Roland Kozlowski BSc (Hons), PhD
Executive Chairman
Roland is a seasoned Life Science Industry professional with a great understanding of the Polish Life Science Eco-System from the perspective of a Western practitioner. Presently, he holds the position of Chairman and Commercial Director of OncoTherics Poland and Entrepreneur in Residence (Malopolska Region) at the Malopolskie Centre of Biotechnology in Krakow. He received a first-class honors degree from the University of Bath and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He has now worked in the industry for approaching thirty years and was Chief Executive Officer of Lectus Therapeutics and Sense Proteomic Limited two UK based venture capital backed companies which he co-founded, built and sold. Earlier in his career Roland ran Research Groups at the Univer-sity of Oxford and University of Bristol where he published and patented in the life sciences. He has served on, or advised the boards of several European companies, VC funds and charitable organizations. In Poland he co-founded, and was, a limited partner in Life Science Innovations Fund a VC fund specializing in life-science investment. He has acted as an advisor to the National Centre of Research & Development and the Polish Development Agency predominantly though a specialist consultancy boutique he created called Life Science Biznes Consulting LSBC Sp. z o.o.
Stefan Ogrodzinski BSc (Hons), MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Stefan Ogrodzinski is an experienced CEO and Board Director with a 25-year career spanning the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, voluntary and educational sectors. He currently leads the OncoTherics Team in the UK and Poland and is an active entrepreneur in the Life Sciences sector, having founded and lead a number of successful private companies in the UK. Skilled in start-up formation, IPR positioning, small business growth and Corporate Governance, Stefan received his BSc (Hons) in Toxicology and Pharmacology from The School of Pharmacy, University College London in 1987 and his MBA from De Montfort University in 1999. In 2000, Stefan founded the award-winning Life Science company, BioStatus and remains responsible for the overall direction and strategic management of the business. He is also a Director of BioSuspensions and BioTherics (two early stage pharmaceutical ventures) and sits on the advisory panel for the Centre for Doctoral Training in Targeted Therapeutics and Formulation Science at Nottingham University.
Kinga Drechny-Mucha
Pełnomocnik Zarządu i Dyrektor Marketingu i Komunikacji
Kinga is a seasoned professional of Marketing and Communication activities in various industries. She holds a Master’s Degree in Law & Administration and a Batchelors Degree in Marketing and Communication both from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Starting in tourism she worked in the hotel industry at then at the Regional Development Agency gaining in territorial marketing. Subsequently she was appointed as Director of Marketing at Krakow Balice Airport. There she was responsible for all marketing activity and re-branding which lead to the expansion of the network of air connections and airport services. Kinga then moved into the education sector take up the position of Marketing and Communication Director at Jagiellonian University. In this role she is responsible for the University’s branding, communications and marketing strategy and its implementation. In this role she has collaborated with institutions including the Ministry of Higher Education, the National Synchrotron Radiation Center and the European Research Council. In the past Kinga has lectured on aviation marketing and of late is often invited to speak as an expert on high educational marketing strategy. Building on an earlier marketing role at Life Science Biznes Consulting she accepted the position of Marketing and Communications Director at OncoTherics Poland Sp z o.o. where she is responsible for the Company’s marketing and promotional activity. Given her legal background she is also the CEO’s proxy.
Dr Thomas Morris BSC, MB BCh, MRCP, FFPM, LlM
Chief Medical Officer
Dr Thomas Morris received his BSc in Physiology from the University of Wales in 1984, his medical degrees in 1987 from the University of Wales College of Medicine, and his Master of Laws degree from Cardiff Law School in 2009. Thomas has worked in drug development for over 20 years with much of this time specialising in oncology. After deciding to specialise in pharmaceutical medicine, he worked first for Medeval Ltd (University of Manchester) and latterly AstraZeneca, where he has held a number of senior global R&D roles. Most recently these include Senior Medical Director, Executive Director Clinical Programs and Medical Science Director. He has overseen the clinical development of several global drug programs, interacting with academic groups and regulatory agencies worldwide and brings a wealth of experience in Clinical Trial Management to OncoTherics. Thomas is a Fellow and Board member of The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, a former chair of its Ethical Issues committee and a member of its Professional Standards Committee.
Professor Paul Smith BSc, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Paul is Professor Emeritus of Cancer Biology with over 30 years of international research experience in the fields of DNA repair, radiobiology, drug targeting and development and cytometry publishing over 200 papers and patents. He gained his BSc (Hons) from Bristol University (UK) and PhD from the University of Manchester (UK) at the Paterson Laboratories. Later as a Fellow of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council undertook research in Canada and later with the US National Cancer Institute. As a senior scientist of the Medical Research Council he led innovative research in the Clinical Oncology and Radiotherapeutics Unit (MRC Centre, Cambridge, UK). When appointed to the Chair of Cancer Biology at Cardiff University (UK) he took forward a multidisciplinary team in basic research. He is a Past-President of the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry, recipient of their Distinguished Service award and also co-recipient of the 2012 Royal Society of Chemistry Teamwork in Innovation Award. In 2013 he was elected as an International Fellow of The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Paul’s has been an advisor for commercial anticancer drug development, national and international agencies. Unusually he has acted as a strategy advisor and expert panel chair and member for all three of the major UK life-sciences linked Research Councils (EPSRC, BBSRC and the MRC) and has been recipient of major grants. Paul was a founder of the Wales Cancer Trials Unit and as a non-executive director of MediWales Ltd informing national science policy. He is an effective communicator with media experience. His research output and entrepreneurship has resulted in the establishment of Biostatus Ltd, BioTherics Ltd and BioSuspensions Ltd, three companies in which he has joint-controlling influence. Paul’s research has been essential to the recognition of modified anthraquinones as DNA topoisomerase targeting agents (eg Banoxantrone; AQ4N) allied with a critical understanding of cancer cell responses and the application of linked imaging technologies – insights that inform progress by OncoTherics Poland Sp. z o.o.
