Chris Smith, PhD
Non-Executive Director
Chris Smith, PhD
Non-Executive Director
Chris is a Partner at Brandon Capital, where he is involved in conducting venture capital investments in to life science companies. Chris has extensive experience with both the in-licensing and out-licensing of therapeutic drugs and R&D platforms, which he gained as a Business Development Manager with CSL Ltd., Australia’s largest pharmaceutical company.
Chris received a Ph.D. in immunology from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and an MBA specialising in innovation and entrepreneurship from the University of Cambridge, UK.
Steve Burnell, PhD
Non-Executive Director
Steve Burnell, PhD
Non-Executive Director
Steve is the Managing Director of Tenmile, an Australian venture capital firm focused on health technology. He has 35+ years’ experience in research and business that spans healthcare, biotech, ocean and climate science, and strategy consulting for global organisations. He has a passion for working at the intersection of technology and healthcare with deep experience in oncology and also technology’s intersection with conservation where his current focus is on climate change and resilience. Steve remains a Strategic Advisor to the Minderoo Foundation, Australia’s largest philanthropy, where he previously led Minderoo’s Cancer, COVID-19 and Oceans initiatives.
Prior to returning to Australia in 2019, Steve was a senior executive at the Roche Group, the world’s largest biotech, where he was involved in significant personalised healthcare M&A and had responsibility for several global businesses, including establishing a new informatics and real-world data business in oncology for Roche.
He holds a BSc with Honors in Biology and a Ph.D. in Population Biology from the University of Sydney, Australia.
John Kurek
John Kurek
John has 20 years of industry experience as a Biotechnology Manager with a focus on the strategic design and implementation of drug development programs.
John is the Biotechnology Investment Manager of Uniseed, a $70m venture fund, operating at the Universities of Melbourne, Queensland, Sydney, New South Wales and the CSIRO. In this role, John is responsible for identifying new investment opportunities and managing Uniseed’s overall biotechnology and life sciences portfolio. John’s previous roles have included Pharmaceutical Development Manager at BioDiem Ltd., managing the preclinical, clinical and regulatory aspects of BioDiem’s drug development programs, and Preclinical Development Manager at Amrad Corporation Ltd., where he was responsible for the management of preclinical drug development projects. His experience extends from drug discovery to the clinical phase of drug development. John has a PhD in neuroscience and a Post Graduate Diploma in drug evaluation and pharmaceutical science, both from the University of Melbourne, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Leigh Farrell, PhD, FAICD
Non-Executive Director
Leigh Farrell, PhD, FAICD
Non-Executive Director
Leigh has over 30 years’ experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medtech industries. Leigh is Managing Director of AdNED Pty Ltd, non-executive director of both Pro Medicus Ltd and Axelia Oncology Pty Ltd, a member of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Board Commercialisation Committee, a member of the Independent Advisory Council of Medicines Australia, a member of the Scientific and Industry Advisory Committee of the Australian Research Council Centre for Cryo-electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Island Pharmaceuticals Ltd and is a member of the Investment Review Committee for the CUREator+ Dementia and Cognitive Decline program funded by the Medical Research Future Fund.
Leigh was previously the Head of Health Security Systems Australia, a Division of DMTC Ltd, Senior Vice President, Commercial of Certara USA, Inc. where he was responsible for Asia Pacific Commercial. Prior to this, he was Chairman and COO of d3 Medicine LLC, which was acquired by Certara USA, Inc. Prior to these appointments, Leigh was Vice President of Business Development at Biota Pharmaceuticals, Associate Director GBS Venture Partners, Research Manager Johnson & Johnson Research and CEO of Gene Shears Pty Ltd.
Leigh is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Christophe Demaison, PhD
CEO
Christophe Demaison, PhD
CEO
Christophe has served as CEO of ENA Respiratory since the company was formed in 2020 as a spin-off from ENA Therapeutics Pty Ltd, now renamed Axelia Oncology Pty Ltd.
Passionate about building ventures and leading teams committed to translating life sciences innovations into treatments that have a meaningful impact on patients, Christophe has more than 20 years of experience spanning start-up creation, capital raising, company management, pharmaceutical product development, business development and licensing of early-stage innovations.
Christophe has a strong research and technical background. He completed his Ph.D. in immunology at the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France before moving to Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK where his research led in 2002 to Britain’s first successful gene therapy clinical trial for the treatment of immune deficiencies in children.
