Hamilton, Ontario —July 8, 2026 — CPDC today announced that, after 18 years in a leadership role at CPDC, Dr. John Thornback has elected to retire as Chair and from its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has appointed Damian Lamb as Chair, who has served as a Director since 2008.
Dr. Thornback’s distinguished service with CPDC extends back to the Centre’s founding in 2008, Throughout his tenure on the CPDC Board, Dr. Thornback provided strategic leadership and guidance, helping shape CPDC into a leading catalyst for radiopharmaceutical innovation and commercialization in Canada and globally.
“It has been a privilege to serve on the CPDC Board since its founding and to support its mission of advancing radiopharmaceutical innovation for the benefit of patients,” said Dr. John Thornback. “I am proud of the incredible achievements to date and am confident that CPDC is well-positioned to continue driving impact under its strong leadership team and Board.”
Damian Lamb, Co-founder and Managing Director of Genesys Capital, has been appointed as Chair of the Board of CPDC. With a long track record of building early-stage life sciences companies, he brings a hands-on approach to creating and scaling high-impact ventures. Genesys Capital backed and helped CPDC build Fusion Pharmaceuticals as an early investor. Mr. Lamb also helped CPDC spin-out Fusion Pharmaceuticals and served as its inaugural Board Chair. He brings deep expertise in company creation, capital deployment, and value realization within the radiopharmaceutical sector.
“I am honoured to take on the role of Chair,” said Damian Lamb. “CPDC plays a unique and critical role in advancing high-impact radiopharmaceutical innovations and translating them into commercializable opportunities. Having been part of the Board since its founding, I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Board and the CPDC management team to strengthen its leading role in Canada’s radiopharma industry, enable company creation, and drive long-term value creation.”
Owen Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of CPDC, thanked Dr. Thornback for his hard work and guidance over the years and welcomed the new appointment.
“On behalf of CPDC, I would like to thank Dr. Thornback for his outstanding service and long-standing commitment to the Centre since 2008,” said Owen Roberts. “His advice and guidance helped me immeasurably when I had the honour of joining the company in 2022. We welcome Damian as our new Chair, and his contributions will continue to be central as we expand our impact in Canada and internationally.”
About CPDC
CPDC (Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization) is a not-for-profit advancing nuclear medicine in Canada and beyond through strategic investments, expert guidance and innovative radiopharmaceutical development to benefit patients globally. In the past 18 years, CPDC has created four Canadian commercial entities that have accelerated the availability of radiopharmaceuticals to the Canadian and global medical community. CPDC will continue to identify and advance critical radiopharmaceuticals to meet the needs of patients and physicians through our collaborations with partners including industry, academia, and government. For more information on CPDC visit www.cpdc.ca and follow on LinkedIn.
Contact:
Owen Roberts
CEO, CPDC
owen@cpdc.ca