Team

Chris is an experienced drug discovery leader having worked in various roles in pharma, biotech and academia for 25 years. 

He has a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne and undertook postodoctoral studies in the USA before moving to Pfizer UK, as a senior scientist. After 5 years he returned to Australia as a Research Fellow at the University of Sydney and then moved to the biotechnology company Ambri as Head of Chemistry. 

Chris joined the Melbourne-based biotech Cytopia as Head of Medicinal Chemistry and later as Research Director. He led teams in the discovery of two anti-cancer agents that entered clinical trial, including the drug momelotinib (Ojjaara) now approved for the treatment of myelofibrosis. Chris then held a Laboratory Head position at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) before taking on executive and leadership roles with a number of privately-held biotechnology companies in Australia. 

Dr Burns is the inventor on over 30 patents and a co-author on over 60 scientific publications. He was co-recipient of the 2024 Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. 

Dr Burns was originally appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 4 May 2018 and was subsequently appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director on 5 December 2022.

Rhiannon has a background in research operations and project management and more than 10 years of experience in the medical research and biotechnology sector. Rhiannon has previous appointments as Director, Operations and Governance (Cancer Therapeutics CRC), Project Manager (WEHI, Business Development Office), Scientific Coordinator (WEHI, Inflammation Division) and a postdoctoral researcher in organic chemistry (Monash University, Chemistry Department). Her experience includes project management, communications, policy development and oversight, ethics committee submissions, risk management and staff professional development systems.

Rhiannon has a PhD in chemistry and a BSc(Hons) from the University of Adelaide and a Certificate in Governance Practice from the Governance Institute of Australia and is a graduate of the AICD.

Tim is a highly experienced Chartered Accountant who holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Certificate in Governance Practice from the Governance Institute of Australia. Tim brings professional skills gained locally and abroad in both public practice accounting and the corporate sector. Tim acts as CFO and Company Secretary for a number of ASX listed healthcare companies, private University spin out companies and Venture Capital investee companies. Tim provides strategic advice to management and boards on financial reporting, cash forecasting, direct and indirect taxes, governance and management matters.

Tim was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Amplia Therapeutics Limited on 25 September 2023.

Charlotte has over 13 years’ experience in the drug development space. She practised as a veterinarian in Australia and the UK before moving to drug development roles at Pfizer, then Medicines Development for Global Health. Charlotte has worked on a variety of projects at different stages of development, and previous roles include Principal Development Manager and Project Leader. Her experience includes coordination of cross-functional development teams, stakeholder communication, management of international collaborative relationships, and strategic and technical input into development programs.  

Charlotte has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Hons) from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.

Andrew holds a law degree from Sydney University and has extensive experience in law, corporate finance, governance and compliance. He has over 30 years of boardroom experience and has developed a practical blend of legal and commercial acumen. He has served as a consultant to listed, public and private companies in the biotech, resources, property, mining services and technology sectors focussing on stock exchange, capital raisings, regulatory compliance and a wide range of corporate transactions. 

Andrew was appointed as Company Secretary of Amplia Therapeutics Limited on 11 October 2013.

Terrie-Anne has over 20 years research and development experience, including with multinational pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and OSI Pharmaceuticals. Her appointments include leadership roles as Senior Vice President, Therapeutic Research and Development at Microba Life Sciences; Director of Biology, Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative; and, Director of Translational Research, Benitec Biopharma Limited. She has played key roles in the translation of molecules from research, through clinical trials, and regulatory approvals. This has included a diverse range of programs spanning novel, small molecules, biologics, live biotherapeutics, cell-based and gene-based therapies across multiple therapeutic areas.

Terrie-Anne undertook a postdoctoral fellowship, at the Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France and has a PhD in Medicine from University of New South Wales.

Adrian brings 15 years of experience in early research, process development, and GMP manufacturing within the life sciences and biotechnology industries. Before joining Amplia, he was a Senior Development Scientist at PolyActiva, where he played a key role in developing an ocular drug delivery implant from early-stage research to clinical production. A co-inventor on five patent families, Adrian has also held postdoctoral positions at Monash University and the University of Melbourne, working across polymer therapeutics, including drug delivery, cancer therapeutics, RNA delivery, antimicrobial polymers, and hydrogel scaffold formation.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical, Hons) and Commerce (Finance and Marketing), as well as a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Melbourne.

Nic leads clinical operations at Amplia, ensuring the delivery of high-quality clinical trials. With over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, primarily in clinical research, she has a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Starting as a Clinical Trial Assistant, Nic has performed Clinical Research Associate, project management, clinical development, and clinical operations roles. She has worked with major pharmaceutical companies, Contract Research Organisations, and medium to small biotechnology companies to design, implement, and manage their clinical research strategy, programs, and projects. Nic has successfully planned and delivered trials in Australia and globally in the US, Europe, UK, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and South America.

Nic holds a BSc in Physiology and Zoology from Monash University, Australia.