ValiRx retains the services of a core team of scientific advisors to provide expert opinions on all pipeline projects in a wide range of therapeutic areas.

The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), led by Chief Scientific Officer, Cathy Tralau-Stewart, meets quarterly to critically review all projects and identify future trends in biomedical research, in addition to holding meetings with individual members of the ValiRx team in between.

Dr Wilson Caparrós-Wanderley (Independent Consultant)

Dr Wilson Caparrós-Wanderley is a pharmaceutical executive with 25 years’ experience in biomedical R&D. He obtained a first degree from the University of Barcelona and a PhD from the University of London. Upon receiving his PhD in the 90’s, he completed postdoctoral fellowships at King’s College London and Imperial College before moving to industry. During this time, he worked on viral vaccines, gene therapy vectors, cancer treatments and immunomodulatory therapies. In the mid 2000’s Dr Caparrós-Wanderley was appointed Chief Scientific Officer of PepTcell Ltd (later the SEEK Group).

During his 11-year tenure as CSO, he oversaw the expansion and progression of the company’s intellectual property into viable vaccine, respiratory and oncology therapies. At the time of his leaving SEEK in 2015, the company had two pharmaceutical products in the market and several others in late stage of development. Dr Caparrós-Wanderley has authored multiple patents, scientific articles and book chapters and has been an invited speaker at conferences and WHO events. He is currently acting as a consultant to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Dr Mark Eccleston (OncoLytika Ltd)

Dr Mark Eccleston is an enthusiastic and passionate biotechnology entrepreneur with over 25 years experience in the sector, both in academia and industry. He holds a PhD in Polymer Chemistry and worked on a range of translational research projects focussed mainly on non-viral gene delivery. Mark is the founder and Managing Director of OncoLytika Ltd. a technical consultancy company operating mainly in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector.

OncoLytika has an excellent track record raising soft funding (UK and EU) for internal projects and client companies including internationally located private and public limited companies across the diagnostics and therapeutic sectors as well as academia.

Dr Christophe Chassagnole (Physiomics PLC) 

Christophe is a Biochemist and Systems Biologist (Pathway modelling) by training. After completing his PhD at Bordeaux University, he held academic positions in metabolic engineering, before joining Physiomics in 2004. In his role as Physiomics' CSO, he is leading the science and overseeing customer projects. Physiomics provides consulting services in PK/PD and other mathematical modelling for biotechnologies and large pharmaceutical companies. In addition to the software side of the business, Christophe is leading the personalised dosing software initiative. 

For ValiRx, Physiomics has performed two large projects, which have also included working with Mark Eccleston during his historic position at ValiRx:
- Systems biology project (apoptosis model) to validate potential GeneICE targe t (Go/No Go decision).
- PK/PD modelling to support VAL201 development, initially pre-clinical modelling and first in man dose prediction, project has resumed with availability of clinical data.

Professor Paul Taylor (University of Leeds)

Professor Paul Taylor is part of the Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry research group and a member of the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds. Paul is also a Pro-Dean in the Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences. He is an experienced leader in Higher Education where he seeks to build effective, collaborative teams to drive innovation.  Paul’s research career is marked by transdisciplinary, collaborative projects and he has published widely with colleagues from Biological Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Social Sciences as well as within his core discipline of Chemistry.

Paul’s current research interests include molecular evolution and cancer therapy, where he uses a combination of computational and experimental approaches.