Meet our team
Dr Rohan Hockings
Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer
Rohan Hockings holds double degrees in medicine and law. He has worked across both disciplines following an internship at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and admission to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria respectively.
He spent four years with McKinsey & Company and a further two years in the Private Equity industry before joining PYC Therapeutics. Rohan brings a deep affinity for conceptual thinking to PYC Therapeutics along with an understanding of the company’s technology and its commercialisation path.
Peter Coleman
Independent Non-Executive Chair
Peter Coleman is a highly respected global executive and corporate director with over four decades of experience leading complex, capital-intensive organisations.
As the former CEO and Managing Director of Woodside Energy (2011–2021), Australia’s largest energy producer, Peter delivered major M&A activities and capital raisings totalling tens of billions of dollars. Prior to his time at Woodside, he held senior international executive roles with Exxon Mobil Corporation.
Peter’s current governance roles include serving as a Non-Executive Director for NYSE-listed SLB Ltd (previously Schlumberger), and he was formerly Chairman of NYSE-listed Arcadium Lithium. Peter brings deep experience across both commercial and corporate governance domains, with particular expertise in corporate and asset-level mergers and acquisitions.
Academically, Peter holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Monash) and an MBA (Deakin), alongside advanced management training from top global universities. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).
Prof Ian Constable AO
Non-Executive Director
Professor Ian Constable AO was the Foundation Lions Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Western Australia, Foundation Chair of the Australian Association of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, and Founding Managing Director of the Lions Eye Institute Limited. Professor Constable is a practising ophthalmologist with extensive experience in the development of new drugs from discovery through to commercialisation. Professor Constable is a member of the Advisory Board of the Lowy Medical Research Institute based in San Diego and Chair of the Scientific Advisory board of the Snow Vision Accelerator.
Dr Rohan Hockings
Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer
Rohan Hockings holds double degrees in medicine and law. He has worked across both disciplines following an internship at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and admission to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria respectively.
He spent four years with McKinsey & Company and a further two years in the Private Equity industry before joining PYC Therapeutics. Rohan brings a deep affinity for conceptual thinking to PYC Therapeutics along with an understanding of the company’s technology and its commercialisation path.
Dr Paula Cunningham
Chief Development Officer
Paula holds a PhD in Microbiology, a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics with Honours in Microbiology and a Masters in Environmental Science. She is an experienced scientist with excellent analytical, project management and team-building skills. Paula has a strong background in molecular genetics, cell biology and immunology, with specific expertise in allergy and cancer research.
Her research interests focus on the development of highly efficient delivery methods for gene therapies of disease with specific emphasis on inherited retinal diseases. Prior to working at PYC Therapeutics, Paula was Group Leader of Bioassay Development for Phylogica Limited and a Senior Research Officer for Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia.
Dr Janya Grainok
Chief Scientific Officer
Janya Grainok holds a PhD in Biomedical Science, a Master’s in Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology. Her background includes specialised training in RNA therapeutics and cancer immunotherapy, and her PhD research contributed to establishing PYC’s first drug development program for RP11.
Janya has broad expertise in antisense oligonucleotides and their application in developing molecular therapies for unmet medical needs. She leads a team of scientists advancing PYC’s drug development programs.
Dr Garrett Bray
Chief Operating Officer
Garrett Bray has over 15 years of professional experience, beginning his career as an engineer before spending three years at McKinsey & Company. For the past decade, he has held senior leadership roles spanning corporate strategy, internal consulting and product development at major global organisations, including Transport for London (UK) and Aurora Innovation (US).
Garrett holds a PhD and Master’s in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and an MBA and Bachelor degrees in Engineering and Commerce from the University of Western Australia.
Garrett leverages this global, cross-functional expertise to deliver strategic planning, process optimisation and operational execution at PYC, ensuring daily performance is aligned with long-term business objectives.
Jonathan Riley
General Counsel
Jonathan is an experienced legal counsel with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology. His career spans both private practice and in-house roles, including at multinational firms in Perth and Melbourne where he advised listed and private companies across a range of industries.
He has deep expertise in the commercialisation of pharmaceuticals, including licensing, regulatory compliance, manufacturing, supply and distribution. Prior to joining PYC Therapeutics, he was Senior Legal Counsel for the Asia Pacific region at CSL Limited.
Thomas Ulmer
Chief Financial Officer
Thomas Ulmer is an experienced life sciences executive with around 20 years of global leadership experience across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. He has held senior finance and operational roles in Europe, the United States and Australia, partnering with CEOs and Boards to drive growth, execute strategic transactions and build high-performing organisations.
Prior to joining PYC Therapeutics, Thomas was Chief Financial Officer of Cell Therapies Pty Ltd and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of PKG Health. He was Chief Financial Officer of Immatics N.V. (NASDAQ: IMTX), where he played a key role in the company’s NASDAQ listing and the establishment of its public company infrastructure. Earlier roles include Chief Financial Officer of Allergopharma and Vice President Business Planning & Analysis at Merck Group.
Thomas holds an MBA from Justus Liebig University in Germany and is a Fellow of CPA Australia.
Dr Candice Junge
Chief Clinical Development Officer
Candice Junge, PhD, is Chief Clinical Development Officer at PYC Therapeutics. She brings more than 20 years of experience leading drug development programs across rare disease, neurology, autoimmune and cardiovascular indications. Most recently, she served as a Program and Clinical Development Lead in Neurology at Ionis, where she led development of RNA-targeted therapies for rare neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, spanning early- through late-stage clinical development. Candice also held leadership roles at Amgen’s Design and Innovation Center, Caladrius Biosciences and Baxter and has extensive expertise in clinical development strategy, innovative trial design, regulatory strategy and cross-functional program leadership. She earned her PhD in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology with a focus in neuroscience from Emory University.