Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
• A highly motivated, interactive, creative PhD scientist with 20+ years’ experience in cancer drug discovery • Experience in leading research teams to advance preclinical drug development programs from target identification and validation, through IND enabling • Facilitate earlier clinical programs with biomarker validation, dose -schedule justification, and rational combination strategies • Strong expertise in PK/PD/efficacy relationship and experience in syngeneic, xenograft, humanized and GEMM models
Manage a team of pharmacologists; lead strategic planning, execution and reporting of pre-clinical pharmacology and toxicology studies; provide oversight, scientific guidance and mentorship to in vivo biologists to ensure high quality data across a range of projects and influence/impact projects broadly across the portfolio • in vivo/ex vivo target validation, PK/PD/efficacy and MoA for antibody and cell therapy • in vivo discovery of novel immune-oncology targets using shRNA and CRISPR technology • Established and characterized relevant syngeneic, GEMM, CDX, PDX and a variety of humanized models for internal programs • Non-GLP PK, Tox/TK in rodent and NHP • IND enabling for the section of preclinical pharmacology; 8F4 antibody in phase I clinical trial • Manage CROs and academic collaboration • develop animal protocol, ensure good practice on animal welfare, vivarium regulation and IACUC protocol
Drove strategic program initiation and portfolio enrichment for new therapeutic opportunities while providing functional leadership for the biology, pharmacology, PK/PD, safety, and translational sciences team. In this latter capacity, I ensured the delivery of high-quality, PCC/IND packages and provided scientific mentorship critical to advancing the broader portfolio.
Led a group of scientists with research focusing on efficacy, combination strategy, PK/PD relationship, biomarker identification/validation and toxicity with small molecules in oncology and Immuno oncology to advance preclinical programs and facilitate earlier clinical programs • Developed and characterized a panel of syngeneic and xenograft models for ICB and targeted therapy • Investigated PK/PD/efficacy of the investigational drugs as a single agent or in combination • Drafted preclinical pharmacology and drug safety parts of IND filing fimepinostat, annual report, DSUR and IB; FDA granted fast track designation of R/R lymphoma. • Evaluated tolerability, toxicity and TK profile in rodent • Acted as an internal preclinical pharmacology and safety expertise during the due diligence process • Managed CROs and academic collaboration
Managed programs and led a team of scientists focusing on PK/PD/efficacy relationships, toxicity, clinical biomarker identification/validation and combination strategies of small molecules in oncology and immuno-oncology. Supported the progression of clinical programs and drove the advancement of preclinical programs.
Focused on anti-cancer drug discovery with specification in Multiple Myeloma (MM) in various cancer pathways; major research interests included target validation, signal transduction and biomarker identification as well as drug efficacy in distinct animal models • Elucidated MoA and efficacy of first in class USP7 inhibitor p5091, which provides the framework for targeting USP7 to develop the next generation UPS-based novel therapeutics. • Explored signaling pathways and efficacy of proteasome inhibitor MLN9708 (ixazomib), which was approved by FDA for MM. • Explored and determined the role of miRNA-33b as a tumor suppressor in MM upon MLN9708 treatment • Dissected the MoA and efficacy of b-AP15, which led to the first in class DUB inhibitor in clinical trial in MM.