About Lift Therapeutics.
Lift Therapeutics is pioneering a new class of immunotherapy for hard-to-treat cancers based on allogeneic Immuno-Modulatory Alpha Neutrophils (IMANs)®. Our proprietary, platform harnesses neutrophils’ innate tumour-homing and infiltrating attributes, combined with their ability to directly kill cancer cells and safely orchestrate broader immune responses, offering a powerful and antigen-independent treatment option to overcome cancer resistance mechanisms, like suppressive tumour environment and immune evasion.
Backed by deep neutrophil biology expertise and a scalable manufacturing platform, Lift Therapeutics is advancing a differentiated pipeline with application across multiple solid cancers.
Board of Directors.
Dr Antonin de Fougerolles
Chairman of the Board
With over 20 years of biotech R&D experience building out drug pipelines and helping drive several multi-billion-dollar companies from start-up, Tony is one of Biotech’s most successful leaders. He is the current CEO of Evox Therapeutics Ltd, and was formerly CSO of Ablynx, Moderna Therapeutics, Alnylam and Tolerx Inc.
Dr Antonin de Fougerolles
Chairman of the Board
Chau Khuong
Non-Executive Director
Chau Q. Khuong is a seasoned healthcare investor and entrepreneur, and the Founder of CJNV BioVentures – a life sciences investment firm providing capital and strategic advisory to biotech and medtech entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of company formation. A two-decade veteran of the field, Chau spent 2003–2021 at OrbiMed Advisors, where he was a Partner and investment committee member directing capital from the firm's flagship venture funds. His investments span oncology, infectious disease, ophthalmology, gene therapy, and gene editing, and have produced thirteen FDA-approved therapeutics and devices. He has served on more than two dozen boards, including Bellus Health, Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Glaukos, Inspire, and Intellia, and currently chairs OnCusp Therapeutics. Chau received a B.S. in Molecular Biology and an MPH in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Yale University.
Chau Khuong
Non-Executive Director
Dr Marco Gottardis
Non-Executive Director
Marco Gottardis has over 30 years of experience as a cancer research investigator in both biotech/large pharma and over 35 of years of experience overall in translational cancer research. Former JANSSEN VP of Oncology and Innovation and an expert in Immuno-Oncology where he licensed technologies and established allogenic cell therapy and ADC platforms. Former discovery and early development lead at BMS Oncology. Co-authored over 100 publications and is co-inventor on multiple patents.
Dr Marco Gottardis
Non-Executive Director
Dan Passeri
Board Director
& Chief Executive Officer
Daniel Passeri joins Lift Therapeutics as a seasoned biotechnology executive. From 2017 to 2025, he served as CEO and a Director of Cue Biopharma – a clinical-stage immunotherapy company – where he built the functional teams that carried multiple programs from discovery through preclinical and clinical development, and established collaborations with Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Ono Pharmaceutical. Previously, he spent 15 years at Curis, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology company, serving as CEO and Director, and earlier as President, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Planning. Daniel received a JD from the George Washington University Law School and an MSc in Biotechnology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London.
Dan Passeri
Board Director
& Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Jarod Rutledge
Non-Executive Director
& Investor Reprewsentative
Dr. Jarod Rutledge is the Director of Biotechnology and Life Sciences at Starbloom Capital – a stage-agnostic investment firm focused on frontier biotechnology and AI – and the Director of Longevity Research at the Amaranth Foundation – a philanthropic organization for moonshot neuroscience, AI, and longevity research. A recovering academic, Jarod’s research has leveraged AI, multi-omics, and advanced imaging data to build more predictive tools for drug development. His work has been published in Nature, Cell, Science, and featured in global news outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. He is a co-founder of companies in CNS drug development, molecular diagnostics, and computer vision technology. Jarod received a Ph.D. in Genetics from Stanford University and completed postdoctoral training in AI at Stanford and EMBL Heidelberg.
Dr Jarod Rutledge
Non-Executive Director
& Investor Representative
Bo Rode Hansen, PhD, MBA
Board Director
& President
Bo Rode Hansen has over two decades of transformational leadership experience involving general management, R&D, BD, financing, IPO and M&A in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. He was previously CEO and President of Scandion Oncology A/S, CEO and President of Genevant Sciences, and Global R&D executive at Roche and Santaris Pharma A/S. Bo has served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Novo Holdings (BiOrigin) and today he holds several board seats including Chairman at TECregen and advises biotech companies and venture funds.
Dr. Bo Rode Hansen, PhD, MBA
Board Director
& President
Leadership Team.
Dan Passeri
Board Director
& Chief Executive Officer
Daniel Passeri joins Camden Therapeutics as a seasoned biotechnology executive. From 2017 to 2025, he served as CEO and a Director of Cue Biopharma – a clinical-stage immunotherapy company – where he built the functional teams that carried multiple programs from discovery through preclinical and clinical development, and established collaborations with Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Ono Pharmaceutical. Previously, he spent 15 years at Curis, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology company, serving as CEO and Director, and earlier as President, Vice Chairman of the Board, and Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Planning. Daniel received a JD from the George Washington University Law School and an MSc in Biotechnology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London.
