College of benefactors 2013-14

The Gillings Family Foundation

Friday 19 July 9:00am

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Dennis and Dr. Mireille Gillings, as trustees of the ‘Gillings Family Foundation’, into the University of Exeter’s College of Benefactors.

In 2012 The Gillings Family Foundation donated £1 million to the University of Exeter Medical School. The donation has helped fund academic posts at the new Medical School and, in particular, has supported the appointment of key researchers commissioned to develop the School’s personalised medicine agenda.

Dr. Dennis Gillings, CBE, Hon DSc, was born and educated in the UK, receiving both a Bachelor’s degree (1966) and PhD (1972) in Mathematics from Exeter, as well as an Honorary Degree in 2011. He began providing statistical consulting and data management services to pharmaceutical clients before founding Quintiles in 1982, taking it public on NASDAQ in 1994, and leading its privatisation in 2003.  Quintiles listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “Q” in May 2013. Today, Quintiles is the largest global provider of clinical trials and commercial marketing services to the pharma and biotechnology industry.

He has 30 years of experience in drug development applications and theory, and has provided expert consultation to numerous companies and health organisations. In 2004 he was honoured by the Queen with a CBE for services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Mireille Gillings is Chief Executive Officer and President of HUYA Bioscience International. She founded HUYA in 2004 and has grown this privately-held company to become the global leader in accelerating the co-development of novel biopharmaceutical product opportunities originating in China.

Dr. Gillings was the first to establish extensive collaborations with Chinese academic and commercial biopharmaceutical organizations to speed the development and value creation in worldwide markets for China-sourced novel biopharmaceutical compounds.

Dr. Gillings has more than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry that includes drug development, pre-clinical research design, and experience in establishing academic partnering programs globally. She has also made significant contributions to the study of complex addictive diseases, as well as in the research and development of neuroactive steroids and neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Gillings has post-doctoral fellowships at Bordeaux University in France and Scripps Research Institute and holds a Ph.D. from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Dr. Mireille Gillings is a member of the Pasteur Institute advisory board foundation and a member of the board of directors of Quintiles.