University.
He holds a PhD in Marine
Geomorphology (1982) from James
Cook University. In 2006 he was
awarded an Order of Australia (AM)
for service to marine science through
research and as a contributor to the
development and commercialisation of
biotechnology.
PROFESSOR NICOS NICOLA, AO
Professor Nicos Nicola is an ex officio
member of the IMB Board, as he
serves as the Chair of the IMB Scientific
Advisory Committee. He is Assistant
Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall
Institute, as well as Joint Head of their
Cancer and Haemotology Division and a
Research Professor of the University of
Melbourne.
Professor Nicola completed both his
undergraduate and postgraduate
degrees at the University of Melbourne,
before working for a year at Brandeis
University in Massachusetts, USA. He
then joined the Walter and Eliza Hall
Institute in 1977.
He is responsible for major discoveries
including the purification of mouse
G-CSF, the definition of the human
equivalent of G-CSF and the purification
of Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor. Professor
Nicola has published over 250 journal
articles and 20 patents.