Dr. Andy Gearing
Dr. Gearing has been involved with the European biotechnology industry throughout his career. Dr Gearing has a successful track record in research management in both government at the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control and in the commercial sector with British Biotech. He has published over 90 scientific papers, books and patents and organized several international conferences. He has managed research and development projects in cytokine biology, immunology, inflammation and neurobiology. Latterly, Dr Gearing moved into business development and was responsible for identifying and in-licensing compounds into British Biotech’s portfolio, as well as leading teams involved in the out-licensing of British Biotech’s Metalloenzyme technology. Dr Gearing moved to Australia early in 2001 to become CEO of BIOCOMM. Since joining Biocomm, he has been instrumental in Biocomm’s expansion in to Europe, North America and most recently Japan.
Professor Kingston Mills (Founder)
Prof. Mills is an internationally renowned scientist who is an Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator and Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin. Prof. Mills’ leads a large research group whose expertise is in regulatory T-cells and adaptive immunity. He has had major collaborations with many biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and also has significant exposure to regulatory agencies through his involvement as a scientist in the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in South Mimms (UK). He is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin, and was awarded the prestigious Royal Irish Academy Medal for Biochemistry in 2004. He publishes frequently in leading peer-reviewed publications on all aspects of immunology. Professor Mills also serves on the Board of Directors.
Professor Dermot Kelleher (Founder)
Prof. Kelleher is currently Professor (and Head of Department) of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin and director of a large research group that focuses on the areas of immunology and cell biology of the gastrointestinal tract. He is a consultant gastroenterologist at St. James’ Hospital in Dublin, which provides Opsona with strong links into the clinical community. Prof. Kelleher trained in Dublin and in San Diego, California; including two years at UC San Diego and one year in biotech at Eli Lilly Research Laboratories where his research focused on lymphocyte signal transduction. He has successfully obtained funding from a wide range of sources including The Wellcome Trust, European Union 4th and 5th Frameworks, and, while in the US, from the National Institute of Health. Professor Kelleher has been involved in multi-national clinical trials with pharmaceutical companies and is active in the Irish Biotechnology community.
Professor Luke O’Neill (Founder)
Prof. O’Neill is currently Professor (and Head of Department) of Biochemistry at Trinity College and an SFI Fellow whose research group focuses on the signalling processes involved in innate immunity. Prof. O’Neill is regarded as a world authority on Toll-like receptors, immune system signalling and innate immunity. Prof. O’Neill has filed patents surrounding a number of key proteins in the innate immune cascade. Prof. O’Neill’s group has demonstrated excellence in the area of Toll signalling molecules and their role in inflammation and in the identification of drug targets and vaccine technology. He also has had a number of major relationships within the pharmaceutical industry, and was awarded the prestigious Irish Society of Immunology Medal in 2004.
