About us

Jean-Michel has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries with a sustained global track record of success in commercial operations as well as in capital raising, US and European public offerings, business development and M&A. He served as VP for North America Oncology at Eli Lilly and, prior to this, as Chair of the Eli Lilly UK Board and was Chief Marketing Officer at GE Healthcare’s Global Headquarters. Following his retirement from Eli Lilly in 2018, Jean-Michel has served on the boards of Kymab and Immunocore. He currently serves on the boards of Malin PLC, Exact Therapeutics AS, Eracal Therapeutics and Sophia Genetics SA.

Phil brings a wealth of leadership experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, with a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. Before joining Scancell, he served as CEO of CatalYm GmbH, a cancer immunotherapy company, where he significantly enhanced the company’s visibility and investor base. Under his leadership, CatalYm secured over $200 million in successful financing and advanced its lead program from Phase 1 to randomized Phase 2b clinical trials.

Previously, Phil led Merck Sharp & Dohme’s (MSD) European Innovation Hub & Business Development, where he headed a team that successfully completed a number of acquisitions and partnerships. Prior to MSD, he served as Executive Director of Cancer Research Technology Ltd (CRT). He has also been instrumental in the formation of multiple companies and has held Non-Executive Director roles at Achilles Therapeutics, Artios Pharma, Blink Therapeutics, PsiOxus Therapeutics and others. Phil holds a PhD in biology and an MBA.

Shamim brings over 20 years of oncology drug development and programme management experience. She has a proven track record of successfully delivering complex, multi-partner initiatives spanning from early preclinical to regulatory approval and late-phase clinical development.

She has led multidisciplinary teams in her roles as Project Leader on 2 major precision medicine initiatives at Cancer Research UK and University of Southampton. In her role as Project Director at Catalyst Clinical Research, she led large global teams in successful Phase 3 trial conduct. Her areas of expertise include programme strategy, regulatory engagement across the US, EU, and APAC regions and end-to-end programme execution. Shamim holds a PhD in Immunology and a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science.

Phil has over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology sector and has held senior leadership positions in multiple companies and settings. He brings deep expertise in CMC and drug development across a number of modalities with a proven track record of building, developing and leading highly successful, cross-functional teams.

Phil joins Scancell from Akamis Bio where he served as Director of CMC and has previously held prominent positions with Oxford Biomedica, the Clinical BioManufacturing Facility at the University of Oxford, Glysure and the Bio Products Laboratory. Phil holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Neuroscience from the University of Manchester.  

Lindy is an internationally recognised immunologist in the field of tumour therapy and co-founder of Scancell. She has worked for over 25 years in translational research, developing products for clinical trials including monoclonal antibodies and cancer vaccines. She has a personal Chair in Cancer Immunotherapy in the Department of Clinical Oncology at the University of Nottingham.

Sath is an experienced finance professional with over 15 years of experience across healthcare in FTSE and NASDAQ listed companies, investment banking and audit. Before joining Scancell, Sath was CFO for Europe, Middle-East and Africa at Prenetics, a leading genomics-driven health sciences company. Prior to that, Sath worked at Reckitt where he was Finance Director for Group Reporting and subsequently for eCommerce in Reckitt’s Health Division. Sath has also held senior positions at BTG plc and, earlier in his career, he was an equity research analyst in the healthcare team at Nomura and prior to that an auditor at KPMG. Sath earned a BSc in Pharmacology from King’s College, London, UK and holds an ACA (ICAEW), Chartered Accountant qualification. Sath is also a Non-Executive member of the audit committee at The Institute of Cancer Research.

Martin is a founder, director and partner of Vulpes Investment Management, which manages a number of funds including the Vulpes Life Sciences Fund. He has over 30 years’ experience in investment banking and fund management, and has been an investor in life sciences and biotech for nearly 20 years. Martin’s other directorships are Oxford Biomedica plc, Proteome Sciences plc and Chronos Therapeutics Limited.

Susan is an experienced life sciences financier with over 25 years of capital markets and investment banking experience, including Managing Director of Equity Capital Markets at Citigroup Global Markets Limited/Salomon Smith Barney and most recently until 2018, Managing Director at Torreya Partners. Susan is currently Non-Executive Director of MiNA Therapeutics, Non-Executive Director of Exploristics, Advisor at Oxford Science Enterprises and Member of the CW+ NHS Hospital Innovation Advisory Board. Susan has a BSc in Economics from University College London and a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Dr Ney has over thirty years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, including twenty years in senior leadership roles that also encompassed Executive and Non-Executive Board positions. She has broad experience of biologic and small molecule drug development across a range of therapeutic areas having been Director of Drug Development and on the Board of Celltech plc and later Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Antisoma plc. Most recently, she was Chief Executive Officer of Genkyotex SA. She was a on the board of Discuva Ltd and is currently a Non-Executive Director of Proteome Sciences plc and also a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Plymouth.

