University of Maryland BioPark Announces MedImmune's Dr. Bahija Jallal as Newest Member of Board of Directors for UM Health Sciences Research Park

BALTIMORE, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland BioPark announced today that Bahija Jallal, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development at MedImmune, has been appointed as the newest member of the UM Health Sciences Research Park Corporation (RPC) Board of Directors.

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"The BioPark leadership team is thrilled to welcome Dr. Jallal – a seasoned life science research and development leader ­– to the Research Park Corporation's board of directors," said RPC President James Hughes, who also serves as the Vice President and Chief Enterprise & Economic Development Officer for the University of Maryland. "Her experience within leading biopharmaceutical companies will bring additional industry perspective to our project. It's a privilege to have Dr. Jallal on our board."

Dr. Jallal is a member of both MedImmune's executive team as well as the R&D leadership team of parent company AstraZeneca. She joined MedImmune as Vice President, Translational Sciences, in March 2006 and has since held positions of increasing responsibility. Dr. Jallal now oversees research, development, regulatory and clinical activities conducted by a team of more than 2,500 employees based at MedImmune's Maryland, California, and Cambridge, UK sites. Dr. Jallal has guided the MedImmune R&D organization through unprecedented growth and expansion of its biologics pipeline from 40 drugs to more than 140. Dr. Jallal is passionate about leading and shaping MedImmune's rich pipeline of drugs targeting cancer, infections, respiratory and inflammatory diseases, cardio-vascular and gastrointestinal disorders and pain to ultimately develop new medicines for patients.

Of her new role on the RPC board, Dr. Jallal said, "When you visit the UM BioPark, you can't help but be impressed by the clear marriage of industry and academia that exists at this hub of innovation. I'm honored to serve as a board member and look forward to sharing my industry perspective while participating with an organization that stands strong in its commitment to give back to the local Baltimore community while at the same time fostering business and scientific opportunities for industry."

In addition to working with the State of Maryland as a board member for the UM Health Sciences RPC, Dr. Jallal participated last year in Maryland Governor O'Malley's Trade Mission to India where she represented the life sciences. She has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and has over 15 patents. She is a member of multiple research associations and organizations promoting women in science. In 2011 she was named one of FierceBiotech's Top Women in Biotech.

Prior to joining MedImmune, Dr. Jallal worked with Chiron Corporation where she served as Vice President, Drug Assessment and Development, and successfully established the company's translational medicine group.  Prior to Chiron Corporation, she worked at Sugen, Inc. where she held positions of increasing responsibility leading to Senior Director, Research.

Dr. Jallal received a master's degree in biology from the Universite de Paris VII in France, and her doctorate in physiology from the University of Pierre & Marie Curie in Paris. She conducted her postdoctoral research at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany.

About the University of Maryland BioPark

The mission of the BioPark is to create a university-associated research park that accelerates biotechnology commercialization and economic development in the surrounding community and throughout the region. The non-profit corporation, the University of Maryland Health Sciences Research Park Corporation, was established in 2003 and its 11-member private sector Board oversees the growth and ongoing development of the 12-acre project. Learn more at www.umbiopark.com.

SOURCE The University of Maryland BioPark