Steve Rees

As Senior Vice President within Discovery Sciences, R&D at AstraZeneca, I lead a global team of scientists applying leading science and technology to create reagents, assays and disease models to discover new targets and medicines. In addition to expanding our target and drug discovery capabilities in-house, I am responsible for connecting with the right partners and collaborations to advance innovative early science programmes. A recent example is the creation of the Cambridge COVID-19 Test Centre in partnership with the University of Cambridge and GlaxoSmithKline for increasing the UK’s PCR-based diagnostic testing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A second example is the creation of the AstraZeneca strategy for functional genomics in which I have created a leading internal technology platform while collaborating with Cancer Research UK to create the Functional Genomics Centre at the Milner Institute in Cambridge, UK.

Previously, I led the Screening Sciences and Sample Management department, specialising in compound management, high throughput screening and lead optimisation biology. I am especially interested in applying laboratory automation and novel biology technologies to identify new molecules for drug discovery projects. With over two decades at GlaxoSmithKline in various roles prior to joining AstraZeneca in 2011, I have been a part of multiple international collaborations and external partnerships focusing on early scientific and R&D programmes.

Being actively involved with the research community, I am passionate about the creation of networking, educational and mentoring opportunities for scientists engaged in drug discovery research. I have served in many roles at the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening including as a Board member, I have served as Chair of the European Laboratory Research and Innovation Group (ELRIG) from 2016 to 2020 and am an Industry Trustee of the British Pharmaceutical Society Council. I firmly believe that the best ideas happen through collaboration.

I am also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for EU-OPENSCREEN, the Centre for Membrane Protein Receptor Research at the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham, and The Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research (WCAIR) at the University of Dundee.