Professor Laurence Patterson BSc (Hons), PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Laurence Patterson is professor emeritus of drug discovery with over 30 years’ experience of research in UK pharma and academia. He gained his BSc (Hons) from Hertfordshire University and PhD from the Chelsea Department of Pharmacy, Kings College, London and is an elected honorary member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. After time building his drug research and development experience at Fisons Pharmaceuticals (now AZ) and the School of Pharmacy, DeMontfort University, Laurence went on to hold key positions as Head of Department of Pharmaceutical & Biological Chemistry at University College London School of Pharmacy and Director of the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford. He has published over 250 papers and patents concerned with the discovery and development of new drugs, formulations and cell imaging reagents. Laurence’s IP supported the formation of InCanThera Plc, a spinout company of which he is a founding shareholder. His research output also helped establish Biostatus Ltd and BioTherics Ltd, two companies that he has a controlling influence in. Laurence is on the advisory board of the Empire Discovery Institute, NY, USA, and is also called on regularly to assess R&D grant and loan applications to major UK and international funding agencies. Laurence is a visiting professor to the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing and co-investigator at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, CAS. Laurence’s research group discovered Banoxantrone (AQ4N), the Phase II trial ready tumor hypoxia activated agent in progress by OncoTherics Poland Sp. z o.o..
Justyna Supel
Dyrektor Operacyjny Polska
Justyna Supel is an experienced Operations and Compliance Executive with an excellent understanding of public funding processes in the commercial and public sector. Justyna obtained a Master Degree in Biological Chemistry from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, thereafter she worked in Poland and the UK as a scientist. Following receipt of an MBA from Oxford Brooks University and Polish Open University Justyna moved into the commercial sector where she was instrumental in raising grant funding and managing operations at Selvita. She also played a key role in raising public funds for and subsequent building of the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology at the Jagiellonian University dealing with many operational, compliance, financial and legal issues. Presently she works for the Malopolska SPIN initiative seeking out investment opportunities from the Jagiellonian University and the Malopolska Region and subsequently providing assistance in business planning and development of funding strategies. From January 2020 she jointed Oncotherics Poland team and acts as Operational Director Poland.
Professor Stephanie McKeown BA (Oxon), PhD, CBiol MIBiol
Project Director
BA (Oxon), PhD, CBiol MIBiol – Project Director – Stephanie is an Internationally recognized radiobiology expert with main research interests focused around tumour radiobiology with particular reference to hypoxia and the role of the tumour microvasculature in treatment response.
Stephanie's main research interests are focused around tumour radiobiology with particular reference to hypoxia and the role of the tumour microvasculature in treatment response. The work of her laboratory provided the majority of the data for the preclinical development of AQ4N. During this process she was a member of the clinical trials advisory committee funded jointly by Cancer Research Campaign and an industrial partner.
Mike Leyland BSc, FCA
Chief Finance Officer
Michael Leyland is a widely experienced, senior finance executive specialising in guiding early biotech start-up companies.
Mike graduated from Kings College London with a degree in Chemistry, before taking an assistant manager's position at Thomson Mclintock & Co (now KPMG). After qualifying as an accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, he moved to British Leyland to take up a position as Financial Accounting Manager. He then moved to Glaxo where he worked for 16 years in a variety of senior positions including FD for Glaxo Export Ltd, FD Glaxo Companies Singapore, Group Deputy Treasurer and Director of Administration Glaxo Wellcome plc (Geneva).
In the last 10 years, Mike has served as the Director of European operations for A. M. Pappas & Associates.
Mike brings a wealth of expertise to OncoTherics, both as an executive and non-executive director of OFEX and other private companies and major subsidiaries of Glaxo world-wide. He is a valuable member of the OncoTherics team offering financial and strategic support to the company.
Roy Eady BSc PhD
Rada Nadzorca
After qualifying with a first degree in Physiology & Chemistry from the University of London in 1968 and a PhD London (Physiology) from Bedford College, University of London in 1972, (Membrane Proteins from Human Erythrocytes as Possible ÇCarriers for the Hexose Transport System), Roy has built extensive, top-level, leadership and management experience of the Drug Discovery (Fisons Pharmaceuticals) and Drug Development (Astra & AstraZeneca) processes.
Roy is a multi-talented scientist with specialist pharma consulting competencies. Latterly he has been involved in business development projects in private and public funded companies, leading a number of global of change management processes including Global Project Team organisation, Project and Portfolio Management.
Roy brings a wealth of pharmaceutical and project management experience to the OncoTherics board.
Bob Humphries BSc (Hons)
Rada Nadzorca
Bob gained his BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology from the University of Bradford in 1979. His subsequent 32 year career in the Pharmaceutical industry has been with Fisons, Astra then AstraZeneca as a pharmacologist, scientific team leader and cross functional project team leader.
Bob led the discovery project teams responsible for the discovery and early progression of the anti-thrombotic (P2Y12 antagonists) compounds BRILINTA and cangrelor - medicines that have, and will, save patients' lives. He is a Recipient of a 2010 CEO's award for leading the BRILINTA Discovery Project and also featured in R&D Directions Most Notable People in R&D in 2009 for the BRILINTA story
Since leaving AstraZeneca in April 2012, Bob has been working with clients to develop strategies, target profiles and development plans for respiratory, inflammation, oncology and scar prevention projects. He brings a welcome breadth of experience to the OncoTherics board.
