Our team

Mark Sullivan is MDGH’s founder and managing director. He was previously a clinical programme head at GSK in London; Associate Director, Clinical at Gilead Sciences in California; and Chief Operating Officer of Australia’s vaccine design and development consortium at the University of New South Wales. He has contributed to three successful global registrational programs for HIV and hepatitis B therapeutics, has worked on 40 small molecule and biologic development programs at all stages, and led the development of moxidectin through FDA approval. Mark was the 2019 Victorian Australian of the Year.

Amanda Handley is a Senior Director at MDGH. As Head of Development Management Amanda leads the project management function while keeping her skills sharp overseeing the late-stage development of an oral rotavirus vaccine. Prior to joining MDGH Amanda was Senior Scientist at Bavarian Nordic GmbH. Amanda has over 20 years’ experience in development teams and has gained experience in product development teams in research, preclinical, and clinical for smallpox, HIV, and other viral vector vaccines. Amanda holds a Master of Public Health. When not making medicines for those that need them most, she seeks adventures with her family, knits beanies for babies and is learning Danish.

Danielle is a Senior Director at MDGH. As the Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, she oversees regulatory affairs operations and contributes to directional strategy, including global drug access and new collaboration, development, and funding opportunity assessments. Prior to joining MDGH in 2008, Danielle was an Australian Research Council/Center of Excellence research fellow and lecturer at Monash University, Australia, with a small group of staff and post-graduate students and a broad collaborative network studying host-pathogen immunology and the biochemistry of cell death in health and disease. Danielle is a graduate of Monash University and has a PhD in immunology from the University of Melbourne. Danielle has been fascinated by immunology since she first learned about the weaponry pathogens deploy on their human hosts. When not working for global health equity, she is most likely to be found in a Melbourne coffee shop or at a park with her husband and their wolfhound.

Larry joined MDGH in 2012. He is a highly experienced biotechnology executive with broad R&D, product development, corporate and business development expertise. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the biotechnology industry at companies including AMRAD and Virax in positions spanning from Laboratory Director to CEO. Larry has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Queensland. His pedigree in biotechnology is underpinned by a strong research background, having worked as a senior researcher for over 10 years in leading Australian and international institutes.  When not driving MDGH corporate activities Larry is an avid hiker and rower who can often be found rowing the peaceful reaches of the Yarra River in Melbourne.

Sally’s key responsibility is for development leadership of the moxidectin for onchocerciasis program and advising on clinical projects across development programs. Sally joined Medicines Development for Global Health in late 2013, with 18 years prior experience at GlaxoSmithKline Australia. Her experience includes staff training and team leadership for local and global Phase II-IV clinical trials in oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory medicine, registration and reimbursement strategy development, and scientific communications for oncology medical affairs. In her last role as scientific and medical communications manager, she was a key member of the team responsible for the reimbursement approval of a breast cancer-targeted therapy and for leadership of subsequent advocacy activities that successfully removed a barrier to its use in the reimbursement listing. As an independent consultant, she has undertaken project activities for industry, research, and government clients and was Chief Operating Officer with an ASX-listed biotechnology company for a six-month term. Sally holds a degree in pharmacy from Monash University and a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Melbourne. Sally lives in Melbourne with her husband and rescue greyhound, Lachie. When not in project planning meetings or authoring study protocols, she loves to spend time with her adult daughters, cooking up a storm for friends and family, and playing the cello.

Lorna is currently Vice President, Commercial Operations, Asia Pacific of Seqirus bioCSL Ltd., (A CSL company). She has enjoyed a successful 25-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, encompassing clinical research, business development, marketing, and sales across a wide variety of therapeutic areas, including respiratory, CNS, cardiopulmonary, oncology, metabolic, psychiatry, neurology, HIV, pain, and vaccines. Lorna previously worked for GSK Australia as Commercial Vice President, before establishing Ikaria Australia Pty Ltd., a biotherapeutics company that commercialised drugs and devices for intensive care medicine. She was a director and secretary of BioMelbourne Network (an industry-led membership association for organisations engaged in biotechnology, medical technology, and health innovation in the state of Victoria). Lorna graduated with a PhD in Neurobiology (University College London) and a BSc in Pharmacology (University of Glasgow), and went on to hold academic positions at the Cardiothoracic Institute at the Royal Brompton Hospital (London) and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School (London).

Mark Sullivan is MDGH’s founder and managing director. He was previously a clinical programme head at GSK in London; Associate Director, Clinical at Gilead Sciences in California; and Chief Operating Officer of Australia’s vaccine design and development consortium at the University of New South Wales. He has contributed to three successful global registrational programs for HIV and hepatitis B therapeutics, has worked on 40 small molecule and biologic development programs at all stages, and led the development of moxidectin through FDA approval. Mark was the 2019 Victorian Australian of the Year.

Andrew Wilks, BSc, PhD, was most recently Chief Scientific Officer and founder of Cytopia. Prior to starting Cytopia, Andrew was at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne where he discovered the JAK kinases. He holds an Honorary Professorship at Monash University (Melbourne) and was the inaugural winner of the Australian Biobusiness Award in 2007. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Andrew co-founded SYN|thesis in 2007 and now oversees global operations.

Richard has over 25 years’ experience in negotiating and documenting commercial arrangements and is highly regarded for his expertise in advising clients on all aspects of commercial transactions and corporate issues. Richard was a founding partner of the Banki Haddock Fiora partnership in 1995. His clients include research organisations and universities, statutory corporations, educators, primary industry bodies, publishers, and media operators.

Daren is a corporate, commercial and finance lawyer with over 30 years’ experience in leading and quality law firms, advising clients on significant, complex, transactional, regulatory and governance matters. His clients include and have included ASX-listed public companies, private concerns, leading universities and schools, other not-for-profit companies and peak bodies, including technology-rich, emerging, creative industry and pharmaceutical ventures. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an ANU College of Law Graduate of Distinction.