Meet the experts behind ‘Oncology shaping the future of personalised healthcare’
In July 2013, pharmaphorum filmed a round table debate, sponsored by AstraZeneca, to discuss the topic of 'Oncology shaping the future of personalised healthcare'. Here you can find out a bit more about each of the expert participants.
This media accompanies the round table video debate 'Oncology shaping the future of personalised healthcare', sponsored by AstraZeneca.
Ruth March
Name: Ruth March
Title: VP and Head of Personalised Healthcare & Biomarkers
Organisation: AstraZeneca
Biography: Ruth March is VP and Head of Personalised Healthcare & Biomarkers at AstraZeneca. This function includes over 100 experts in diagnostic and biomarker science. The function works with teams in all therapy areas and phases of development to select the right patients for treatment, increase success rates and deliver life-changing medicines to patients.
Ruth has more than ten years' experience in the field of Personalised Healthcare. She has been instrumental in driving over 80% of AstraZeneca's drug projects to adopt Personalised Healthcare approaches. Previous to this Ruth spent ten years in immunology and genetics research at the Universities of London, Oxford and Brunel.
Ruth has published extensively in the field of pharmacogenetics and Personalised Healthcare, has eight granted biomarker patents and is a member of several expert advisory boards.
To read more about Ruth and her thoughts on personalised medicine please visit:
AstraZeneca LabTalk – Ruth March
Malcolm Ranson
Name: Professor Malcolm Ranson
Title: Professor of Medical Oncology and Pharmacology
Organisation: University of Manchester and Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Biography: Malcolm Ranson is Professor of Medical Oncology and Pharmacology at the University of Manchester and has been an Honorary Consultant at the Christie Hospital since 1995. He leads a team of clinical researchers at the Christie Hospital conducting Phase I clinical trials focused on apoptosis, cell signalling and biomarker development. His clinical work is closely aligned with the translational biomarker work of Professor Caroline Dive and the Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology group based in the Paterson Institute. He instigated and led development of the Early Phase Trials Unit at the Christie Hospital in Manchester which opened in 2003 and was its Clinical Director for 10 years. The Oak Road Treatment Centre is one of the largest early phase clinical research units in Europe and draws upon a large patient population and is part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.
Malcolm is the joint centre lead for the Manchester Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Department of Health to support and develop translational cancer research locally and nationally.
For more information about his work please visit the following pages:
Professor Malcolm Ranson at the University of Manchester
The Christie Foundation Trust Clinical Trials Unit
Richard Stephens
Name: Richard Stephens
Title: Chair of the Consumer Liaison Group
Organisation: National Cancer Research Institute
Biography: Richard is a survivor of two cancers and a heart emergency. He has participated in five clinical trials, nearly a dozen other research studies, and currently serves on three trial management or steering groups delivering or monitoring particular research studies. As a patient advocate and representative in health and medical research, his formal roles including chairing NCRI's Consumer Liaison Group, and he sits on several other national and regional committees and bodies, including NIHR, NCIN, RfPB, HTA and MRC CTU.
He is a co-author of 2012's Action On Access, a consumer-led report recommending organisational and cultural changes to encourage and support more patients to participate in research, and is an active supporter of the AllTrials campaign calling for greater transparency in clinical trial registration and reporting. Richard is one of the consumers who designed and introduced the questions on research awareness and participation for the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, and as CLG Chair he is leading a new partnership with Astra Zeneca to set up a Patient Forum, to bring patients and the company's researchers together to discuss trial design and recruitment methods.
The Consumer Liaison Group brings together individuals with personal experiences of cancer including patients, carers and relatives as well as representatives of cancer support organisations, researchers and other professionals with an interest in consumer involvement in cancer research as part of their roles. CLG members improve the quality and value of cancer research through consumer involvement and by working with other organisations helps to raise public awareness of clinical research and cancer research in particular. The group acts as a focal point for discussion, advice and feedback to the NCRI, NIHR and wider stakeholders on cancer research issues affecting consumers.
For more information about Richard's work with the Consumer Liaison Group please visit:
NCRI Consumer Liaison Group (CLG) website
Mya Thomae
Name: Mya Thomae
Title: Founder and CEO
Organisation: Myraqa, Inc.
Biography: Myraqa is the leading IVD regulatory consulting firm. Founded in 1998 as a solo practice, Myraqa has grown to include leading experts in Regulatory, Quality, Clinical, Biostatistics, and Development.
Myraqa serves a wide range of clients, including established players up & comers and even stealth startups. Myraqa has worked on a full range of IVD applications in the US and EU, including PMAs, pre-Subs, IDEs, 510(k)s, de novo 510(k)s, and EU technical files.
Mya Thomae has almost 20 years of experience with regulatory and quality, much of it as a consultant and later as founder of Myraqa, Inc. Prior to becoming a consultant, Mya learned the ropes at Chiron and OraSure.
Mya has been involved in numerous successful applications before FDA for clients in the US, Canada and EU. She worked with FDA to develop the special controls document and regulation for microarray devices and helped establish the precedent for parallel 510(k) submissions. Mya received a Commissioner's Special Citation at the 2009 FDA Honor Awards in recognition of her work to clear the ABI 7500 Fast Dx.
For more information about Myraqa please visit the following page:
Myraqa company website
