Assoc. Professor Ben Morrow

Assoc. Professor Ben Morrow is a medicinal chemist and drug discovery leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing small-molecule therapeutics from hit identification through to clinical development. As an Associate Professor at Monash University, he leads medicinal chemistry programs focused on delivering commercially viable, clinic-ready therapeutics, drawing on extensive expertise in medicinal chemistry strategy, lead optimisation, intellectual property and translational drug development. Throughout his career, he has successfully guided compounds through all stages of preclinical development and into Phase 1 clinical trials.

Prior to joining Monash University, Associate Professor Morrow held leadership roles at Aculeus Therapeutics and Cancer Therapeutics CRC (now Canthera Discovery), working on several internationally recognised oncology and immuno-oncology drug discovery programs. Among these were four programs that secured licensing agreements with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including a KAT6 inhibitor licensed to Pfizer and a PRMT5 inhibitor licensed to Merck, both of which represented important advances in the emerging field of epigenetic therapeutics.

As Head of Chemistry at Aculeus Therapeutics, Associate Professor Morrow led the delivery of the company's first clinical candidate, advancing a STING-targeted therapeutic from lead optimisation through toxicology studies, GMP manufacture and entry into Phase 1 clinical evaluation. He has extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams, overseeing large international contract research programs, directing intellectual property strategy and managing interactions with industry partners, contract research organisations and regulatory authorities. He is also a named inventor on 12 patent families spanning oncology, immunology and targeted therapeutics.

Today, Associate Professor Morrow provides strategic leadership for a major industry-partnered medicinal chemistry program in metabolic disease at Monash University. His work integrates medicinal chemistry, translational science and commercial strategy to accelerate the development of new medicines for unmet medical needs. Holding a PhD in Chemistry from Queensland University of Technology, he is recognised for his ability to build and lead high-performing drug discovery teams and to translate innovative science into therapeutic candidates with commercial and clinical impact.