Management Team

Dr John Friend is a highly experienced oncology and haematology drug developer, driven by a passion for improving the lives of cancer patients. In a career spanning more than 25 years, Dr Friend has worked across a wide range of therapeutic areas in roles from early clinical research through to medical affairs. He was formerly the Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs for the US business unit of Helsinn Therapeutics and most recently the Chief Medical Officer at Cellectar Biosciences, a clinical-stage, oncology-focused biotech company in the US.

Dr Friend gained his medical degree at Rutgers University (UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson) and he also holds a BA in chemistry from Southern Methodist University.

Professor Sudha Rao, PhD, is a globally recognized translational scientist and biotech executive with over 20 years of experience spanning pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, and early clinical development. As Chief Scientific Officer of Kazia Therapeutics, she leads the company’s integrated oncology strategy and next-generation pipeline, including PI3K/mTOR inhibition, PD-L1 protein degradation, and SETDB1-targeted epigenetic programs. The scientific originator of the epigenetic framework underlying paxalisib, she has played a pivotal role in establishing PI3K / mTOR signaling as a driver of epigenetic reprogramming—positioning Kazia to move beyond pathway inhibition toward targeting the regulatory drivers of cancer. Her appointment brings deep expertise in translational epigenetics, AI-guided drug discovery, and liquid and spatial biomarker platforms, enabling precision medicine approaches and accelerating clinical development.

Professor Rao holds a prestigious Professorial appointment and is a senior group leader at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. She is the founder and former Chief Scientific Officer of EpiAxis Therapeutics, where she advanced first-in-class epigenetic therapies from discovery through IND-enabling studies into early clinical trials, including a Phase 1b study in metastatic breast cancer, and executed multiple international licensing partnerships. She is the lead inventor on 39 international patents, has authored high-impact publications in Science, Nature, and Immunity, and is a committed mentor supporting the advancement of women in science and biotechnology.

Mr Jeffrey Bonacorda is a senior accounting professional with more than thirty years of experience in the pharmaceutical, consumer products and service industries.

Prior to joining Kazia, Mr Bonacorda held several senior finance positions supporting global R&D development programs and on market pharmaceuticals.

Mr Bonacorda holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilmington University.

Ms Elissa Hansen has over 20 years’ experience as a company secretary and governance professional for both listed and unlisted companies. She is a Chartered Secretary who brings best practice governance advice, ensuring compliance with the Listing Rules, Corporations Act and other relevant legislation.

Elissa is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance.