Our People

Prof. Alex Loukas was awarded a BSc Hons in 1990 and a PhD in 1995 from the University of Queensland. He has worked on the secretomes of parasitic helminths and their utility as vaccines, diagnostics and immunotherapeutics for most of his career. Alex conducted postdoctoral work at The University of Edinburgh and was an Assistant Research Professor at George Washington University before relocating back to Australia. In 2010 Alex relocated his group from Queensland Institute of Medical Research to James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns, QLD, where he is currently a Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine. Alex’s laboratory at JCU was developed with a view to capturing the translational aspects of research on helminth-derived therapeutics for treating inflammatory diseases. He has published more than 350 peer reviewed articles, holds numerous awards, international fellowships, and patents for helminth vaccines, diagnostics and immunotherapeutics, and has raised more than $100M in collaborative grant funding.

Dr. Paul Giacomin is a Senior Research Fellow in the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine at JCU Cairns. Since completing his PhD studies at the University of Adelaide in 2008, his research interests have focused on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which immune responses to parasitic helminths (worms) are initiated and regulated. Dr. Giacomin underwent his postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania between 2008 and 2012 in the laboratory of Dr. David Artis, where he was awarded fellowships from the American-Australian Association, as well as the NHMRC, to conduct his research. Dr. Giacomin continued his fellowship at JCU Cairns in 2012, was then awarded an Advance Queensland mid-career fellowship in 2015 and continues to investigate the key immune cells and cytokines involved in immunity to intestinal worms, as well as exploring the potential beneficial effects that worm infection may have in alleviating inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases.

Andrew Wilson is a co-founder and Managing Director of Wolf Capital, a private investment group and family office.  Wolf Capital overseas a portfolio of public and private holdings. Wolf Capital also manages the family’s philanthropic and community activities, which includes supporting The Wilson Centre for Blood Cancer Genomics, a leading Australian genomic testing and research centre for blood cancers.

Andrew is a Non-Executive Director of Reece Group, a Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and sits on the board of various private businesses and foundations. Previously, Andrew was Head of Business Finance in Eastern Europe for a major global FMCG group, and has had numerous appointments with leading national and multinational companies. Andrew has more than 25 years of corporate and investment experience.

Matthew Moyle is a biopharma veteran with a solid record of building and leading high-performing teams in the quest to deliver breakthrough medicines to patients. Dr Moyle has held executive-level positions at Boehringer Ingelheim, Amgen, Theraclone and Tanox, among others, resulting in the delivery of more than 20 drug candidates that have advanced to clinical testing, with several in late-stage development and two approvals thus far. During his tenure in industry, Dr Moyle has also led research programs that resulted in high-impact publications in immunology and virology. Dr Moyle received his BSc and PhD degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral studies at Genentech. Currently, Dr Moyle is engaged in new company creation within the venture capital community.

Professor Trent Munro is currently Senior Vice President of Therapeutics at Microba Life Sciences. Professor Munro has over 25 years’ research and development experience, including with multinational biopharmaceutical company Amgen.

Professor Munro was based in California with Amgen for over six years, including in the role of Executive Director leading a global team. During this time, he played key roles in the translation of molecules from research, through clinical trials, regulatory approval, and global licensure. This included a diverse range of programs spanning novel biologics, small molecules, nucleic acid-based, cell-based and gene-based therapies across multiple therapeutic areas. Professor Munro has also held several leadership roles in Australia including Director of the National Biologics Facility (NBF), Program Director of the CEPI funded Rapid Response Vaccine pipeline, Director of the ARC Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation (CBI) and Senior Group Leader at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) at the University of Queensland. Professor Munro completed postdoctoral studies in cell biology and developmental genetics at Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge, and has a PhD in Protein Biochemistry from the University of Queensland.

Chief Operating Officer

Keith Dredge is a drug development consultant with over 20 years of experience, including executive positions in Zucero Therapeutics, Paragen Bio, Progen Pharmaceuticals, TetraQ, and consulting for a number of biotech companies in Australia. Major achievements include the development of the immunomodulator pixatimod from conception to a Phase 2 clinical trial in the U.S. and the design of the preclinical testing cascade for Revlimid® and Pomalyst®, now FDA-approved immunomodulatory drugs for cancer. Keith has authored 50 scientific publications and is an inventor on two patent applications. Keith has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Toxicology and PhD in Pharmacology from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and was a UK and European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) from 2008-2015.

Finance & Administration Manager

Chief Wound Healing Consultant

Gary Shooter has a PhD in Protein Chemistry from Adelaide University with over 30 years of experience in academic- and industry-based research and development projects. Much of his early career was focused on the development, production and characterisation of growth factors. Subsequently, Dr Shooter lead the Tissue Repair and Regeneration Program at Queensland University of Technology and was involved in a wide range of projects including chronic wound proteomics and the development of novel bioactive matrices for enhanced wound healing. Dr Shooter was also involved in establishing the Wound Management & Innovation Cooperative Research Centre where he led the Enabling Technologies Program between 2012-2014. From 2004-2019 Dr Shooter was the Director of R&D at Tissue Therapies Ltd (latter Factor Therapeutics) where he progressed a wound-healing drug candidate from discovery through to Phase IIb clinical trials for treating Venous Leg Ulcers. During this position, Dr Shooter gained broad expertise in the development of a biologic product covering cGMP manufacturing, CMC, toxicology, regulatory affairs and clinical trial design.

Business Development Consultant

Justus has twenty years of experience managing start-up biotechnology companies built on fifteen years of new technology development, strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions with a large multinational, where his final role involved managing the company’s European Division as it proceeded through three acquisitions and post-acquisition integration. Justus has experience in oncology, gastroenterology, animal health and crop protection. Justus’s start-up experience includes raising capital through Venture Capital, Seed Funds, Private Equity, and Initial Public Offerings as well as the management of listed biotechnology companies. Justus’s international experience includes having worked in the US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Before completing his MBA from the University of Washington, Justus attended Iowa State University, Southern Illinois University, and the University of Utrecht, where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and held an academic post at the University of Michigan.