Mene Pangalos facts for kids

Sir Menelaos "Mene" Nicolas Pangalos is a British scientist who studies the brain and nervous system. This field of science is called neuroscience. He is a leader at the company AstraZeneca, where he is in charge of creating new medicines.

Pangalos leads teams that research and develop drugs for many illnesses. These include diseases that affect breathing, the heart, and the body's defense system. He has written over 150 scientific articles. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society, a famous group of the world's top scientists.

In 2020, he was knighted by the Queen for his important work for science in the United Kingdom. This is why he is called Sir Mene Pangalos.

Early Life and Education

Mene Pangalos was born in London, England. His family was originally from the Greek island of Chios. He grew up connected to his Greek heritage and can speak the Greek language fluently.

His love for science led him to study at famous universities. He earned his first degree in Biochemistry from Imperial College London. He then earned a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from University College London. A Ph.D. is one of the highest degrees a person can get in a subject. After finishing his studies, he did more research training in New York City.

Career in Creating Medicines

Sir Mene Pangalos has spent his career working for major pharmaceutical companies. These companies discover and make medicines to help people. He has worked at GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceutica, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Wyeth and Pfizer

From 2003 to 2008, Pangalos worked at a company called Wyeth. He led a team that worked on finding new drugs for brain-related conditions. These included Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and schizophrenia. His team helped move more than 20 possible new medicines into testing.

Later, he joined the company Pfizer as a science leader. He was in charge of about 200 scientists working on new treatments for brain and nerve problems.

AstraZeneca

In 2010, Pangalos joined AstraZeneca, where he still works today. He is the Executive Vice President of BioPharmaceuticals R&D. This means he is one of the top leaders in charge of the company's research.

Under his leadership, AstraZeneca has become much more successful at creating new medicines. The company's success rate has jumped from 4% to over 19%. This is much higher than the average for other drug companies.

One of his biggest successes was helping to develop a cancer drug called osimertinib. This medicine was developed very quickly, in just over two and a half years. It is now used to help patients in more than 75 countries.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he was asked to help the UK government. He joined a special group of experts to help with the country's plan for vaccines.

Academic Work and Honors

Besides his work in business, Pangalos is highly respected in the world of science. In 2022, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a huge honor for a scientist. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society of Biology.

He helps guide other scientists and students. He has been a visiting professor at universities in the United States and the UK. He also helps mentor young scientists who are just starting their careers at AstraZeneca.

Personal Life

In 2003, Pangalos married Kelly Charles. She is also a neuroscientist.