Join us for a conversation with neuroscientist and Nottingham alumnus Anthony Ford, CEO of CuraSen Therapeutics.

Anthony was born and raised in Nottingham, UK, studied pharmacology at the University of Bradford and received a PhD in neuropharmacology from the University of Nottingham in 1988. Since then, he has been hugely successful in developing new drugs to treat neurological disorders with over 30 years of neuroscience research with a strong focus on therapeutics for poorly addressed neurobiological disorders and pharmacology, drug discovery and development experience from leading biopharmaceutical companies.

In 2018, he co-founded CuraSen Therapeutics and is now their CEO. CuraSen is a clinical stage biopharma company advancing novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. Prior to CuraSen, Ford founded Afferent Pharmaceuticals in 2009, and as chief scientific officer led the development of first-in-class P2X3 antagonists, including gefapixant (previously known as AF-219 or MK-7264), for the treatment of chronic cough and other sensory disorders, until the company’s acquisition by Merck in 2016.

Previously he held several positions during 20 years at Roche Pharmaceuticals (Palo Alto, USA), including lastly as vice president of research, head of neuroscience and head of biochemical pharmacology, where he initiated and drove innovative programs in neuroscience.  He was also a venture partner at New Leaf Ventures, and research VP at Merck (South San Francisco). He remains an avid supporter of Nottingham Forest and San Francisco 49ers, and lives in Los Altos Hills, California.

This event is hosted by the Excel in Science team in School of Life Science. Excel in Science is an innovative new educational programme for students from all backgrounds and ethnicities, which aims to enable students to examine the ethos and philosophy of science, whilst being equipped with the knowledge and skills to forge a new, inclusive and diverse generation of scientists.

The event is open to everyone but booking is required. Tickets can be booked on the official event page.