ProMIS Neurosciences Announces Appointment of Dr. Steven Plotkin as Chief Physics Officer
Toronto On (PRWEB) September 23, 2015 -- ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. (TSX: PMN), announced today that Professor Steven S. Plotkin Ph.D., an international authority on protein folding and currently in the faculties of Physics, Genome Sciences, and Bioinformatics at the University of British Columbia (UBC), has joined the company in the new role of Chief Physics Officer.
In this role, Dr. Plotkin will work in partnership with Dr. Neil Cashman, the company's Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder and fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, who is known for his groundbreaking work in protein misfolding and prion biology.
As Chief Physics Officer and co-inventor of ProMIS’s discovery technology, Dr. Plotkin will be conducting mathematical and computational research in order to identify and evaluate strain-specific epitopes on the proteins responsible for Alzheimer’s disease, further improving the predictive power of the discovery technologies currently used by ProMIS, and paving the way toward personalized therapeutics.
"I am incredibly excited about joining the ProMIS team," said Plotkin. "Their vision of personalized medicine, particularly pertaining to Alzheimer’s disease, is, I believe, at the forefront of neurodegenerative research being conducted today. As an inventor of new and improved technologies to identify misfolded protein targets, our goal is to harness the power of physically-based predictions in order to discover novel therapeutic targets that would otherwise lay undiscovered. This strategy will enable us to deliver precision technologies that will ultimately become front-line assets in our fight against diseases like Alzheimer’s and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)."
"We could not be more delighted to have Steve join our team," said Dr. Elliot Goldstein, President and CEO of ProMIS. "His experience and specific protein research background make him an ideal fit for our team. He adds huge value to ProMIS."
About Dr. Steven Plotkin
Dr. Plotkin is a theoretical and computational biophysicist whose research focuses on protein misfolding in neurodegenerative disease, protein evolution and cellular differentiation and the molecular mechanisms of cancer. A tenured Associate Professor at UBC, he has been on the faculty there since 2001. At UBC, Dr. Plotkin is a valued faculty member of the Physics, Bioinformatics, Genome Sciences and Technology, and Applied Mathematics Programs. Prior to his appointment at UBC, Plotkin was an NSF post-Doctoral Fellow in Bioinformatics at the University of California at San Diego and received his Doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne in 1998. Dr. Plotkin is recognized internationally for his fundamental contributions to the energy landscape theory of protein folding. A prolific lecturer and author, Plotkin has published more than 35 articles over his career and lectured extensively across the globe. He is considered a preeminent scientist in the multi-faceted field of protein folding and is an authority on the role of thermodynamics in governing protein misfolding.
About ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc.
The mission of ProMIS Neurosciences is to discover and develop precision medicine solutions for the early detection and effective treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease and ALS.
ProMIS uses its computational discovery platform—ProMIS™ to predict novel targets known as Disease Specific Isotopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique "precision medicine" approach, ProMIS is developing novel antibody therapeutics and specific companion diagnostics for Alzheimer's disease and ALS. The company has developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels of misfolded proteins in a biological sample. In addition, ProMIS Neurosciences owns the exclusive rights to the Genus patent relating to misfolded SOD1 in ALS, and currently has a preclinical monoclonal antibody therapeutic against this target. For further information please consult the Company's website at:
http://www.promisneurosciences.com
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise
For inquiries please contact:
ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc.
Eugene Williams
Executive Chairman
Tel. (617) 460-0978
Fax: (416) 847-6899
Dr. Elliot Goldstein
President and Chief Executive Officer ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc.
Tel. (415) 341-5783
Fax: (416) 847-6899
[email protected]
Elliot Goldstein, ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc., +1 4153415783, [email protected]
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