Our team

Carlos de Sousa (MD, MBA)

Carlos de Sousa, MD, MBA, CEO at Valo Therapeutics Group. He is a senior biopharmaceutical executive and business leader with extensive international experience spanning biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, oncology, immunotherapy, business development, licensing, M&A, strategy and medical affairs.

Dr Austin Smith

Austin Smith is a Medical Director at Valo Therapeutics Oy with a decade of experience in oncolytic virus development, spanning programme design, clinical execution, and regulatory strategy. Dually trained in medical oncology and pharmaceutical medicine, he has led interactions with the FDA, EMA, and MHRA across multiple modalities. He brings deep translational and clinical expertise to oncolytic virus programmes in solid tumour indications.

Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo

Prof. Vincenzo Cerullo (Vince), Scientific Founder, Scientific Advisor at Valo Therapeutics Italy, Professor in Biological Drug Development, Head of the Drug Research Program and a HiLIFE Fellow, Translational Immunology Programme at the University of Helsinki.

Eleonora Leggiero (PhD)

Eleonora Leggiero, Head of CMC and Italian Operations at Valo Therapeutics Italy, holds a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Medicine and a specialization in Hospital Pharmacy from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. She has over 15 years of experience in advanced therapies, with a focus on viral vector development, gene therapy, and CMC activities supporting the development and manufacturing of viral vector–based technologies.

Lukasz Kuryk (PhD, MBA)

Lukasz Kuryk, PhD, MBA, Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Valo Therapeutics Finland, holds a PhD in Biopharmaceutics/Oncolytic Virotherapy from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He also earned an MBA from the Institute of Computer Science, Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Poland, in collaboration with the Woodbury School of Business, University of Utah, USA. 

Hanne Cojoc (M.Sc. Tech)

Hanne Cojoc is the Head of Quality and Operations at Valo Therapeutics Oy, bringing a strong foundation in quality assurance and biotechnology to her role. She holds an M.Sc. (Tech) in Bioengineering from Tampere University, Finland, and has built a career marked by substantial experience in quality assurance within pharmaceutical development and healthcare technology, including a solid understanding of GxP regulations.