MedImmune appoints head of research

AstraZeneca (AZ) has strengthened its research team by appointing leading academic Dr Yong-Jun Liu as head of research at its MedImmune subsidiary.

AZ has made of series of pipeline-boosting acquisitions in the past year, but the appointment of Dr Liu is a move to strengthen its existing R&D operations.

Dr Liu joins the company after an extensive career in academia, which most recently saw him serve as VP and chief scientific officer at the Baylor Research Institute and director of the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research.

He also served for a period as chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Texas.

MedImmune focuses on the development of biologics and will look to benefit from Dr Liu's experience in immunology as it works to develop a portfolio of immunotherapies, including investigational cancer treatments.

Bahija Jallal, executive VP MedImmune, commented on the company's commitment to develop in-house research through strong leadership.

“Scientific leadership is our top priority,” said Jallal. “We are committed to hiring established leaders who will drive our research engine and progress our efforts to deliver valuable medicines to patients.”