Tony Li, PhD
About Tony Li, PhD
Tony Li, PhD, serves as the Senior Director and Head of Medical Affairs for the Intercontinental Region at Kite Pharma. With extensive experience in oncology and medical affairs, he has held various roles at notable pharmaceutical companies and has a strong academic background in pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences.
Current Role at Kite Pharma
Tony Li serves as the Senior Director and Head of Medical Affairs for the Intercontinental Region at Kite Pharma since 2021. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring the delivery of credible and actionable information to the medical community. He oversees the overall budget planning and tracking for the medical affairs department, and drives the regional publication of clinical trials and medical education programs. Additionally, he is accountable for achieving targets and managing cost control for all activities within the scope of his department.
Previous Experience in Medical Affairs
Prior to his current position, Tony Li held various roles in medical affairs across multiple organizations. He worked as a Senior Medical Advisor for Cell & Gene Therapy and Hematology at Novartis Oncology in Hong Kong for five months in 2019. He also served as Medical Lead for Cell & Gene Therapy in the Asia-Pacific region at Novartis Oncology from 2019 to 2021. His earlier roles include positions at Takeda, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, and UCB, where he contributed to medical affairs and scientific communication.
Educational Background
Tony Li has a robust educational background in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacology. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Kochi Medical School, Kochi University in Japan from 2010 to 2014. He also holds a Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences (PGDipHealthSci) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he studied Pharmaceutical Sciences from 2007 to 2009. His undergraduate studies culminated in a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Pharmacology from the same university, completed from 1999 to 2002.
Early Career and Research Experience
Tony Li began his career in the pharmaceutical industry with roles in research and production. He worked as a Production Technician at Biomed Pharmaceuticals in Auckland for three months in 2004. He later served as a Research Associate and Research Analyst at Douglas Pharmaceuticals Ltd from 2007 to 2009 and 2006 to 2007, respectively. These early experiences laid the foundation for his expertise in medical affairs and clinical research.
Professional Relationships and Contributions
In his current and previous roles, Tony Li focuses on developing and maintaining professional relationships with medical thought leaders and cooperative study groups. He emphasizes mutual respect and reciprocal scientific information exchange related to medical therapies. His work includes ensuring that credible and actionable information is available to the medical community, which is crucial for advancing oncology clinical studies.