Nucleome Therapeutics has appointed Dr Michelle Morrow as chief scientific officer as the company advances its pipeline of potential medicines for inflammatory diseases.
Morrow joins the company with two decades of experience in drug discovery and development, as well as R&D strategy across biotech and large pharmaceutical companies.
She was most recently chief scientific officer at Avacta Therapeutics, where she led discovery and preclinical research and supported the company’s oncology programme through candidate selection to investigational new drug approval.
Before joining Avacta, Morrow was senior vice president and head of invoX Therapeutics Innovation, following its acquisition of F-star Therapeutics. At F-star, she held a series of senior roles, most recently serving as senior vice president and head of research.
She has also held senior scientific roles at MedImmune, now AstraZeneca.
Morrow earned her PhD in immunology from the University of Cambridge and completed postdoctoral research in childhood leukaemia at the Institute of Child Health in London.
Nucleome said her appointment comes as the company continues to develop its 3D genomics platform, which is designed to identify molecular drivers of inflammatory disease from human genetics.
The platform enables the company to identify functional variants in the non-coding genome and the genes they control, supporting the discovery of novel targets and disease mechanisms.
Dr Mark Bodmer, chief executive officer at Nucleome Therapeutics, said: “We warmly welcome Michelle to Nucleome. She brings a wealth of experience in advancing drug discovery candidates through the clinical pathway.
“Her deep expertise in immunology and bispecific antibody therapeutics will be critical as Nucleome accelerates its ambition to tackle the molecular causes of inflammatory disease.
“Michelle is recognised for translating complex scientific and development considerations into clear, actionable insights that will strengthen decision-making across our portfolio and she will be a valuable member of our leadership team.”
Morrow added: “I am joining Nucleome at a pivotal stage in its growth, as the company translates unique insights from the non-coding genome into a differentiated pipeline of potential new medicines for patients with inflammatory disease.
“Nucleome’s ability to access previously untapped biology creates a powerful opportunity to deliver first-in-class immunomodulatory therapies, and I am eager to work with the team to advance these programmes towards the clinic and ultimately bring meaningful impact to patients’ lives.”
Nucleome’s lead candidate, NTP464, is a monoclonal agonist antibody being developed as a potential new approach to treating inflammatory diseases.
The candidate is currently progressing towards investigational new drug-enabling studies.