Dan Passeri
Board Director
& Chief Executive Officer
Shrikesh Shah
Executive Vice President,
Finance & Operations
Shrikesh is an experienced finance and operations professional with 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles and the last 20 years in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors. He has worked with PE/ VC backed, US and UK listed and owner-managed organisations in both Group and Corporate roles. Shrikesh is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a member of the ICAEW and has an MBA from Imperial College London.
Shrikesh Shah
Executive Vice President, Finance & Operations
Paige Uher
Observer
& Investor Representative
Bo Rode Hansen has over two decades of transformational leadership experience involving general management, R&D, BD, financing, IPO and M&A in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. He was formerly CEO and President of Scandion Oncology A/S, prior to which he held several senior positions at Genevant Sciences, Roche and Santaris Pharma A/S, where he chaired the R&D Operational Committee. He is currently an Executive Advisor for Argo Bio Studio and acting CEO of Laigo Bio BV.
Bo Rode Hansen, PhD, MBA
Board Director
& President
Bo Rode Hansen has over two decades of transformational leadership experience involving general management, R&D, BD, financing, IPO and M&A in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. He was previously CEO and President of Scandion Oncology A/S, CEO and President of Genevant Sciences, and Global R&D executive at Roche and Santaris Pharma A/S. Bo has served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Novo Holdings (BiOrigin) and today he holds several board seats including Chairman at TECregen and advises biotech companies and venture funds.
Dr. Bo Rode Hansen, PhD, MBA
Board Director
& President
Andrew Willis
Chief Development
& Regulatory Officer
Andrew is a pharmaceutical development and regulatory expert with over 35 years of experience in oncology and cell therapies. He has a wealth of experience at multiple managerial levels within pharmaceutical companies and most recently as Senior Vice President for Quality, Regulatory and CMC, for IO Biotech Limited, gaining significant experience in co-ordinating, planning and running a global development of ATMPs and biologics.
Andrew Willis
Chief Development
& Regulatory Officer
Dr. Mark A. Exley
Chief Scientific Officer
Mark Exley, Ph.D., is LIfTs Chief Scientific Officer and a Harvard Immunologist with over 30 years' experience. He co-founded NKT Therapeutics and MiNK Therapeutics and is former CSO of Imvax.
Mark has raised $160m+, taken 2 companies to or close to IPO, and published 130+ papers. He serves on top journal editorial boards.
Mark received his B.S. from Imperial College, MS from Kings College and his Ph.D. from the Institute of Cancer Research, all in London, UK. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.
Dr. Mark Exley
Chief Scientific Officer
Eva Ehrnrooth
Head of Clinical Development
Eva is an MD, PhD and board-certified oncologist with over 20 years of leadership experience in global clinical oncology development, advising the Company on clinical development and strategy, bringing extensive experience from senior roles including CMO at IO Biotech, Executive Director at Boehringer Ingelheim, and Medical Director, Oncology at Genmab and Novo Nordisk. Eva has led oncology programmes through clinical development to FDA and EMA approval and has supported successful fundraising at clinical-stage biotechnology companies, including an IPO.
Eva Ehrnrooth
Head of Clinical Development
Key Personnel.
Dr. Aoife McGinley
Head of Biology
Aoife McGinley is a cellular immunologist with deep expertise in neutrophil and T cell biology, specialising in the discovery and preclinical development of next-generation immunotherapies. With experience spanning academia and biotech, she has led programmes from early discovery through IND-enabling studies and brings a strong track record in mechanism-of-action research, translational strategy, and advanced assay development.
At LIFT BioSciences, Aoife heads the biology function, driving the scientific and nonclinical strategy behind the company’s first-in-class IMAN neutrophil therapy and preparing it for first-in-human evaluation.
Dr. Aoife McGinley
Head of Biology
Dr. James Roper
Head of Transitional Biology
James is Head of Translational Biology at LIfT BioSciences, where he is responsible for the translational endpoints for the company’s first-in-human neutrophil cell therapy trial. He has over a decade of industry experience spanning oncology, fibrosis, neurodegeneration and cell therapy, including leadership roles small biotech and big Pharma, where he has built and led high-performing preclinical cell biology laboratories and discovery teams. James has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and has extensive experience in translational pharmacology, target validation and mechanistic biology across industry and academia. He holds a PhD in Neuroendocrinology from the University of Bristol, an MSc in Molecular Neuroscience (Bristol) and a BSc in Pharmacology from the University of Southampton.