Florian is a highly accomplished life sciences professional who brings over 20 years of leadership and investment experience across established pharmaceutical companies, start-ups and healthcare investment organisations. He is currently on the investment team at Redmile, an investment firm that focuses on the healthcare sector. Prior to joining Redmile, Florian has worked at Apax Partners, DBV technologies, CDC Innovation Capital and co-founded and served as CEO of Concilio. Florian holds a BA (hons) in Physiology from Oxford University, as well as a medical degree from Imperial College London School of Medicine.

Nermeen has over 25 years of healthcare industry experience in senior leadership positions at global biopharmaceutical companies, business consultancy and clinical trial services. She brings deep expertise in clinical trial planning and medical affairs, with a strong track record in the execution of global drug development programmes including numerous registration studies in oncology. Nermeen has experience of building cross-functional global teams and progressing clinical assets through to regulatory and commercial success in several companies including BTG Ltd, Atlantic Healthcare plc and most recently at Relief Therapeutics. Dr Varawalla earned her MD from the University of Mumbai, followed by a PhD from the University of Oxford, UK, where she was a Rhodes Research Fellow. She also holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Mandeep brings more than 10 years of experience in business development and has previously held roles at leading UK biotech companies including at Abcam, where she covered the cancer portfolio, Cancer Research Technology, where she was involved in antibody out licensing, and Isogenica, where she was involved in making deals around the antibody platform, including a multi-target deal with BioNTech. Mandeep joins Scancell from ImaginAb where she held the role of Director of Business Development and worked on a number of out-licensing deals in cell therapy, vaccines and antibodies. She holds a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Master’s degree in Molecular Pathology and Toxicology from the University of Leicester, UK.

Callum is the Senior Vice President of Development at Scancell Ltd., bringing over 15 years of experience in product research and development. Prior to joining Scancell, he held senior managerial and consultancy roles across the biopharmaceutical sector, with a strong focus on vaccines and immunotherapeutics. Callum has successfully led the development of complex biologics from early-stage discovery through to late-phase clinical development, consistently applying scientifically rigorous, regulatory-compliant strategies to meet ambitious timelines without compromising quality.

He holds a PhD in Molecular Microbiology and a BSc in Biochemistry from Heriot-Watt University. Callum is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and a registered member of TOPRA (The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs).

Samantha joined Scancell from Immunocore where she held several positions including Head of T Cell Cloning and Group Leader. While at Immunocore, Samantha was responsible for the generation of the in house T cell cloning method and biological molecule discovery which made significant contributions to the current Immunocore oncology pipeline. Prior to this, Samantha held a number of positions at Medigene, Avidex, NIBSC and GSK. Samantha holds a PhD from University College London in Immunology/Haematology, following an BSc Honours Degree in Microbiology from the University of Sheffield.

Alex brings over 10 years of professional experience. Familiar with financing transactions, collaborations and key processes, he has delivered timely reporting and assumed a wide range of responsibilities at clinical and commercial stage Nasdaq listed biotechnology companies. He joins Scancell from Immunocore, where he was Director of External Reporting & SOX Compliance and instrumental in the implementation of effective controls and commercial accounting. Alex previously worked at Adaptimmune and Johnson & Johnson after qualifying as a chartered accountant at KPMG. He holds an ACA qualification from the ICAEW and an MA in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh.

Professor Patel is a distinguished melanoma oncologist and clinical investigator at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and the CU Department of Medicine, Aurora, CO. She is a Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, where she leads the Cutaneous Oncology Program and holds the Dr. William Robinson Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. Previously, Prof. Patel spent over 16 years at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, TX, where she was Associate Professor, Director of the Uveal Melanoma Program, and Director of the Melanoma Fellowship Program. Prof. Patel earned her BA from the University of Texas at Austin and MD at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She subsequently completed her residency at CU Health Sciences Center.

Dr Shaw is a consultant medical oncologist and lead for the medical oncology skin cancer service at University College London Hospital. She also works at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, London. Dr Shaw’s main interests include the development of new strategies for the treatment of melanoma, including rare subtypes such as ocular, and novel therapies to overcome resistance to currently available treatments and maximise benefit for patients. She has a specialty interest in the management of immunotherapy adverse events and is involved in development of local and national guidance while leading services in both institutions for acute patient management. Dr Shaw received her medical degree from the University of Glasgow, and subsequently, Membership of the Royal College of Physicians.

