Our Scientific Advisory Board

Until Spring 2024 Mene held the role of Executive Vice President, Research and Development at AstraZeneca being responsible for R&D from discovery through to late-stage development covering Cardiovascular, Renal, Metabolism, Respiratory, Immunology, Microbial Science and Neuroscience areas. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice-President of AstraZeneca’s Innovative Medicines & Early Development Biotech Unit and Global Business Development.

During his time with AstraZeneca, Mene led the transformation of R&D productivity through the development and implementation of the “5R” framework resulting in a greater than four-fold increase in success rates compared to industry averages. In parallel, he has championed an open approach to working with academic and other external partners, changing the nature of academic-industry collaboration. 

In addition, Mene led and oversaw AstraZeneca’s R&D response to COVID-19; maintaining existing clinical trials and delivery of medicines to patients, responding to the UK government’s call for supporting its national testing effort, and discovering and developing new preventative and treatment approaches to the disease. This work involved partnering with Oxford University in the global development of a vaccine and ensuring broad and equitable access at no profit during the pandemic, the discovery and development of a long-acting antibody combination for those who could not be vaccinated, as well as exploring AstraZeneca’s existing portfolio as potential treatment options against the disease. The team were awarded the Copley Medal by the Royal Society in 2023.

Mene previously held senior R&D roles at Wyeth and GSK.

Mene holds Honorary Doctorates from Glasgow University and Imperial College, London, is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal Society of Biology and Clare Hall, University of Cambridge and is a Visiting Professor at The Wolfson Centre at King’s College. He co-chairs the UK Life Sciences Council Expert Group on Innovation, Clinical Research and Data and is a member of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy Implementation Board. He is also on the Boards of The Francis Crick Institute and The Judge Business School, Cambridge University, and is a member of the Life Sciences Vision Advisory Group. Mene was awarded the 2019 Prix Galien Medal, Greece for his scientific research and named Executive of the Year at the 2019 Scrip Awards. In 2019, Mene was awarded the honour of a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to UK science. In 2021 Mene was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the British Pharmacological Society. In 2022 Mene was elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society and an honorary professor of Cambridge University Medical School.