Dr Thomas Blackburn

Tom has been a member since 1979 and brings more than 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, where he has held executive and senior management positions at ICI Pharmaceuticals, Beecham Pharmaceuticals PLC and SmithKline Beecham in the UK and Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation and Helicon Therapeutics in the USA. His expertise in discovering innovative therapeutics at 5-HT receptors, MCH1, GalR3 GABAA, led to several clinical candidates for development and the antidepressant Seroxat/Paxil. His extensive knowledge of pre-clinical and clinical drug development of novel antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antimigraine, and cognitive enhancers, together with strategies for positioning pharmaceutical products with drug regulatory authorities. He has authored over 100 scientific papers, inventor on 22 patents and recipient of pharmaceutical awards for drug development. He holds PhD, DSc, from the University of Manchester, is an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the British Pharmacological Society. A member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB) and a board member of a number of biotechs.