Julian Gray is a physician who has been working in medicines development for over 30 years. He studied medicine in the UK, obtaining a BA with first class honours from Oxford University in 1978 and MBBS from the University of London in 1981. He subsequently undertook training in internal medicine, clinical pharmacology and neurology obtaining the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) in 1984 and a D.Phil (PhD) in neuropharmacology from Oxford University in 1988.
In 1988 he took up a position of medical expert at Sandoz in Basel, developing drugs in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, including conduction of the first clinical studies of Exelon in Alzheimer's disease. He obtained the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine while in this position. In 1992 he took up the position of International Clinical Leader at Hoffmann La Roche in Basel, leading the development of clinical projects in Alzheimer's disease globally. He completed an MBA with distinction by distance learning with Oxford Brookes University during this time. He subsequently moved to Cambridge Massachusetts to become Vice President of Clinical R&D at Praecis Pharmaceuticals where he worked on an early stage amyloid project in Alzheimer's disease. In 2000 he took up the role of head of the CNS clinical area at Eisai in Europe, leading early and late stage clinical projects in Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions globally. Since 2004 he has worked as a consultant to the industry on medicines development, taking a leading role in designing and managing programs in Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. He has a strong interest in teaching how medicines are developed, which he does through his own electronic books and courses and as a member of the teaching faculty at the European Course in Pharmaceutical Medicine at the University of Basel and other European Universities, US and China.
His goal is to use his experience to help develop as quickly as possible treatments which will slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.