World-class scientific leaders join Crick boards

Two world-class scientific leaders have been appointed to help govern the Crick’s institutional and scientific strategy, with neuroscientist Mene Pangalos joining the Board of Trustees and biochemist Elena Conti joining the Scientific Advisory Board.

Mene Pangalos

Mene Pangalos is Executive Vice-President of AstraZeneca Research and Development BioPharmaceuticals, responsible for R&D across Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic, and Infection, Neuroscience and Autoimmune disease areas. He has over 150 peer-reviewed articles, sits on the Medical Research Council and is a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Mene joins the Crick’s Board of Trustees, working to ensure the long-term success of the Crick. The Board oversees the Crick’s management to make sure that we have the right strategy, resources and governance to deliver our vision.

I am excited to be joining the Board of Trustees and realizing the potential of the Francis Crick Institute to advance UK and global biomedical science. I share its vision of discovery without boundaries to better understand human biology for the benefit of patients. Open collaboration and scientific exchange with industry will be a key enabler of the Institute’s success and I look forward to contributing to this.”

Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice-President of AstraZeneca Research and Development BioPharmaceuticals

Lord Browne of Madingley, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said:

Mene Pangalos brings with him a vital combination of commercial experience underpinned by scientific excellence, a perspective that will be crucial to ensure the Institute’s continued success. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to welcome him to the Francis Crick Institute.”

Elena Conti

Elena Conti is Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich and her world-class research has received many awards. In 2014 she was awarded the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine for her work understanding how faulty RNAs are recognized and eliminated at the atomic level.

Elena joins the Crick’s Scientific Advisory Board which advises our Director, Paul Nurse, on the development and implementation of our scientific strategy.

Elena said:

It is exciting to learn about the outstanding research that shapes the Crick into such a scientific powerhouse and I consider it a privilege to join this extraordinary group of scientists that form the Crick’s SAB.

I am delighted to welcome these two outstanding scientific leaders to take up vital roles overseeing our strategy and science,” said Paul Nurse, Director of the Crick. “Mene brings valuable experience in translation and scientific management which will help us to drive the institute forwards. Elena is a world-class researcher and director whose perspective will be extremely valuable to inform our scientific strategy.”