Nicole Fowler, BSc(Hons), MBA
CEO

Nicole Fowler was appointed CEO of Cortical in October 2008 as Cortical secured a Series C funding round.

Nicole has a BSc (Hons) from Monash University, an MBA from Melbourne Business School, and over 15 years experience in biotech. Previous roles have included big pharma early discovery (SmithKline Beecham, USA), clinical trial management (Parexel, USA and ICTI, Europe) and the manufacture of generic sterile injectables and biologicals (Southern Dental Industries, Australia and Southern Cross Biotech, Australia). Prior to joining Cortical, Nicole was Director of Operations at Proacta, Inc (New Zealand). Having joined as the first employee in 2004, she was integrally involved in taking the company from early lead identification through to the clinic in an oncology indication over an 18 month timeline.  

In addition to serving as CEO to Cortical, Nicole is also contracted part-time as CEO to a second Australian-based biotechnology company in the acute kidney injury space, Nephrodymanics Pty Ltd. In these roles, Nicole manages the translation of academic work into preclinical and clinical development, capital raising, and in-licensing/out-licensing of intellectual property.

Email : nicole.fowler@cortical.com.au 

Professor Eric Morand, MB,BS(Hons);FRACP;PhD
Scientific Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer

Eric is a Professor of Medicine at the Monash University Centre for Inflammatory Diseases at Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne. Eric’s laboratory first identified the role of MIF in rheumatoid arthritis and SLE. He is an acknowledged expert in research on MIF research and glucocorticoid-regulated proteins, and is an author of over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals in the area of inflammatory diseases. His academic research group has won grants from the NIH, National Health and Medical Research Council Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and Arthritis Foundation of Australia. He is also the Deputy Director, Rheumatology Unit, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia and heads the Monash Lupus Clinic. 

Email : eric.morand@cortical.com.au

Dr. Magdy Iskander PhD, FRACI
Scientific Co-Founder

Magdy brought a structure-based design paradigm and medicinal chemistry principles to the development of small molecule cytokine antagonists of MIF in collaboration with Eric Morand. Working with a team of structural and synthetic chemists, Magdy oversaw the drug design programme which led to the establishment of Cortical.

Dr. Magdy Iskander was also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. Dr. Iskander's research interests are in structure-based design, natural product based drug discovery, synthesis and testing of anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anticancer, and  anticonvulsant compounds. He has achieved numerous competitive grants from ARC, NHMRC, and other sources. Dr. Iskander is the author of over 50 publications in peer reviewed journals and has presented more than 80 communications at National and International conferences.