Professor Barry Furr

Barry Furr is a reproductive biologist and endocrinologist by training who worked for over 33 years at AstraZeneca and its associate companies. He held a range of research management positions, retiring in 2005 as Chief Scientist. He worked on the antioestrogenic breast cancer drug, tamoxifen, and both Zoladex and Casodex for prostate cancer were discovered in his laboratory. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and Institute of Biology, and has an honorary chair at the University of Manchester. He is a William Pitt Fellow at Pembroke College, Cambridge and a Trustee of the Breast Cancer Campaign and member of the CRUK Council Research Strategy Committee. He has been Chairman of the Industry Forum of the Academy of Medical Sciences and of the Society of Endocrinology and a council member of the Biosciences Federation. He was awarded an OBE in 2000 for his contribution to cancer research.

Professor David Neal

David Neal is a Senior Group Leader at the Cambridge Research Institute funded by Cancer Research UK. He is an appointed medical member of the Post Graduate Medical Education and Training Board and an elected member of the Council of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He is also a member of the Research Assessment Exercise 2008, Cancer Sub-panel and an elected member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was previously Chair of Surgery and Director of Research, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and joined the CRUK Cambridge Research Institute in Summer 2006. Professor Neal’s research interests focus around understanding the molecular mechanisms of and the development of novel treatment strategies for genitourinary cancers, with a particular interest in androgen independent prostate cancer.

Dr John Dixon

John Dixon has 36 years experience in Pharmaceutical Research & Development. He has been associated with and responsible for research projects into several disease areas. He is the inventor of one marketed drug and of several other compounds that reached advanced stages in Clinical Development. He was Head of Medicinal Chemistry for 20 years at Fisons and Vice President of Preclinical R&D in Astra Charnwood for 4 years followed by 9 years as Vice President of Drug Discovery at AstraZeneca R&D Charnwood. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Member of the American Chemical Society and has served on several professional and academic advisory committees. Recently he was awarded an honorary D.Sc. from the University of Loughborough.

Professor Hing Leung

Hing Leung is Professor of Urology and Surgical Oncology at Glasgow University and the Beatson Institute for Cancer. His programmes of translational research work are aimed at incorporating diverse clinical and scientific disciplines to achieve better patient outcomes. His pioneering work has helped to validate the significance of key signalling pathways as critical biologic and prognostic markers in clinical prostate cancer; these have resulted in ongoing drug development programmes. He serves on the Executive Committee of the nationally funded Prostate Cancer Collaborative (PROMPT, equivalent of SPORES in the USA – recognised network of centres of excellence), Scientific Advisory Board of the Orchid Cancer Charity and the MRC Clinical Training Fellowship Panel.