Michael is a co-founder of TuHURA Biosciences. Michael received his Ph.D. from the University of Surrey, UK, while working at the Animal Virus Research Institute (The Pirbright Institute). Michael came to the US as an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the University of Tennessee. Michael then served on the faculty of the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University and the University of Florida. Michael also worked as a senior scientist in the Division of Immunology and Cytokine Therapeutics of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization – Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) of Canada. Michael also held a faculty position at the University of Florida in the College of Medicine and was Director of Research at the Walt Disney Memorial Cancer Institute. Michael has published extensively and is co-inventor on numerous US and worldwide patents. He has participated as a research consultant on a number of topics for the Biopharmaceutical Industry and for International and US agencies. Michael also served as a reviewer and as an Ad Hoc reviewer for a number of scientific journals.

James Bianco, M.D. is a co-founder of TuHURA Biosciences. Dr. Bianco is a 30-year veteran of the biopharmaceutical industry. In 1991, Dr. Bianco founded CTI Biopharma, Inc. and from 1992 to 2016 was the Chief Executive Officer of CTI Biopharma. During his tenure at CTI Biopharma, Dr. Bianco was responsible for strategic portfolio development and identifying, acquiring, licensing, purchasing, or acquiring through international merger and acquisition, five drug candidates, four of which have since been approved by the FDA and with three receiving accelerated or conditional regulatory approval in the U.S. and/or E.U. Dr. Bianco was responsible for the purchase of pacritinib, a novel Jak2 inhibitor which was partnered with Baxalta for $60 million upfront and $120 million committed Phase 3 clinical trial related expenses. Dr. Bianco designed and implemented the pacritinib PERSIST-2 phase 3 trial which was the basis for its accelerated approval and the subsequent acquisition of CTI Biopharma by SOBI for $1.75 billion.

Dr. Bianco earned his M.D. completed his residency and chief residency at the Mount Sinai Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York City, where he graduated with high honors and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) where he was appointed Assistant Professor of Medicine, Assistant Member FHCRC and Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at a “Hutch” affiliate (SVAMC). He is the recipient of numerous awards including the National Organization of Rare Disease award for the development of Trisenox.