The Management Team

Professor Ping Wang, Founder and Director

MD(Suzhou Medical College, China) PhD(Karolinska lnst, Sweden)
Professor of Experimental Immunology
Queen Mary, University of London

Ping Wang’s main interests are in two areas; molecular mechanisms of MHC class I antigen presentation and antigen-mediated molecular signalling in T cells. Studies of MHC class I antigen presentation focus on the mechanisms for controlling the presentability of antigenic peptides by MHC class I molecules in antigen presenting cells (APC) and particularly on the mechanisms that retain low-quality MHC class I molecules in the ER. Studies of molecular signalling in T cells by functional genomic and transgenic approaches led to the findings of two antagonistic transcription programs, activation and tolerance, in responding T cells. Dependent on the quality and quantity of the antigen, the outcome of T cell function is laid on the balance of these two programs. Ping Wang’s group has identified a number of signalling molecules and transcript factors, such as cytokine induced SH-2 containing protein (CIS), T-bet and early growth responsible gene -2 (EFR-2), which are among the key molecules regulating the balance of two transcription programmes. Based on the findings from this basic research, they have established a novel vaccine platform to develop therapeutic vaccines for melanoma, HIV and HCV.

Dr Graeme Brown, Director

After a PhD and several years scientific research in molecular genetics in the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Graeme joined Queen Mary University of London in 2002 as Business Development Manager. Since May 2005 he has been Director of Technology Transfer for Queen Mary, leading a team responsible for the management and exploitation of the College’s intellectual property portfolio. Graeme has broad experience of technology licensing, securing equity investment in spinout companies, and sits on the advisory boards of Kinetique Biomedical Seed Fund and Heptagon Life Science Proof of Concept Fund.

Valerie Jolliffe, Director and Company Sectretary

Valerie Jolliffe spent ten years working in investment banking in the City before moving into early stage technology investing with Elderstreet and then Bamboo Investments. She set up Javelin Ventures in 2002 and currently manages the Kinetique Biomedical Seed Fund, a University Challenge Fund, and Heptagon, a proof of concept fund for life sciences and healthcare covering seven higher education institutes in London. Valerie sits on the advisory board for the Iceni Seedcorn Fund, has been on the review panel for the Research Councils’ Follow-on Fund for the past two years, and is a Trustee of St Mary’s Paddington Charitable Trust. She is a non-executive director of a number of university spin-out companies.