NUCLIDIUM - Key Persons
Adriano is a dynamic and driven organic chemist from Italy that joined our team as the first PhD student. With a Master's in Organic Chemistry at KU Leuven, he brings a passion for pushing pharmaceutical research boundaries. Eager to contribute to the fight against cancer, Adriano's profound understanding of organic chemistry brings fresh perspectives to our endeavours. He is now embarking on a groundbreaking project within our company, aligning his research with the innovative goals of NUCLIDIUM's portfolio.
Andreas is a finance executive with 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and biotech industries. His experience includes leadership positions at Alcon, Novartis, Affivant and most recently at Jeito with an immuno-oncology biotech company. He has worked as CFO at the country, cluster, and regional levels, as well as VP Finance in Global Drug Development and as a CFO in Biotech. Throughout his career, he has worked on international projects, legal entity mergers, and acquisition implementation. Andreas started his professional career with Deloitte and KPMG. At Nuclidium, he is in charge of the financial strategy, investor relations and operations.
Job Titles:
- Kristin Gabriel / Office & Financial Manager
- Office & Financial Manager
Throughout an extensive experience as a buyer in the purchasing departments of leading global e-commerce and commerce companies, Ann-Kristin developed a wide range of skills in the areas of administration and organisation. Within NUCLIDIUM she supports the CEO, the CFO and the team through several back-office management tasks, including procurement, finance and budget planning.
Anna's career in pharmaceutical chemistry began with her PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Warsaw. Her journey included a postdoctoral position in Procter & Gamble's pharmaceutical division and at ETH Zürich. From 2005, Anna continued her career at Lonza AG as a program manager. Here, she led multifunctional teams and managed commercial programs. Between 2016 and 2018, she co-headed a major CAPEX project, focusing on the construction and qualification of a new pharmaceutical production facility. In 2019, Anna ventured into the targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy sector, taking on the role of CMC Director at Clovis Oncology. Anna's vast experience culminated in her joining Nuclidium as the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) in January 2024. In this role, she leads the drug product development team and oversees clinical programs, continuing her distinguished career in the pharmaceutical and chemical sciences.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Investor
- Chairman of Sermonix Pharmaceuticals Inc
Anthony is the Chairman of Sermonix Pharmaceuticals Inc. and a member of the advisory board of Auven Therapeutics Holding. In the past, he was a member of the board of Bioglan (UK), Allergan Inc. (USA), Variagenics Inc (USA), Millenium Pharma. Inc (USA), Fovea Pharma.S.A. (France) and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. (India). He covered the role of Chairman of the International Section of Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, as well as of Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
Job Titles:
- Head of Analytical - and Radiochemistry
Attila holds a PhD in Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry and has a solid background as a radiochemist in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on synthesis automation and separation methods based on liquid chromatography.
Within NUCLIDIUM, Attila has the lead on the chemistry optimisation of the radionuclide production, and he is responsible for the development of analytical methods and the product requirement specifications. Furthermore, he covers the role of Radiation Safety Officer.
Job Titles:
- Head of Quality Assurance
Caterina holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, followed by experimental research in the field of Analytical and Organic Chemistry as part of her PhD in Food Chemistry at TU Munich. Through postgraduate training at ETH Zürich, Caterina has gained experience to become a Qualified Person in Radiopharmacy, specifically in quality management and the marketing authorisation of radiopharmaceuticals, within the European legislative framework.
Within NUCLIDIUM she is responsible for Quality Assurance. This includes the definition of product specifications, quality controls and the documentation of processes for the manufacturing of radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals according to GMP principles.
Job Titles:
- Head of Pharmaceutical Development
Francesco is clinical chemist by training, holding a PhD in experimental medicine from TU Munich with specialisation in the study of novel PET-tracers for the molecular imaging of oncological diseases.
He gained experience in the development of PET-imaging probes, including design, synthesis, and preclinical validation in vitro and in vivo, with a focus on the translation from preclinical to clinical studies and compliance with the regulatory directives. Francesco has a broad knowledge in the production of radiopharmaceuticals, from radiolabelling to quality controls, following GMP principles.
As Head of Pharmaceutical Development, he leads the development of new tracers in the NUCLIDIUM portfolio and coordinates our clinical partners during preclinical and clinical phases.
