Francesca Mercuri

Ena Therapeutics is developing novel, synthetic innate immunomodulators for the prevention of respiratory viral and bacterial infections. The company is based in Melbourne, Australia and it has secured a Series A investment from the Brandon Capital managed Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) and Uniseed.

I was working as the Program Manager for the NH&MRC Influenza Program Grant (2015-2019: Limiting and Controlling Influenza) to facilitate research by CI’s (Prof. Stephen Turner, Prof. David Jackson, Prof. Lorena Brown, Prof. Weisan Chen, A/Prof. Katherine Kedzierska, Prof. Nicole La Gruta and Laureate Prof. Peter Doherty,). I'm also currently working as Prof David Jackson Program Manager.

Focus: To Provide project and planning support to the Doherty NH&MRC Program Grant through project planning, tracking and reporting to meet the needs of the NH&MRC, the CI/PI and scientist. With a key aspect of the role in facilitating the collaborations between the research teams to ensure that all members of the program have access to information about the research being undertaken and the timelines of these activities.

Focus: Research based position examining collagen regulation of the Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP) in Breast Cancer Metastasis, within the Metastasis Unit head by A/Prof. Erik Thompson

Focus: To manage and facilitate the Burnet Institute’s (BI) role within the NIH funded VivaGel Microbicide Development Consortium (VMDC). The VMDC incorporates Starpharma Pty Ltd, The Burnet Institute, encompassing Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (MSHC), The National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical research (NCHECR) University of New South Wales (UNSW) and The Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand.

Focus: Research based position examining the role of ADAMs in the shedding of the HGF/SF receptor (Met) within the Cell Biology Unit at the University of East Anglia head by Prof. Gillian Murphy

Focus: Research based position examining the pilosebaceous unit, as an in vitro model of growth hormone/IGF-1 and androgen interactions, under supervision of Dr Jennifer Batch.