Jonathan Houze

Head of Chemistry at Vigil Neuroscience

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

About

• Experienced drug hunter. Delivered a total of seven compounds into clinical trials: three based on personal lab work and/or medicinal chemistry team leadership and four through mentoring and direction of reports • Demonstrated ability to lead diverse drug discovery teams bridging multiple disciplines, work sites, geographies, and organizations • Record of achievement documented by 33 peer-reviewed publications and 30 published PCT applications

Experience

  • Head Of Chemistry at Vigil Neuroscience
    Aug 2020 - Present · 6 yrs

  • Amgen (15 yrs 5 mos)
    • Director, Research
      Jan 2015 - Dec 2019 · 5 yrs

      ● Project Team Leader for programs in multiple programs directed against cardiovascular disease, pain, and neurodegenerative disease ● Leadership team member for CCT (Chemistry, Characterization and Technology) organization spanning Amgen sites in Cambridge, South San Francisco, and Thousand Oaks ● Significantly involved in external outreach and ventures. Member of Amgen Ventures Seed Fund SAB and Amgen’s LabCentral Advisory Committee (decision-making body for award of “Golden Tickets”) ● Provided direction and development to a group of 11-16 medicinal chemist reports

    • Director, Research
      Jan 2009 - Dec 2014 · 6 yrs

      ● Directed and developed group of reports averaging 16 medicinal chemists (range 7 – 32) ● Mentored chemistry team leads to successfully deliver two small molecule protein-protein interaction inhibitors to clinical trials in oncology ● Chemistry team lead on APJ agonist program that delivered AMG 986 (evaluated in Phase I clinical trials) ● Participated in evaluation of numerous in-licensing opportunities which resulted in two consumnated deals involving compound licensing and active research collaborations for further discovery and development

    • Principal Scientist
      Aug 2004 - Feb 2009 · 4 yrs 7 mos

      ● Chemistry lead for GPR40 (aka FFA1) program. Designed and synthesized the GPR40 agonist later designated AMG 837, which was evaluated in Phase I clinical trials ● Chemistry lead for GPR142 program involving a research collaboration with Daiichi-Sankyo in Japan

  • Tularik ()
    • Research Investigator
      Mar 2002 - Aug 2004 · 2 yrs 6 mos

      ● Chemistry lead for GPR40 (aka FFA1) program. ● Designed and synthesized the GPR40 agonist eventually designated AMG 837, which was evaluated in Phase I clinical trials ● Chemistry lead for GPR142 program involving a research collaboration with Daiichi-Sankyo in Japan

    • Senior Chemistry Scientist
      Jan 2000 - Feb 2002 · 2 yrs 2 mos

      ● Chemistry team member for PPAR-gamma program which was run in collaboration with Japan Tobacco. ● Actively involved in identification and eventual delivery of clinical candidate T131 (later AMG 131) which was outlicensed and eventually evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial (as INT131).

    • Scientist
      Apr 1997 - Jan 2000 · 2 yrs 10 mos

      ● Designed and synthesized T607, a potent and highly selective covalent modifier of beta-tubulin. T607 was advanced to the clinic and evaluated in Phase II trials. Sole inventor on the composition-of-matter patent.