Alan Munro
Encyclopedia
Alan James Munro is a British immunologist and entrepreneur
.
Munro was born in Madras, India
and educated at the Edinburgh Academy
. He attended the University of Cambridge
, specialising in biochemistry
. His PhD in the area of protein synthesis was supervised by Asher Korner at the Department of Biochemistry (1964), and his early posts were in this department (1963–8). His collaborators during this period include Tim Hunt
.
He joined the MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
in Cambridge
in 1968 to set up a cellular immunology
programme. In 1971, he joined the Immunology Division of the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge. He spent sabbatical years at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, USA (1965–6) and University of Leiden, the Netherlands (1976–7). He became acting head of the Pathology Department in 1987.
His research interests during this period included the regulation of the immune response and the generation of therapeutic antibodies. He was instrumental in the early investigation of the Campath series of antibodies, which eventually resulted in the cancer treatment, alemtuzumab
.
In 1988, Munro spent a sabbatical year working in the biotechnology
company Celltech
. He left the university in 1989 to co-found the highly successful Cambridge
-based biotechnology company Immunology Ltd, later renamed Cantab Pharmaceuticals plc (now part of Celtic Pharma), specialising in therapeutic vaccines and immunotherapy
, and he acted as its scientific director until 1995. He was also Chairman of Lorantis Ltd, another Cambridge-based immunology company.
He served as Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
1995–2002, being particularly active in establishing the college's fundraising campaign for the 2005 quincentenary.
As of 2006, Munro chairs the New Agents Committee of Cancer Research UK
and holds non-executive directorships of Blackwell Publishing
Ltd & Paradigm Therapeutics.
He is married to Mary Munro; they have two sons.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
Munro was born in Madras, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and educated at the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
. He attended the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, specialising in biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
. His PhD in the area of protein synthesis was supervised by Asher Korner at the Department of Biochemistry (1964), and his early posts were in this department (1963–8). His collaborators during this period include Tim Hunt
Tim Hunt
Sir Richard Timothy "Tim" Hunt, FRS is an English biochemist.Hunt was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Nurse and Leland H...
.
He joined the MRC
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
The Laboratory of Molecular Biology is a research institute in Cambridge, England, which was at the forefront of the revolution in molecular biology which occurred in the 1950–60s, since then it remains a major medical research laboratory with a much broader focus.-Early beginnings: 1947-61:Max...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in 1968 to set up a cellular immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
programme. In 1971, he joined the Immunology Division of the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge. He spent sabbatical years at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, USA (1965–6) and University of Leiden, the Netherlands (1976–7). He became acting head of the Pathology Department in 1987.
His research interests during this period included the regulation of the immune response and the generation of therapeutic antibodies. He was instrumental in the early investigation of the Campath series of antibodies, which eventually resulted in the cancer treatment, alemtuzumab
Alemtuzumab
Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia , cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma...
.
In 1988, Munro spent a sabbatical year working in the biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
company Celltech
Celltech
Celltech Group plc was a leading British-based biotechnology business based in Slough. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
. He left the university in 1989 to co-found the highly successful Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
-based biotechnology company Immunology Ltd, later renamed Cantab Pharmaceuticals plc (now part of Celtic Pharma), specialising in therapeutic vaccines and immunotherapy
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...
, and he acted as its scientific director until 1995. He was also Chairman of Lorantis Ltd, another Cambridge-based immunology company.
He served as Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
1995–2002, being particularly active in establishing the college's fundraising campaign for the 2005 quincentenary.
As of 2006, Munro chairs the New Agents Committee of Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is a cancer research and awareness charity in the United Kingdom, formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. Its aim is to reduce the number of deaths from cancer. As the world's largest independent cancer...
and holds non-executive directorships of Blackwell Publishing
Blackwell Publishing
Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons. It was formed by the merger of John Wiley's Global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business with Blackwell Publishing, after Wiley took over Blackwell Publishing in...
Ltd & Paradigm Therapeutics.
He is married to Mary Munro; they have two sons.