Dr. Chris Hall is a world expert in the science of plant-based pharmaceutical production. He is a University Professor Emeritus in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph and a former Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Recombinant Antibody Technology (2002-2014).
Dr. Hall leads a dynamic team of PlantForm researchers who, with every new discovery, take another step towards establishing the company’s plant-based manufacturing platform as a superior system for biopharmaceutical production.
Dr. Hall first recognized the manufacturing and regulatory advantages of using tobacco plants to produce antibody drugs in the early 1990s. His technology overcomes a number of issues associated with animal-derived antibody production: it allows for higher yields, lowers costs and eliminates animal welfare concerns.
Dr. Hall’s research group also studies the large-scale production of antibodies in plants against food- and water-borne pathogens, biological weapons and environmental contaminants. His laboratory has published more than 150 papers in refereed journals.
Ashley Meyers has over 10 years of experience in biopharmaceutical development that includes research and development of recombinant proteins and production of these products for pre-clinical studies. Ms. Meyers has been leading medical countermeasure research and development programs since 2012 and has collectively secured over $2.2 million towards advancing these programs. She has over five years of experience as a project manager for government-funded contracts for PlantForm Corporation.
Warren Whitehead is a Certified Management Accountant who has held several senior financial management positions with pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. He is the former CFO of Arius Research Inc., an anti-cancer antibody company (acquired by Roche in 2008), and former CFO of Labopharm Inc. (2000 to 2006) where he led several rounds of financing, including a cross-border NASDAQ offering. Prior positions include CFO of Resolution Pharmaceuticals Inc. and finance and business development at Glaxo Canada (now GlaxoSmithKline).