Burris, who will join the company in this capacity on 3 January 2011, is currently a member of the board of directors of OncoGenex.
Most recently, Burris worked as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Trubion Pharmaceuticals, until its recent acquisition by Emergent BioSolutions.
OncoGenex Pharma president and CEO Scott Cormack said that having the pleasure of working with Michelle on the board of directors, he is confident that the company will benefit from her broad range of experience in strategic planning, financial management and operational oversight as they continue to advance the clinical candidates towards commercialisation.