Christopher Burns

Dr Christopher Burns is an experienced drug discovery leader with over 25 years of experience in pharma, biotech and academia.

After completing a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, Dr Burns undertook post-doctoral studies in the USA before moving to Pfizer UK where he worked on a variety of drug discovery projects. After 5 years, he returned to Australia as a research fellow at the University of Sydney with the CRC for Molecular Engineering and Technology.

Dr Burns was also head of chemistry at biotechnology company Ambri; head of medicinal chemistry and later as research director at Melbourne-based biotech where he led teams in the discovery of two anti-cancer agents that have entered clinical trial, including the drug momelotinib which successfully completed Phase III studies; laboratory head at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne; and executive roles with privately held biotechs MecRx, Certa Therapeutics and OccuRx.

Dr Burns is the inventor on over 30 patents and a co-author on over 50 scientific publications.