MEDIA RELEASE
Dr Leanna Read appointed as independent Board member
SYDNEY, AU – June 11, 2019 – Australia’s longest running early stage commercialisation fund, Uniseed is pleased to announce the appointment of South Australia’s first female Chief Scientist, Dr Leanna Read to its Board.
Dr Read joins as an independent board member and brings a wealth of executive, board and start-up investment experience to the role. As well as being appointed as South Australia’s Chief Scientist in 2014, she is currently the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Cell Therapy Manufacturing – an international collaboration of 16 participant organisations spanning industry, clinicians, healthcare and research providers.
Dr Read is also Chair of two Adelaide-based biotechnology companies – immunotherapy technology firm, Carina Biotech Pty Ltd and biomedical technology group, TekCyte Pty Ltd. She is also a Board member for antibodies and reagents company, Biosensis Pty Ltd and a committee member of the Australian Government Biomedical Translation Fund. Dr Read is also a member of Southern Angels (formerly BioAngels), an Adelaide-based angel investor network.
In addition, she is the recipient of a number of awards, including the 2006 South Australian Premier’s Award for Science, Technology and Innovation Management Excellence and the 2006 South Australian of the Year (Science and Technology).
“We are thrilled to have someone of Leanna’s calibre join our Board. She brings a unique track record that spans the public and private sectors, that will be an asset to our Board. Her deep board and investment experience will prove invaluable as we continue on our mission to commercialise cutting-edge research from our research partners,” said Uniseed Chairman David Miles.
Dr Read added: “I am delighted to be joining the Uniseed Board. The fund has an important role in helping its research partners turn their research into real products and services which has such a positive impact on society. I look forward to using my expertise to help the fund in its efforts and helping to get promising research from some of Australia’s leading universities into the marketplace.”
ENDS
About Uniseed
Uniseed is Australia’s longest running early stage commercialisation fund that makes investments in research emanating from five of Australia’s leading research organisations – The University of Queensland, The University of Sydney, The University of New South Wales, The University of Melbourne and the CSIRO. Uniseed is a mutual fund, owned by research organisations, for research organisations. The fund facilitates the commercialisation of its research partners’ most promising intellectual property and secures targeted investment in resulting products and technologies. Several of Uniseed’s investee companies have gone on to become successful and profitable commercial enterprises. For more information, visit: https://uniseed.com/
Uniseed Contact:
David Miles
Chairman
+61 418 556 964
Media Contact:
Gabriella Hold – IR Department
gabriella.hold@irdepartment.com.au
+61 411 364 382