Clare Balendran

Company: Novo Nordisk

Job title: Vice President, Translational Medicine

Bio:

Clare Balendran graduated from Nottingham University UK and completed a PhD in Thyroid Tumour Biology from University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff. She developed her interest in molecular signalling as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Sir Philip Cohen, University of Dundee, UK. After a short period in Biotech (Cyclacel), Clare moved to Sweden in 2002 to join the Pharmaceutical Industry (AstraZeneca) where she held roles in both line and project leadership in the areas of arrythmia and cardiovascular disease.

In 2011 Clare join Personalised Healthcare and Biomarkers at AstraZeneca as an Associate Director where she was a pioneer of implementing Precision Medicine within the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease portfolio. Clare’s interest developed into diagnostics and in 2015 she became a Diagnostic Director and delivered Ph3 patient selection strategies in Alzheimer’s Disease and Paediatric Sickle Cell Disease. She successfully led an sPMA companion diagnostic co-submission for Lynparza in ovarian cancer.

Clare joined Novo Nordisk, Denmark in March 2019 as VP and Head of the newly formed Translational Medicine Department. Her focus is to develop Translational research as an integral discipline at Novo Nordisk and together with her team utilise biomarkers in Clinical Development to guide decision making, patient stratification and patient selection.