Dr. James Roper
Head of Transitional Biology
Dr. Mihil Patel
Head of Discovery Services
Dr Patel obtained his Ph.D in viral immunology from Cardiff University, Wales, after which he worked at GammaDelta Therapeutics, using his skills in cell and molecular biology to develop new platforms and gene engineering strategies. He is fascinated by basic scientific discoveries and how they can be translated into novel applications for immunotherapies.
Dr. Mihil Patel
Head of Discovery Sciences
Dr. Laura Deedigan
Head of Analytical Sciences
Dr Laura Deedigan is Head of Analytical Sciences at Lift Therapeutics, leading analytical strategy within CMC for the company's first-in-class neutrophil-based cell therapy platform. She brings nearly 20 years' experience in cell therapy, with particular expertise in assay strategy, GMP readiness and clinical translation.
Laura spent 14 years at Orbsen Therapeutics in senior scientific and leadership roles, most recently as Head of Research. There she led analytical development and mechanism-of-action work, developing and transferring potency, release and characterisation assays supporting five clinical trials. Her work has contributed to multiple cell therapy patents, including as a named inventor.
Laura holds a PhD in Cancer Therapeutics and is focused on translating innovative cell biology into robust analytical strategies that enable safe, scalable cell therapies.
Dr. Laura Deedigan
Head of Analytical Sciences
Dr. Joanne McCaffrey
Head of Process Development
Joanne McCaffrey is Head of Process Development at Lift Therapeutics, leading the development of robust, scalable manufacturing processes as the company's novel cell therapies progress towards clinical manufacture. She is an experienced CMC and process development leader specialising in cell and gene therapies.
Joanne has a strong track record of taking innovative therapies from early-stage development through to GMP clinical manufacture, with expertise in process design, scale-up, technology transfer and manufacturing strategy. Her cell therapy manufacturing processes have supported early and late-stage multinational clinical trials and regulatory submissions.
She is focused on building manufacturing processes that widen patient access to life-changing therapies.
Dr. Joanne McCaffrey
Head of Process Development
Scientific Advisory Board.
Jim Allison, PhD
& Nobel Laureate
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Regental Professor and Chair of Immunology; Olga Keith Wiess Distinguished University Chair for Cancer Research; Director, Parker Institute for Cancer Research; Executive Director, Immunotherapy Platform; and Director, James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Allison is a Nobel laureate and pioneer of cancer immunotherapy, recognized globally for establishing immune checkpoint blockade as a transformative cancer treatment. His discovery that CTLA-4 acts as an inhibitory checkpoint on T cells led to ipilimumab, the first approved checkpoint inhibitor, and earned him a share of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His current research focuses on next-generation checkpoint therapies and new strategies to harness the immune system against cancer. He holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jim Allison, PhD
& Nobel Laureate
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Associate Vice President of Immunobiology; Professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology; and Director of Scientific Programs, James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Sharma is an internationally recognized physician-scientist in cancer immunotherapy whose pioneering work has defined mechanisms of response and resistance to immune checkpoint therapy. She conducted the first neoadjuvant trial of checkpoint therapy and contributed to the clinical development and FDA approval of nivolumab-based therapies in bladder and kidney cancers. Her honors include the William B. Coley Award in Tumor Immunology and the Emil Frei III Award for Excellence in Translational Research. She holds an MD and PhD from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.
Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Taha Merghoub, PhD
Weill-Cornell
Deputy Director, Meyer Cancer Center; Margaret and Herman Sokol Professor of Oncology Research; Professor of Pharmacology and of Immunology Research in Medicine; Director, Ludwig Collaborative Laboratory; and Co-Director, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York.
Dr. Merghoub is a leader in translational cancer immunology, recognized for his work on mechanisms of tumor resistance to immunotherapy and the role of innate immune cells in anti-tumor responses, in both patients and model systems. His research has advanced multiple immunotherapy strategies through collaborations with Daiichi Sankyo and Pfizer and research funding from BMS. He is an inventor on patent applications covering oncolytic viral therapy, alphavirus-based vaccines, neoantigen modeling, and co-stimulatory molecules. He holds a PhD and an MS in Applied Biology and Genetics from the University of Paris.
Taha Merghoub, PhD
Weill-Cornell
Kingston Mills, PhD
Trinity College Dublin
Adjunct Professor of Experimental Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute; Personal Chair in Immunology, Trinity College Dublin.
Dr. Mills is an award-winning immunologist known for his work on T cell responses in infection and autoimmunity, with broad applications in immunotherapy. He leads an active research program supported by major European and national funding bodies and has co-founded several biotechnology companies developing immunotherapies for inflammatory diseases and cancer, including Opsona Therapeutics, TriMod Therapeutics, and Parvalis Therapeutics. Appointed to a Personal Chair at Trinity College Dublin in 2001, he served as Head of the School of Biochemistry and Immunology (2008–2011) and Academic Director of the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (2019–2025). He holds a PhD in Immunology from Trinity College Dublin.
Kingston Mills, PhD
Trinity College Dublin