Roche appoints Mark Dawson as new Head of Pharma Research and Early Development

Dawson joins Roche from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he serves as Associate Director of Research

Roche today announced the appointment of Mark Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., as the new Head of Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), effective 1 May 2026. Based in Basel, he will also become a member of the Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee.

Dawson joins Roche from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, where he serves as Associate Director of Research. A leading expert in cancer biology, his work on chromatin regulation and epigenetics has been instrumental in defining the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer initiation and progression.

In addition to his clinical and research leadership, he holds a professorial appointment at the University of Melbourne and is an elected member of the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).

Mark earned his medical degree from the University of Melbourne in 1999, followed by specialist training in haematology and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge.