Robert Anderson

Dr. Robert Anderson

Dr. Robert Anderson

Co-Founder and Director
Practising Gastroenterologist

Consultant to pharma and biotech advising on preclinical and early clinical development of immunotherapy for celiac disease. 


Dr Anderson is a translational immunologist, pharmaceutical developer, and practicing gastroenterologist. He has over 20 years' experience in discovery and commercialization of diagnostics and therapeutics for celiac disease in USA and Australia. 


He is a scientific leader in understanding the adaptive immune response to gluten causing celiac disease, specializing in designing high sensitivity T cell assays. 


He conceived and led the preclinical and clinical development of the first antigen-specific immunotherapy tested for celiac disease, Nexvax2. This included design and oversight of five clinical studies for Nexvax2 in USA, Australia and New Zealand, progressing from Phase 1 through to Phase 2b. Dr Anderson has also made several key discoveries in celiac disease, IBD and gastrointestinal bleeding and has executed many academic clinical studies in celiac disease, IBD and gastrointestinal bleeding. 


A recent achievement of Dr Anderson was winning the 2023 Global Celiac Disease Research Prize from Celiac Disease Foundation, recognizing outstanding achievements in advancing research and treatment for celiac disease on a global scale. 


He is also currently elected President of International Society for the Study of Celiac Disease (ISSCD). 


  • Formerly scientific founder and CSO ImmusanT, Cambridge USA (2012-19).
  • Co-founder CEO/CSO Nexpep Pty Ltd., Melbourne AU (2005-11).
  • Founder of the celiac disease research programme and Lab Head at Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, Australia (2002-11).
  • Post-doctoral scientist, Oxford University (1998-2002).
  • 81 peer-reviewed academic publications.
  • 60 granted and 91 pending patents applications throughout the world in immuno-diagnostics & therapeutics for celiac disease and Type-1 diabetes.

"My passion is in discovery and advancing scientific innovation to meet clinical need."

I have academic, clinical and commercial expertise in medicine, immunology and biopharma. My interests are in clinical medicine and translational immunology focused on antigen-specific T cells, cytokines, immune tolerance, specific immunotherapy and T-cell diagnostics. I currently divide my time between clinical practice in gut immune and inflammatory diseases as a gastroenterologist, and leading innovation and development of a new ultrasensitive antigen-specific T-cell diagnostic. I am expert in clinical and immunological aspects of coeliac disease serving as current President of the International Society for the Study of Coeliac Disease and as consultant to many biopharma companies developing novel therapies for coeliac disease. I have co-founded three private biotech companies in Australia & USA with venture funding of over US$80m (Nexpep, ImmusanT and Novoviah). I am inventor and developer of a first-in-class peptide immunotherapy (Nexvax2) for coeliac disease that advanced to Phase 2b and also of the Novoleukin whole blood T cell test now marketed to biopharma and academia. I have co-authored 85 peer-reviewed publications with 5,142 citations; my h-index is 36 and Google h-index 39; I an named inventor on 60 granted and 92 patents applications (19 patent families). I was awarded the 2023 Celiac Disease Foundation Prize in Excellence in Celiac Disease Research. My home is in Australia, but I born and educated in New Zealand and lived for extended periods in the UK and USA and have worked in senior academic, clinical and commercial executive roles.

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