Dr Ylva Bozikis

Dr Ylva Bozikis is a Senior Research Fellow with the Australian Translational Medicinal Chemistry Facility (ATMCF) at Monash University, bringing more than 15 years of industry experience in small-molecule drug discovery and translational medicinal chemistry. After completing her PhD at Monash University in 2008, she built an extensive career in oncology-focused drug discovery, developing expertise in medicinal chemistry strategy, candidate selection, structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis, and the progression of compounds from early discovery through to clinical development.

Prior to joining ATMCF in 2022, Dr Bozikis served as Associate Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Canthera (formerly Cancer Therapeutics CRC), where she played leading roles in multiple drug discovery programs. Her work contributed to the discovery and advancement of several first-in-class therapeutic candidates, including the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor program that was licensed to Amplia Therapeutics and has progressed to Phase 2 clinical trials. She has also led medicinal chemistry programs targeting epigenetic regulators and kinase pathways, helping to advance innovative cancer therapies toward clinical evaluation.

Dr Bozikis has an exceptional track record in research translation and commercialisation. She is an inventor on more than a dozen patent families and has contributed to multiple landmark licensing agreements with global pharmaceutical companies, including programs licensed to Merck and Pfizer. Under her medicinal chemistry leadership, the KAT6A/B inhibitor program progressed from early discovery to a clinical candidate that has advanced to Phase 3 clinical trials, while other programs have delivered important advances in oncology, immuno-oncology and targeted therapeutics.

At ATMCF, Dr Bozikis oversees medicinal chemistry activities across a diverse portfolio spanning oncology, neuroscience, molecular imaging and infectious disease. She works closely with academic and industry partners to design and optimise candidate-quality molecules with the potential to address significant unmet medical needs. Her career reflects a strong commitment to translating innovative science into medicines, combining scientific leadership with a proven ability to deliver outcomes that progress from the laboratory to clinical development.