Dr Sheena McGowan
Associate Professor
Sheena McGowan is a versatile research and development leader with deep antimicrobial experience and broad drug development expertise. She is passionate about building and nurturing, dynamic, high-performing teams to translate cutting-edge technologies into new products and therapeutics.
With over 20 years’ experience in antimicrobial drug discovery, structure-based drug design, medicinal chemistry, structural biology, biochemistry from concept to lead molecule, Sheena builds cross-functional teams and provides an essential link between scientists, collaborators and stakeholders to deliver products.
She built a successful career as a tenured PI at Monash University (Australia) before choosing to transition to industry to pursue a strong desire to deliver real world solutions and is widely published with >85 research papers and >130 structures generated in the protein databank. As a senior member of an Australian ‘Group of 8’ University, she held multiple critical leadership roles that spanned academic departments, discovery centres and cross-faculty positions, leveraging an extensive skillset in strategy, operations and management.
Sheena led a global structure-based drug design program that delivered a new compound class to the global product developer. She raised $AUD12M, built and led a matrixed team (academic, VC and philanthropic stakeholders; chemistry, biology, DMPK, CRO scientists; product developers).
