Philipp Mueller

Member, Board of Directors

2021 - Current

Member, Selection Committee

2021

Executive Director / Investment Manager - Therapeutics Investment Team

2020

Observer, Board of Directors

2020 - 2022

Senior Principal Scientist R&D

2019 - 2020

Biochemist/Immunologist with a deep understanding of immuno oncology, infection immunology and inflammation, 15 years of research experience, 11 years in immuno oncology and several years in Pharma R&D. Demonstrated ability to effectively drive projects from target concept to start of development (SoD). Proven excellence in leading multidisciplinary research teams, effectively managed stakeholders including both internal and alliance governance bodies. Presented regularly to project teams, governance bodies, senior management and at conferences. Developed and delivered IO research strategy for innovative novel platforms and new areas of biology. Biology research lead on BI alliances with external companies. Drove project progression with external alliance partners through building strong collaborative relationships, enabling effective negotiation, influencing and joint problem solving. Extensive network of academic collaborators, key opinion leaders and within Biotech as well as Pharma.

Principal Scientist R&D

2016 - 2019

Head of the Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy Laboratory / Scientific Advisor / Consultant

2015 - 2016

After returning from my research stay in the USA, I have taken up the post of Head of the Laboratory in my previous workplace. Here I continue to provide scientific guidance to our team, external collaborators and as consultant (BioAtla, NBE Therapeutics). Besides supporting strategic decisions and implementing novel projects, fostering and coordinating projects as well as research collaborations, I’m currently establishing an independent line of research. This is focused on the development and validation of novel anti-cancer therapeutics, such as the ones developed during my stay at the Scripps Research Institute, with a particular focus on hematological disorders, such as, but not limited to, CLL & AML.

Deputy Group Leader / Project Leader

2013 - 2015

After being promoted to “Deputy Group Leader /Project Leader” my area of responsibility gradually expanded to staff, project and financial management as well as to the identification of external opportunities for collaboration, their coordination and maintenance. Besides managing running projects, I initiated new ones, prepared project outlines, applied for funding, wrote manuscripts and presented our work internally, to collaborators as well as on national and international conferences. Next to the support and implementation of strategic decisions, I provided scientific advise to both, our team as well as to our collaborators and worked to consistently improve our state of the art experimental cancer models.

Research Associate

2010 - 2013

My postdoctoral years were dedicated to building the new laboratory of “Cancer Immunology”. Besides establishing the in vivo tumor models, in vitro test systems as well as tumor processing and multiparametric flow cytometry protocols, which still form the basis for most of our work, I was able to participate ab initio in defining the scientific direction of the laboratory. I also successfully applied for independent research funding, which formed the basis for our subsequent work on the dendritic cell activating properties of certain cytotoxic payloads used in antibody-drug-conjugates.

Visiting researcher scholar // Scientific Advisor/Consultant

2014 - 2015

At the Scripps Research Institute I was introduced to the art of therapeutic protein/antibody engineering, protein production, purification as well as qualitative and functional validation. I was able to develop two of my ideas, centered on alternative (as compared to Fc engineering) strategies for therapeutic NK cell activation and conditional activatable bispecific antibody formats for the T-cell mediated therapy of cancer, to the stage of a first in vitro proof of concept study. I’m currently continuing and expanding these studies in our laboratory in Basel.