• Extensive knowledge and experience in cellular biology, immunology, neurology, cancer biology and anti-cancer drug testing.
• Worked numerous years as director of translational and preclinical research in biotechnology developing cell-therapy procedures from discovery to clinical application; phase I/II trials upon US FDA and Canadian TPD approvals.
• Well versed in the regulation requirements governing the development of cell-based therapy products and biologics for therapeutic use.
• Profound knowledge of the industrial and market environment, with a good sense of business development.
• Very efficient in designing and implementing workflows necessary to rapid development of reliable, reproducible and safe processes and products.
• Wrote numerous documents as parts of successful IND/CTA filings (Investigator Brochures, CMC sections), annual updates, summaries for annual R&D tax credit claims and scientific reviews.
• Generated and presented numerous Power Point presentations for company officers, scientific discussions and meetings with KOLs, training materials and communications to investors. Authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles, abstracts and posters.
• Recognized as an efficient team and project manager, with excellent communication skills capable of developing solid relationships with scientific and business partners.
Specialties: Team leadership, lab and project management, develoment of cell-based therapy systems, scientific and technical skills in cell and molecular biology, highly knowledgeable in regulatory framework governing the development of cell-based therapeutics in US and Canada, knowledge and application of ICH guidelines and GLPs in preclinical activities, development and maintenance business relationships
Scientific Advisor - Oncology @ From January 2013 to Present (3 years) Director, Platform of Translational Research @ From January 2010 to December 2012 (3 years) Contractual cell biologist @ • Produced and amplified numerous cell clones expressing a luciferase gene as reporter to the activation of human growth hormone receptor when stimulated by proprietary specific peptides
• Developed and troubleshooted the luciferase assay for future preclinical purposes of the company From January 2009 to July 2009 (7 months) Director of Translational Research @ Kiadis Pharma, a private Holland-based company, acquired Celmed BioSciences in December 2006 and moved the Canadian headquarter to Holland, with products in clinical trials focused on oncology and immunology, including products for the treatment of blood cancers, the treatment of chronic GvHD, and the prevention of acute GvHD for making mismatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) possible.
Kiadis down sized Montreal site on November 2008 for economical reasons and closed it down on April 2009 From October 2007 to December 2008 (1 year 3 months) Scientific Director - Director of Preclinical Laboratories @ • Responsible for all non-clinical activities in Canada, including preclinical development, clinical support for ongoing trials and training of technical personnel in clinical sites implementing Celmed’s processes and products.
• Responsible for the development of preclinical work on Theralux™-based programs to support the filling of coming phase II clinical trials for several indications, achievement of commercially acceptable doses of the product for regulatory submissions and immediate use in the ongoing clinical trial.
• Managed and supported the preclinical development at external sites for IND/CTA filling and application
• Managed the outsourcing of specific studies to external CROs
• Established the budget of all the preclinical research and clinical support activities
• Developed a new semi-automated and closed cell processing system for cell therapy consistent with GLP guidelines From July 2005 to October 2007 (2 years 4 months) Director R&D @ From 2004 to 2006 (2 years) Director, Research Laboratories @ • Developed a new cellular therapy system called extracorporeal photochemotherapy and aimed to the treatment of patients with chronic GvHD, and successfully brought the project from the research-phase to an IND application in less than 12 months. IND was subsequently approved by both FDA and TPD, and clinical trials were initiated evaluating ECP for the treatment of patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease.
• Developed, qualified and validated several specific bio-analytical assays by spectrofluorometry and flow-cytometry and T-cell proliferation assays, to measure effectiveness and safety of the immune-cell product
• Developed and maintained scientific collaboration with principal investigators in the US and Canada to attract and retain their participation in clinical trials, to complete research work accepted for posters or oral presentations, and to support institutional review board approvals for clinical trials
• Served as internal scientific reviewer and advisor for several external collaborations and due diligence efforts for acquisition and in-licensing candidates including NewBiotics, which Celmed acquired in 2005. From December 2003 to July 2005 (1 year 8 months) Senior Scientist – Program Co-Director @ • Led a team responsible for the development of in-house methods for isolation, amplification, differentiation and identification of human neural stem cells, and their transfer to Celmed’s clinical laboratory in Los Angeles
• Promoted with additional responsibilities for the Los Angeles laboratory shortly before the LA lab was spun out of Celmed. From August 2002 to December 2003 (1 year 5 months) Research Associate @ • Designed experimental protocols, and supervised the progress of research projects
• Trained students for diverse techniques such as culture of primary human lymphocytes, protein extraction and dosage, western blotting, radiolabelling of cellular proteins, immunoprecipitation, pull-down assays, and immunocytochemistry. From July 2000 to July 2002 (2 years 1 month) Post-Doctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Calcium Signaling @ Developed expression plasmids and cell lines for wild-type and mutant genes encoding the signaling protein Triadin, present in the Rhyanodine receptor involved in the regulation of cellular calcium homeostasis. From February 1998 to October 1999 (1 year 9 months) Post-Doctoral Fellow, Unit of Cell Signaling @ • Studied the regulation of the anti-tumor protein p53 through the activation of its antiproliferative and proapoptotic functions via calcium signalling (calcium-binding protein S100B, PKC isoforms), in response to g-irradiation, UV-irradiation, cisplatin, and doxorubicin.
• Engineered human cell lines expressing the protein S100B involved in calcium signal.
• Designed and performed experiments as various as transfection, radio-labelling of cell proteins, immunoprecipitations, western-blotting, northern-blotting, immuno-fluorescence, analysis of cell cycle parameters by FACS From October 1995 to October 1997 (2 years 1 month)
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Executive MBA @ UQAM From 2012 to 2014 Doctorate (Ph.D.), Structural, Molecular, and Cellular Biology @ From 1991 to 1995 D.E.A., Microbiology-Enzymology @ From 1990 to 1991 Maîtrise, Biochemistry @ From 1989 to 1990 Licence, Biochemistry @ From 1986 to 1987 D.E.U.G., Biology @ From 1984 to 1986 Christian MBA is skilled in: Immunology, Biotechnology, Oncology, Cell Signaling, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Project Management, Team Management, Team-oriented, Business Strategy, Stem Cell Technology, Cell Therapy, Translational Medicine, Translational Research, Communication Skills