AviadoBio, a pioneering, pre-clinical stage, gene therapy company focused on developing and delivering transformative medicines for people with neurodegenerative disorders, announces that it has established a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprising world-leading experts in neurodegenerative diseases, neurosurgical drug delivery and gene therapy development.
The newly formed SAB will provide expert guidance to AviadoBio on its current and future research and development strategy, which involves the progression of its lead program in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) into the clinic, advancing the Company’s preclinical pipeline, including for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and building out the Company’s nervous system targeted delivery platforms.
The SAB will be led by Co-founder Prof. Chris Shaw, who currently serves as Chief Scientific and Clinical Advisor and developed AviadoBio’s technology in his laboratory at King’s College London, with the support of the UK Dementia Research Institute. Chris is a world-renowned Neurologist and Neuroscientist, who brings a deep understanding of brain architecture and disease pathogenesis and is driven by a career-long goal of delivering effective treatments to his patients.
Lisa Deschamps, CEO of AviadoBio, said: “Attracting such an esteemed and diverse group of neurodegenerative disease, neurosurgery and gene therapy experts to the AviadoBio team is a testament to the strength of our differentiated approach. Each member of the SAB brings unrivalled scientific expertise and in-depth knowledge that will be particularly invaluable as we progress our lead program for FTD into the clinic later this year.”
Professor Chris Shaw, commented: “I am delighted to Chair AviadoBio’s Scientific Advisory Board, which includes world-leading experts in their respective fields. The first therapies we are developing address unmet needs of people affected by FTD and ALS. These are devastating diseases with no approved treatments, and I look forward to working with the Board to advise the AviadoBio team in their drive to develop novel therapies capable of transforming the lives of patients and families.”
The AviadoBio SAB members are as follows:
- Professor Chris Shaw MBChB, MD, Co-founder AviadoBio and Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics, King’s College London, UK
- Professor Krystof Bankiewicz MD, PhD, Tenured Professor, Vice Chair of Research, Director, Brain Health and Performance Center, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- Professor Don Cleveland PhD, Professor of Medicine, Neurosciences, and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ludwig Cancer Research, University of California, San Diego, USA
- Professor Jonathan Rohrer MBBS, PhD, Professor of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- Professor Steven Gill MD, Chief Medical Officer, Neurochase Ltd and Hon. Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Bristol, UK
- Professor Merit Cudkowicz MD, MSc, Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School Chief, Neurology Service, Massachusetts General Hospital Director, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Tenured Professor, Vice Chair of Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery
- Assistant Professor Heather Gray-Edwards DVM, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiology at UMMS, member of the Horae Gene Therapy Center
- Professor Christian Haass PhD, Professor of Biochemistry Ludwig-Maximilians, University Munich, Germany
- Omar Khwaja MD PhD, Chief Medical Officer, VectivBio AG