Experience

OncoResponse Inc.
• Sr. Director, CMC

  • Jan 2021 - Present

OncoResponse
• United States
• Research
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Director, CMC

  • Jan 2020 - Jan 2021


Zymeworks Inc.

• Canada
• Biotechnology Research
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Director of Preclinical Development

  • Mar 2014 - Jun 2019

  • Established and led the CMC group in the development of novel bispecifics and ADCs • Cell line development, up/down-stream process development, transfer to manufacturing • Led CMC efforts to successful clinical introduction of Zymework’s first bispecific mAb and bispecific ADC • Oversight of multiple GMP campaigns including antibody, linker-toxin, conjugation and drug product • Led selection and management of CMOs in US, Europe and Asia for cGMP production of recombinant bispecific monoclonals (biologics), drug-linkers (small molecules) and antibody-drug conjugates • Authoring and versioning of regulatory filings for FDA and other global regulatory authorities • Collaborations with QA to develop and implement cGMP compliant practices • Global development team leader for a bispecific ADC incorporating a novel toxin • Preclinical pharmacology lead for early stage programs Show less



sAber Bioscience

• United States
• Biotechnology Research

• Founder and Entrepreneur

  • Apr 2012 - Nov 2013

  • Conceived the technology basis for the company and developed the corresponding business plan • Incorporated and completed the required regulatory filings for business conduct • Negotiated a license for core intellectual property covering antibody engineering technology • Crafted competitive grant proposals for NIH-SBIR and LSDF funding • Recruited collaborators and advisors for both scientific and business aspects of the venture • Conceived the technology basis for the company and developed the corresponding business plan • Incorporated and completed the required regulatory filings for business conduct • Negotiated a license for core intellectual property covering antibody engineering technology • Crafted competitive grant proposals for NIH-SBIR and LSDF funding • Recruited collaborators and advisors for both scientific and business aspects of the venture



Theraclone Sciences

• Director of Molecular Biology

  • Dec 2007 - Sep 2011

  Department Head – Molecular Biology • Revamped core processes used to recombinantly express antibodies from human B cells • Increased efficiency (speed and capacity) of recombinant recovery by >10-fold • Directed the recovery of many antibodies targeting infectious diseases (influenza, HIV, rhinovirus), autoimmune disease (IFN-alpha, GM-CSF, IL-12/23), and cancer • Oversaw the detailed mapping of antibody epitopes as well as strain and isotype reactivities • Implemented a deep sequencing approach for comprehensive immune repertoire analysis • Provided critical data used in IND filings for TCN-032 (influenza) and TCN-202 (CMV) Project Management – Autoimmune therapeutics • Established and managed academic collaborations for access to rare donor blood samples • Devised screening assays and oversaw their implementation in high-throughput system • Led the discovery of proprietary antibodies with the potential for clinical development Show less



Xencor

• United States
• Biotechnology
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Associate Director, Protein Engineering

  • Jan 2004 - Dec 2007

  Department Head – Molecular Biology • Managed a group of Scientists and Research Associates in a critical path functionality charged with cloning and overexpression of therapeutic proteins and their targets, generation of extensive protein variant libraries, HTP sequencing and informatics, and expression vector development • Invented and patented a method for antibody humanization based on a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of immunogenicity and tolerance • Oversaw the engineering of antibody variable domains as lead candidates for development • Implemented bioinformatics solutions to increase speed and efficiency of variant construction • Provided critical data used in IND filings for XPro™1595, XmAb®5871, andXmAb®5574 Project Management – Preclinical development • Project leader for preclinical development of clinical-stage antibody, XmAb™2513 • Oversaw in vitro studies validating efficacy (binding, pro-apoptotic signaling, ADCC and CDC) • Designed in vivo efficacy, PK and biodistribution studies and oversaw CRO-based execution • Managed cross-functional collaborations from research through manufacturing • Documented discovery and development efforts for regulatory (IND) filing with the FDA Show less



Phylos

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Principal Scientist

  • Jun 1999 - Aug 2002

  Project leader –Library design • Oversaw ldesign efforts in a transnational group including Phylos-USA and Phylos-GmbH • Designed new antibody-mimetic libraries of the Fibronectin type-III and Titan protein families • Validated engineered libraries for the isolation of high-affinity binding proteins Project leader – Target discovery • Developed the novel techniques required for mRNA display of cDNA libraries • Applied them to the identification of proteins interacting with targets of therapeutic interest • Identified novel BH3 domains binding to the Bcl-X and peptide substrates of the v-Abl kinase • Mapped protein domains that bind to the small molecule drug FK-506 Show less



Mosaic Technnologies

• United States
• Telecommunications
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Research Scientist

  • Jun 1997 - Jun 1998

  Project leader – Array technologies • Spearheaded the development of a novel medium-density nucleic acid array technique • Invented a method of nucleic acid affinity electrophoresis and developed applications for genetic analyses including haplotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms Project leader – Array technologies • Spearheaded the development of a novel medium-density nucleic acid array technique • Invented a method of nucleic acid affinity electrophoresis and developed applications for genetic analyses including haplotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms



University of Colorado

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Doctoral Candidate

  • Aug 1993 - Jun 1997

  • Studied the mechanism of telomerase using biochemical methods • Discovered novel mechanisms of telomerase interaction with both DNA and nucleotide substrates • The first to demonstrate a dual role for dGTP as both substrate and allosteric signal for alternative template usage and enhanced processivity • Studied the mechanism of telomerase using biochemical methods • Discovered novel mechanisms of telomerase interaction with both DNA and nucleotide substrates • The first to demonstrate a dual role for dGTP as both substrate and allosteric signal for alternative template usage and enhanced processivity



Gen-Probe Antisense Therapeutics (Later Chugai Biopharmaceuticals)

• Senior Research Scientist

  • Jun 1991 - Aug 1993

  Applied principles learned in nucleic acid probe development to antisense therapeutics. Work centered on the use of computational techniques to model the structure of nucleic acid targets and predict interactions with therapeutic oligonucleotides. Predictions were followed up with activity testing using in vitro assays and demonstrated enhanced efficacy. Applied principles learned in nucleic acid probe development to antisense therapeutics. Work centered on the use of computational techniques to model the structure of nucleic acid targets and predict interactions with therapeutic oligonucleotides. Predictions were followed up with activity testing using in vitro assays and demonstrated enhanced efficacy.



Gen-Probe

• Research Scientist, Group Leader

  • Dec 1989 - Aug 1991

  Senior Research Scientist – Antisense • