Ms Nicole Fowler, BS (Hons), MBA 

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

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, and serves in a key management role in the New Zealand oncology biotech company, Pathway Therapeutics Ltd.   Within these roles, Nicole actively manages the translation of academic work into preclinical and clinical development, capital raising and in-licensing/out-licensing of intellectual property. Previous to these roles, Nicole was based in New Zealand as the Director of Operations at Proacta, Inc where she joined as the first employee in 2004 and was integrally involved in taking the company from early lead identification through to clinical candidate selection and into the clinic in the oncology space over a very short timeline (18 months).  

Nicole ‘s experience extends over 15 years; previous roles have varied from big pharma early discovery (former SmithKline Beecham, USA) to 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). Nicole has a BSc(Hons) from Monash University and an MBA from Melbourne Business School. 

Email : nicole.fowler@cortical.com.au  

Qualifications

BS Hons  - Monash University

MBA – Melbourne Business School 

Associate Professor Eric F Morand MB,BS(Hons);FRACP;PhD

Scientific Co-Founder
CSO (Chief Scientific Officer)
As a physician-scientist and CSO of Cortical, Eric is leading a team of biologists and medicinal chemists to further develop the advances made in his and Dr Iskander's laboratories.

As CSO of Cortical, Eric directs the R&D program producing small molecule MIF antagonist candidates. Eric brings to Cortical knowledge of the biological basis of inflammatory diseases, of current and emerging therapies for inflammatory disease, and of future developments in the field. The Program has developed from concept, through proof of concept, to lead optimization under his direction.  

Eric is also a Professor of Medicine, Monash University, based at the Centre for Inflammatory Diseases at Monash Medical Centre. Eric's laboratory first identified the role of MIF in rheumatoid arthritis and SLE. He is an acknowledged expert in MIF research and in glucocorticoid-regulated proteins, and is an author of over 80 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. As such he has acted as a specialist physician in Rheumatology over 15 years. 

Qualifications
MBBS(Hons) Monash University1984
PhD Monash University 1995
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians 1992
International Fellow of the American College for Rheumatology 1992

Email : eric.morand@cortical.com.au

Dr. Magdy Iskander PhD, FRACI

Scientific Co-Founder
Director of Drug Design
Commencing the study of MIF as a therapeutic target in 1999 in collaboration with Eric Morand, Magdy has applied structure-based design paradigm and medicinal chemistry principles to the development of small molecule cytokine antagonists. Working with a team of structural and synthetic chemists, Magdy has overseen the drug design programme which led to the establishment of Cortical.

Dr. Magdy Iskander is also a Senior Lecturer in The Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Victorian College of Pharmacy , 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, anticonvulsant enzyme inhibitor, and receptor ligandcompounds. 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.

Qualifications
PhD 1979
Wenkart Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Division of Medicinal Chemistry

Email : magdy.iskander@cortical.com.au