Executive Director, Pharmacology
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Independent consultant│ January 2025 – Present
Stealth NewCo │ Somerville, MA
As the consulting Head of Pharmacology, provide direction to seed stage, oncology focused NewCo on flow chart and assay development for lead program. Support target selection initiatives and advise on patient stratification and biomarker development strategy.
Executive Director, Cell Assays and In Vivo Pharmacology │ August 2021 – Nov 2024
Kymera Therapeutics │ Watertown, MA
Research Leadership Team (RLT) member. Manage portfolio projects by proposing targets, coaching project teams, and setting strategic vision for cell assay and in vivo pharmacology departments.
● Build and lead cell assays group of five scientists to drive assay development and CRO oversight.
● Implement processes for assay quality control (QC), CRO workflow oversight, and data management criteria resulting in high quality data for project teams and faster cycle times.
● Championed adoption of novel assays (HiBit, Jess, AlphaLisa) to assess target degradation resulting reduced costs associated with weekly SAR assays.
● Grow and lead in vivo pharmacology group (three to five scientists) to drive PK/PD/Efficacy relationships enabling selection of multiple lead candidates.
● Drive portfolio diversification by assessing industry trends; integrating human genetics literature; and biological data analysis to assess degrader rationale, leading to target proposals in new disease area.
● Provided guidance, coaching, mentorship, and feedback to project team members resulting in higher performing teams to achieve ambitious project milestone progression.
● As project team leader (PTL) for an oncology target, motivate teams in a cross-functional setting through knowledge sharing, opportunity assessment and defining criteria for Proof of Concept.
● Demonstrated knowledge of regulatory requirements through writing pharmacology sections of KT-413 and KT-253 INDs, resulting in successful submission.
● Developed, built, and maintained business relationships with new and existing CRO partners.
● Plan and manage program budgets for two departments, ensuring alignment with goals within budget.
Director, Translational Pharmacology │ October 2018 - July 2021
The Center for the Development of Therapeutics (CDoT),
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard│ Cambridge, MA
As a Senior Leadership Team member, led strategy for biology, cell pharmacology, in vivo pharmacology, ADME, High Content Imaging core and Screening Outreach teams to advance portfolio of over thirty active collaboration projects with Broad PIs and external partners (VC, pharma, academic and non-profit).
● Managed laboratory operations and staff of 12-28 assay scientists and biologists to achieve cell biology objectives for drug discovery projects in multiple disease areas, enabling progression of Hit-to-Lead (H2L) & Lead-opt (LO) stage programs.
● Advanced portfolio lifecycle renewal by assisting Broad Investigators to develop entrepreneurial target proposals, resulting in novel project pitches to external funding partners.
● Defined and executed in vivo pharmacology strategy by building a team of 2-3 internal scientists and an external ADME consultant, using internal and external animal model capability to demonstrate PK/PD/efficacy relationships in oncology, kidney disease, and other disease areas.
● Managed and organized high functioning teams by modeling culture of inclusion, creativity, scientific rigor, collaboration, and attention to detail through coaching and mentoring.
● Author and contributor to successful patent filing, which enabled creation of a stealth NewCo.
Senior Investigator I/II - Group Leader │ August 2013 - September 2018
Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research | Cambridge, MA
Group leader and lab head in oncology pharmacology. Accountability for building and deploying in vivo model platforms to inform PK/PD/Efficacy relationships in oncology and immune oncology.
● Demonstrated strategic thinking to internally establish PBMC adoptive transfer xenograft models to progress the Xencor CD3 bispecific antibody portfolio, resulting in progression of LO programs.
● Functioned as Project Team Leader (PTL) for target X Bispecific-AB. Advanced project to LO stage by encouraging team to challenge assumptions, resulting in novel antibody optimization strategy.
● As PTL of a DEL-derived SMI for a high value kinase, drove the team to identify novel MoA and achieve a data-driven decision by fostering collaboration in a cross-functional team setting.
● Built in vivo pharmacology platform to support Immune Checkpoint mAB portfolio by internalizing syngeneic mouse models and defining genomics infrastructure strategy to inform model selection.
● Delivered in vivo PK/PD/Efficacy data enabling multiple Novartis acquired immune checkpoint assets (Costim) to achieve IND, including PD1 (PDR001), LAG3 (LAG525) and TIM3 (MBG453).
● Supported development of CAR-T xenograft models resulting in successful progression of CAR-T portfolio to achieve first CD19 CAR-T IND by coaching lead pharmacologist.
● Applied logical thinking and analytical skills to design and execute the IDH1 SMI in vivo strategy, which defined the PK/PD/efficacy relationship of IDH305, resulting in DC selection and IND.
● Demonstrated written communication skills as an author/reviewer of six IND and three IB documents.
● Managed scientific development of eleven scientists (2-3 lab heads and lab of 3-5 associates) through modelling collaborative behaviors, coaching effective communication, training technical proficiency, and creating leadership opportunities resulting in talent retention and multiple promotions.
● Ensured ethical use of animals as Scientific Member to NIBR IACUC (2.5 years).
Ph.D. in Genetics
Harvard University GSAS, Division of Medical Sciences
2001Thesis: “Genomic analysis of the mouse Legionella pneumophila susceptibility locus.”
