About

Russell is an experienced biotech executive and world leading expert in ocular drug delivery.  He is a serial innovator being key inventor for more than 15 patent families.  Russell has more than 30 years’ industry experience, with leading pharmaceutical companies, including Glaxo Australia and Faulding (now Pfizer).  Vitradel is the second company Russell has founded in the field of ocular drug delivery.  In February 2010 he founded PolyActiva and was CEO from inception until October 2022.  He led the company through numerous funding rounds to raise $45m+ of new capital, managed and built a unique drug development team to transition the business from R&D into a clinical development company with the ability to make its own clinical trial supply.

Jonathan Crowston MBBS, PhD is a clinician-scientist and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Sydney and Glaucoma Consultant at Eye Associates and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. His research focuses on developing new therapeutic approaches for protecting the optic nerve in glaucoma. He has received a number of international awards for his research which combines laboratory and clinic-based approaches. He is a lead investigator on an International consortium overseeing four nicotinamide in glaucoma trials.  Jonathan was co-founder of Oculo a digital referral platform acquired by Revenio in 2021 and has served on several start up and not for profit Boards. He has worked with Russel Tait for over 10 years and served as medical advisor to Polyactiva helping with the design of their pre-clinical and early clinical studies.