Iain Chessell

Dr. Iain Chessell is the Head of the Neuroscience Innovative Medicines and Early Development Unit at AstraZeneca, based in Cambridge UK, leading a cross-functional team dedicated to discovery and clinical development of the neuroscience portfolio.

Dr. Chessell joined the AstraZeneca (AZ) subsidiary, MedImmune, in November 2008 as vice president, Research, to initiate neuroscience R&D at MedImmune. After building a portfolio in analgesia and neurodegeneration, in 2010 he became head of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence (CoE) and subsequently head of the AstraZeneca neuroscience innovative medicines unit. Dr Chessell also serves on the AstraZeneca IMED leadership team which has responsibility for running the AZ’s discovery and early development organisation

Prior to joining AZ, Dr. Chessell was CEO at NeuroDiscovery where he completed a number of Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical programs for analgesia. Previously, he was global head of pain R&D for GlaxoSmithKline, where he delivered a portfolio of clinical candidates, and was involved in 19 clinical development projects from Phase 1 to Phase 3. Dr. Chessell also manages several high profile academic and industrial collaborations, and is author of more than 100 peer reviewed publications.

Dr. Chessell received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacology from University College London, and received his doctoral degree from the Department of Neurochemistry at the Institute of Neurology, London.