Job Titles:
- FACNM, PhD ) Scientific Advisor
Gary holds a medical degree and a PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University School of Medicine and is a Fellow of American College of Nuclear Medicine. After a residency at the University of Southern California and working at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he joined HOAG Family Cancer Institute, where he is currently the Director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy (MIT). Furthermore, he is Professor of Radiology and Translational Genomics at the University of Southern California. Gary has been the principal investigator of prospective clinical trials for six novel PET radiotracers for patients with breast cancer, prostate cancer and myeloma, funded by two National Institutes of Health R01s, as well as grants from the Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer Research Programs, Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Rising Tide Foundation. His clinical trials emphasize targeted imaging to guide targeted therapy of cancer, particularly ER, HER2, PSMA and CD38 targeted PET imaging. As a recognised expert in the use of targeted cancer imaging, he is on the editorial board of 4 leading radiology journals (Radiology, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and Clinical Nuclear Medicine). Gary authored the text "Fundamentals of Oncologic PET/CT", and is on the scientific advisory boards of ImaginAb, GE Healthcare, and the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance. He was the first Hal O'Brien Rising Star from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Managing Director
After gaining her PhD in Biophysics as an International Max-Planck Research School scholar, Leila joined the nuclear field in 2006, starting as an engineer in radiation protection and neutron fluence. Throughout Leila's career, she has worked across multiple disciplines as a technical project lead in nuclear engineering, lastly in the production of radionuclides. Before founding NUCLIDIUM in 2017, Leila was active as a programme manager in the worldwide development of infrastructure for radionuclide production. As CEO, Leila focuses on shaping and the execution of NUCLIDIUM`s international strategy towards its primary goal of improving the availability and affordability of radiopharmaceuticals in cancer diagnosis and therapy worldwide.
Lutz has an interdisciplinary background in bioscience, molecular biomedicine, and biomechanics. He earned his PhD from the University of Applied Sciences and LMU Munich, specializing in the biomechanics of cartilage and its impact on osteoarthritis. His doctoral studies included participation in the DFG-funded project ‘ExCarBon'. His experience in the quality control of therapeutic antibodies in a GMP-compliant environment contributes significantly to NUCLIDIUM's developments.
Currently, Lutz is a part of the Nuclidium team as a technical project leader in developing new production facilities and managing R&D projects.
Job Titles:
- Head of Technical Project Development
Markus is a physicist with conviction and training, holding a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Padua, specialising in metrology for precision metal additive manufacturing.
During his career, he gained a broad knowledge of non-destructive analysis methods and how to derive feedback for improving part design and manufacturing processes. Due to his years of experience navigating the waters of international and transdisciplinary research, he can bundle the expertise of different fields and persons to achieve common goals.
At Nuclidium, he is responsible for all the process chain technical aspects. This includes setting up new production sites, managing R&D projects, and analysing and evaluating research data paving the way for further improvement and development.
Matthias is lawyer and public notary in Cantons of Basel-Stadt/Basel-Land and a lead partner of VISCHER AG and of Life Sciences group. He is Chairman of BioValley Basel and Treasurer of BioValley Business Angels Club (BioBAC). He is a member of the board of the Fondation Internationale de Recherche Servier and of JFG Life Sciences Foundation (University of Basel). Furthermore, he is part of the board of Directors of Work in Progress Holding AG. In the past, he worked as foreign associate with Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York.
Michael is a leading expert in radiopharmaceutical development. He is an Associate Professor of Radiology at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Director of the Cyclotron Facility. Michael also is Vice President, Radiopharmaceutical Science Council, SNMMI and Co-Chair of the Managers of Molecular Imaging Laboratories Interest Group, WMIC
Job Titles:
- Quality Assurance Chemist
Nicole holds a degree in chemistry and pursued experimental research in biological and medicinal inorganic chemistry as part of her Ph.D. in chemistry at the Ruhr-University Bochum. In her project, Nicole synthesized organometallic ruthenium complexes and tested them for their application as catalysts for bioorthogonal deprotection reactions inside Gram-positive bacteria. Within NUCLIDIUM, Nicole supports Dr. Caterina Porcelli in the Quality Assurance department. This includes defining product specifications, quality controls, and the documentation of processes for manufacturing radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals according to GMP principles.
