Honorary graduates 2017

Dr Mireille Gillings (DSc)

Thursday 20 July 2017 9:00am

Dr Mireille Gillings, founder and CEO HUYA Bioscience International, is a global leader in accelerating development of biopharma innovation from China. She pioneered collaborating with Chinese academic and commercial organizations to improve public health and create global value for China-sourced biopharma compounds.

A visionary leader with over 20 years' experience in the biotech sector, Dr Gillings has both scientific and operational expertise in research, drug development including neurologic and neurodegenerative research.

Dr Gillings was the first woman to be appointed to the Board of Quintiles, a Fortune 500 company, since the company's privatization and subsequent IPO and more recently she co-founded and is the non-Executive Vice Chair of GHO Capital, a European private equity fund specialising in global health opportunities. She is also a member of the US Pasteur Foundation Board.

In 2015 Dr Gillings received the Gold Stevie Award in the American Business category and in 2017 was named by The Sunday Times as one of the top ten female entrepreneurs.

Personal passions include the Gillings School of Global Public Health and building international scientific partnerships through the Mireille and Dennis Gillings Global Public Health Fellowships with the aim to develop the next generation of public health leaders. She is also trustee of the 'Dennis and Mireille Gillings Family Foundation' and belongs to the University of Exeter College of Benefactors.

Educated in Canada, the Netherlands, France, and the USA, Dr Gillings received a PhD. in Neuroscience from Radboud University Nijmegen, and held post-doctoral fellowships at Bordeaux University and Scripps Research Institute. She is fluent in English, Dutch, French and Spanish.