Prof Andrew Wilks

Professor Andrew Wilks is a distinguished scientist, entrepreneur, and innovator in drug discovery and biotechnology. During his tenure at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (1983-1997), he discovered and patented two drug targets, which he later translated into medical treatments through a spin-out company, Cytopia. As a serial entrepreneur, Prof Wilks has founded or co-founded 12 companies, including Cytopia - an ASX-listed drug discovery company - and the SYNthesis Group. He is an Adjunct Professor at Monash University and an Honorary Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne. Prof Wilks’ contributions have been recognised with fellowships in prestigious academies and he has received numerous awards including the Australian BioBusiness Award, the ATSE Clunies Ross Medal, the Lackmann Award for Translational Research, and Prime Minister’s Prize for Innovation.