After studying biochemistry and obtaining his PhD in Physiology and Cell Biology at Oxford University in 1993, Nikolai had a 20-year career in investment banking (S.G. Warburg, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers/Nomura), where he advised the senior managements and boards of predominantly chemical and life sciences companies on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate finance transactions. He then joined a private investment platform in Switzerland as Managing Partner before co-founding his own advisory boutique, focused on the life sciences sector. Nikolai also has significant experience as non-executive director in private companies across multiple industries. As Strategic Advisor to NUCLIDIUM, Nikolai focuses on all aspects of fundraising and supporting senior management on business development and execution of their strategy.
Dr. Sebastian Schleser is an organic chemist who has been pursuing the chemical approach to fighting cancer for years. He studied chemistry at TU Munich, focusing on organic chemistry and radiopharmacy. He completed his master's thesis about the syntheses and preclinical evaluation of 18F-labelled PSMA inhibitors up to first-in-men studies. He did his consecutive PhD studies in Organic Chemistry in Bayreuth with the synthesis and evaluation of anti-tumoral organometallic complexes with pleiotropic mechanisms of action.
As Head of Chemistry, he can apply this interdisciplinary knowledge of fighting cancer and is responsible for writing proposals and the preclinical development of the radiopharmaceuticals of the NUCLIDIUM portfolio.
With over 18 years in financial services working predominantly with early-stage companies and in private equity, Khaled has a broad experience across the financial spectrum. Before joining NUCLIDIUM, he held Finance Director roles with Paymentology and dopay International Holdings as well as investment roles in Qalaa Holdings and Lusight Research. As Finance Director of NUCLIDIUM, he leads the finance team and oversees all financial activities.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Scientific Advisor
- Medical Advisor
- Professor
Damian is Professor of Nuclear Medicine and Head of Nuclear Medicine Department and the Centre of Neuroendocrine and Endocrine Tumours at the University Hospital of Basel. He is specialised in the therapy of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and the treatment of advanced hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma, liver tumours, and thyroid diseases. He is member of the Swissmedic ethics board.
As a double board certified nuclear medical practitioner and radiologist, Gustav was the director of Nuclear Medicine and co-director of MR at University Hospital Zurich and visiting professor of Radiology at Stanford University. Under his 27 years of leadership, the PET centre and the PET radiopharmacy at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) developed to an internationally renowned centre for radiopharmacy and PET imaging. As Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Gustav guides the company on pharmaceutical development, especially the clinical trial procedures and federal and local regulations related to clinical research and market authorisation of a radiopharmaceutical.
Job Titles:
- Scientific Advisor
- Strategic Advisor
Melpo is chemist by training and holds a Master degree (MSc) in Biochemistry and a PhD in Radiochemistry from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. After her studies, she moved to the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland as a Post-Doc, followed by three years at the University Hospital Freiburg, Germany, as senior researcher. She returned to Basel as Head of Quality Control in Radiopharmacy and today she is the Head of the Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry at the University Hospital Basel, Qualified Person (QP) for radiopharmaceuticals and Professor of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry at the Medical Faculty of the University of Basel. Her work focuses on targeted radiopharmaceuticals for oncological diseases in preclinical and clinical settings. She has been using peptides and small molecules in combination with different radioisotopes, to achieve all-in-one diagnosis and therapy, in what is known as theragnostics. She and her group have expertise in the entire spectrum of theragnostics' development, from the design and synthesis to preclinical development and up to clinical translation and production for human use. Her achievements are linked to theragnostics with somatostatin receptor antagonists for neuroendocrine tumors and to 68Ga- and xCu-radiochemistry that have revealed radiolabelling strategies and radiopharmaceuticals nowadays introduced into the clinic. She has introduced four first-in-man radiopharmaceuticals, with two more on the pipeline. Melpo is a recognized expert in her field and frequently invited lecturer at international conferences and advanced courses of the pharmaceutical industry. She has authored 60+ scientific papers and 6 invited book chapters. She is in the editorial board of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, EJNMMI Research and Frontiers in Medicine and act as a reviewer for many journals and research funding organisations. She is member of a number of scientific societies, among them the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the European Society of Molecular Imaging