Professor Long is Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), and Chair of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Translational Research at MIA and Royal North Shore Hospital, The University of Sydney. She leads an extensive clinical trials team and laboratory at MIA, with a focus on immuno-oncology and targeted therapies in melanoma. She is principal investigator on Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials in (neo)adjuvant and metastatic melanoma, including trials in patients with active brain metastases. She is the chief investigator on NHMRC funded research into the molecular biology of melanoma. Prof. Long holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry, in the field of anti-cancer agents and their binding to DNA and completed a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship at Scripps Research Institute, exploring nanotechnology in cancer treatment.

Professor Ascierto is Director of the Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy at the National Tumor Institute Fondazione G. Pascale in Naples (Italy). He is the coordinator of the clinical practice guidelines for melanoma for the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and is part of the panel for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) melanoma guidelines. Prof. Ascierto’s major research interests include the genetics and proteomics of melanoma, assessment of new molecular markers for tumour progression, biochemical and immunological monitoring, immunotherapy and vaccination treatments in solid tumors, and combination strategies with immuno-oncology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Naples where he earned board certification in oncology.

Dr Corrie is Consultant and Affiliated Associate Professor in Medical Oncology at Cambridge University Hospitals. She leads the non-surgical melanoma and pancreatic cancer clinical teams at Cambridge University Hospitals and over the last 20 years, has been closely involved in clinical trials which have led to the introduction of modern treatments for patients with melanoma and pancreaticobiliary cancers. Dr Corrie is NIHR Cancer Research Network National Cancer Co-Lead, NCRI Pancreatic Cancer Workstream Chair, Trustee of the Melanoma Focus national charity and Medical Advisor to the Pancreatic Cancer UK charity. She qualified in medicine at Oxford University and holds a Ph.D. in anti-cancer drug development.

Professor Eggermont is Professor at the Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands. Prof. Eggermont’s has particular expertise in immunotherapy research and the treatment of melanomas and sarcomas, as well as fundamental research in tumour pathophysiology and immunology. He was previously General Director of Gustave Roussy cancer research hospital, Professor of Oncological Surgery at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and headed the Department of Oncological Surgery at the Daniel den Hoed Cancer Centre in Rotterdam. His clinical specialties include immunotherapy, melanoma, sarcoma and regional therapy techniques as well as general drug development. Prof. Eggermont studied medicine at Free University Amsterdam.

Mike Holmes is a pharmaceutical physician and senior executive at Holmes Darcy Pharma Consulting. Mr Holmes has 25 years of global industry leadership and 10 years of clinical practice, specializing in oncology, medical affairs, and clinical development. He was formerly Vice President and Head of Global Oncology Medical Affairs at MSD, with a proven record of shaping strategy for leading oncology assets including Keytruda^®, Lenvima^®, and Lynparza^®. As Director and Founder of Holmes Darcy Pharma Consulting and Director at Circuit Medical, he advises pharmaceutical and biotech organizations on global strategy, regulatory engagement, clinical development, and medical affairs innovation.

Dr Postow is Chief of the Melanoma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where he leads a team with world-leading expertise in the treatment and management of the condition and which has developed many FDA-approved therapies. He has particular expertise in immunotherapy and targeted therapy and has led clinical trials involving immunotherapeutic agents, including a Phase 2 study of the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab. His translational efforts involve studying immunologic biomarkers associated with response to immune checkpoint inhibition. Dr Postow completed medical school at New York University School of Medicine and internal medicine residency training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Rubin’s career has focused on cancer drug development for over 35 years, initially as a faculty member at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, then as a senior leader of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, where he served as the Director of the Investigational Therapeutics Division of that institution. Subsequently, he was recruited to Merck, where early and late-stage development of of the anti-PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab, which was the first anti-PD-1 therapy approved in the U.S. Dr. Rubin served as a member of National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society study sections, as well as on program committees for the American Association of Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He holds a B.S. in mathematics and biology from Tulane University, and an M.D. from the University of South Florida.

Professor Schadendorf is Director of the Department of Dermatology at University Hospital Essen, Germany, and a renowned expert in the field of skin cancer. He has nearly 40 years of experience in the field, having dedicated his career to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of dermatological conditions, particularly skin cancer. His research focuses on various aspects of skin cancer, including prognostic markers, chemoresistance, and the development of novel therapeutic approaches. As the leader of the German Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group and chairman of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Prof. Schadendorf plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of dermatology and oncology. He obtained his medical degree at Hamburg Hospital and completed his residency training at the Rudolf Virchow Hospital in Berlin.