Primary Job Title Venture Partner Primary Organization Lumira Ventures
Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada Regions Great Lakes Gender Male
Investor Type
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Dr. Brian J. Underdown, Ph.D. is the Venture Partner at Lumira Capital Corp. Dr. Underdown joined Lumira Capital in 1997 and is responsible for coordinating scientific and technical due diligence of investment opportunities. Dr. Underdown serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of University Medical Discoveries, Inc. He was previously a
Managing Director and Managing Partner at Lumira.
He served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Medtech Partners Inc. He serves as the Chair of Board of Directors of Ontario Genomics Institute. He serves as the Chairman of OsteoQC since November 25, 2014. He has been a Director of VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc., since November 2009 and BioCanRx since Janaury 2018. He has been a Director of Formation Biologics Inc. since July 4, 2014. He serves as Director of McMaster Innovation Park, enGene Inc., and Nysa Membrane Technologies. He served as a Director at Argos Therapeutics, Inc. since 1999 until March 14, 2016. Dr. Underdown serves as a Director of Ception Therapeutics, Inc., Golden Horseshoe Biotechnology Network, MedInnova Partners Inc., Transmolecular Therapeutics, Ontario Genomics Institute, Merix Biosciences Inc., Transplant Technologies Inc., Working Ventures CMDF Queen's University Scientific Breakthrough Fund, Ellipsis Neurotherapeutics, Inc. and Welichem Technologies Corp. He served as a Director at Natrix Separations, Inc. He served as a Director of Aptose Biosciences Inc. from December 10, 2013 to December 15, 2014. He served as a Director of Trillium Therapeutics Inc., and Cytochroma Inc. He served as a Director of ID Biomedical Inc. since September 13, 1999 and Welichem Biotech Inc. since November 1, 2004. He served a number of senior management positions in the biopharmaceutical industry and universities. He served as a Director of Salpep Biotechnology Inc., Viron Therapeutics Inc. and MedTech Partners Inc. He served as an Assistant Vice President Research and Director of Immunology at Pasteur Mrieux Connaught from 1994 to 1997. From 1970 to 1994, he served a number of academic positions including a Professor and an Associate Dean Research at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and a Professor of Department of Pathology and an Associate Dean Research at the Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University.
He is an Immunologist by training and during his academic career; he focused on immune-mediated diseases as well as vaccine development. Dr. Underdown is actively involved in policy development and grant administration with a number of government and non-governmental organizations that support research including Allergen and CANVAC, Canadian National Centres of Excellence in Asthma and Vaccines and the Ontario Genomics Institute, especially as it applies to commercial development. He published over 85 articles in immunology in numerous peer review publications. He has over 20 years of investment and operational experience in the biopharmaceutical sector. He is a key player in the growth of over 10 life science companies in Canada and the US. Dr. Underdown holds a Ph.D. degree in Immunology from McGill University and undertook Post-Doctoral studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Montreal where he focused on Immune-Mediated Diseases and Vaccine Development. He attended McGill University, where he graduated with a B.Sc. degree with Honors, in Chemistry.




