Jane Osbourn, PhD

Vice President R&D and Site Leader at MedImmune Cambridge

Speaker

Jane joined MedImmune, formerly Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT), now the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, in 1993. An expert in antibody engineering, she has authored many key publications and patents, and made a significant contribution to the discovery and development of a number of marketed drugs and more than 40 clinical candidates. She has worked across many therapy areas and currently leads a global team, based in Gaithersburg US, focused on the development of biosuperior antibody therapies. Jane is also Site Leader for MedImmune’s facility in Cambridge UK, which is home to over 550 MedImmune employees, and chairs the cross-campus leadership team for AstraZeneca in Cambridge.

Jane obtained a First Class degree in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and completed a PhD at the John Innes Centre for Plant Science Research in Norwich. This was followed by a Post-Doctoral position at Rutgers University, New Jersey before moving into medical research through a British Heart Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Department of Medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Jane is passionate about the development of the UK biotechnology sector and was elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the BioIndustry Association in 2015. She is also a Director of Babraham Bioscience Technologies and a Director of Cambridge Enterprise. She has presented at a number of parliamentary Select Committees and has previously served as a Member of the UK Medical Research Council Industry Grant Award Assessment Panel. In 2016 she was recognised in the PharmaVoice 100, and also in Fierce Pharma’s “Fierce Women in Biopharma” – one of 15 women in the global industry noteworthy for their leadership, providing mentorship and helping increase opportunities for women in science.