Melissa McBurnie

Melissa McBurnie is a Partner and Head of Impact at Brandon Capital Partners, based in Adelaide, South Australia. In this capacity, she oversees impact investing across a life sciences portfolio for a firm that has supported over 50 early-stage biotechnology startups. She currently serves as a Director for Cincera Therapeutics and Ankere Therapeutics, guiding seed-stage investments that translate scientific research into clinical therapies. Her prior experience includes roles as an investor at Terra Rossa Capital, a Business Development Manager at Bio Innovation SA, and a postdoctoral scientist at Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research. She holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Adelaide and an MBA in finance from the University of South Australia. McBurnie leverages her combined scientific expertise and financial acumen to drive early-stage commercialization within the global life sciences sector.