Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Immunology and translational science leader with over 15 years of experience advancing vaccine and immunotherapy programs from discovery through IND-enabling work and into early clinical development. Deep background in translational immunology, immune monitoring, assay strategy, immunogenicity assessment, and cross-functional program leadership across infectious disease and oncology settings. Brings a strong record of supporting regulatory submissions, guiding preclinical strategy, managing external collaborations, and helping teams make sound development decisions. Known for combining scientific depth with practical execution, building strong partnerships, mentoring talent, and moving complex programs forward with clarity, rigor, and purpose. Author of 45+ peer-reviewed publications and inventor on 6 patents. Open to Director / Senior Director roles in translational immunology, vaccines, biomarkers, and early development in the Boston area or remotely. Contact: [email protected] Areas of Expertise: Translational Immunology Vaccine Development Cancer Immunotherapy Immune Monitoring Strategy Immunogenicity Assessment Assay Development Cellular Immunology Humoral Immunology IND-Enabling Strategy Regulatory Documentation Early Clinical Development Non-Clinical Study Design CRO Management Cross-Functional Leadership Agile and SCRUM
Director-level leader in translational immunology and vaccine R&D with 25+ years of experience advancing programs from discovery through IND and early clinical development. Expertise includes immune monitoring strategies, biomarker development, immunogenicity assessment, and assay development supporting vaccine programs, as well as IND-enabling activities and translational decision-making in cross-functional environments. Experience collaborating with clinical, regulatory, toxicology, and bioinformatics teams, and working with CRO partners to support assay development and immune monitoring approaches aligned with clinical study requirements. Open to Director / Senior Director roles in translational immunology, vaccines, biomarkers, and early development, as well as advisory opportunities.
- Led immunology strategy for next generation influenza vaccine development programs focused on translational readiness and early clinical advancement - Defined immunological decision criteria for development candidates, helping teams evaluate progression and risk across preclinical stages - Served as the immunology lead on cross-functional program teams, aligning research strategy with toxicology, regulatory, clinical, and bioinformatics partners - Authored and supported non-clinical regulatory documentation used in four successful IND submissions - Developed a novel pre-immune animal model that improved the relevance and interpretation of immunogenicity findings for downstream development - Directed development of cellular, serological, and functional immune assays in partnership with biomarker and translational teams - Helped incorporate immune monitoring approaches into early clinical study planning and protocol development - Evaluated and introduced emerging assay technologies to expand immune readouts and strengthen translational research capabilities - Integrated single-cell BCR sequencing approaches to identify monoclonal antibody reagents for potency and immune profiling applications - Worked across internal and external partner groups to strengthen decision making, scientific alignment, and development execution
- Designed immunological evaluation strategies for next-generation influenza vaccine platforms and candidates - Supported progression of platform candidates into clinical testing through clear translational and non-clinical assessment plans - Served as Product Owner within agile cross-functional teams, helping accelerate delivery of IND-supporting data packages - Improved development cycle efficiency by aligning priorities, timelines, and scientific outputs across stakeholder groups - Managed CRO partnerships and academic collaborations to advance research priorities and program objectives - Contributed to peer-reviewed publications and intellectual property that increased scientific credibility and external visibility - Identified and evaluated external innovation opportunities relevant to vaccine development and immunology strategy - Helped translate platform science into practical development plans that supported decision making across programs - Worked closely with internal partners to align assay development, translational needs, and program milestone requirements - Supported a collaborative environment that balanced innovation, execution, and scientific rigor
- Directed viral immunology strategy supporting advancement of multiple infectious disease vaccine candidates toward clinical readiness - Led immunology planning across parallel research efforts, ensuring alignment with broader development priorities - Managed an external research budget of approximately $4M annually, optimizing CRO investment and scientific prioritization - Established and maintained strategic academic collaborations that resulted in patent generation and high-impact publications - Guided preclinical adjuvant evaluation strategy in collaboration with internal scientific leaders - Informed antigen and adjuvant selection decisions for early development programs through immunological analysis and translational insight - Supported design and interpretation of immunogenicity studies across vaccine candidates and development stages - Contributed scientific leadership across matrixed teams working in research, translational science, and development - Mentored scientific staff and helped develop team members into more senior leadership roles - Strengthened internal capability through scientific guidance, prioritization, and cross-functional coordination
- Conducted HIV/SIV vaccine studies in non‑human primates, generating key findings on CTL/HTL immune responses and viral escape. - Demonstrated limitations of DNA-prime/MVA-boost immunization, informing future vaccine design strategies.
After receiving the prestigious Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ, "AIDS-Stipendienprogramm") I started to work in the Laboratory of Dr. Erling Rud in Canada. I established the methods to measure the Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte (CTL) response in cynomolgus monkeys vaccinated with either the attenuated SIVmacC8 or infected the wild type SIVmacJ5. The aim of this study was to investigate the breadth of protection induced by the attenuated SIVmacC8 and to determine possible mechanisms of protection. In addition to the CTL measurement, I also started two molecular biological projects. The aim of one project was to clone and sequence the MHC class I genes in cynomolgus macaques and to identify CTL-epitopes restricted by these MHC molecules. The aim of the second project was to establish a helper-free retroviral expression system for SIV-proteins as an alternative to the Vaccinia virus system to produce stimulator and target cells for the CTL measurement. With the lack of specific reagents to evaluate the CMI response in cynomolgous monkeys in more detail, the data obtained did not indicate any correlation with the viral protection data in this model (see publication #6).
The goal of this new department was to assure the quality of all blood products going to be sold in Germany. My responsibility was it to establish methods to control the quality of products for the treatment of Hemophilia A. For that purpose I established the "One-Step" and "Two-Step" methods to measure the contents of coagulation factor VIII.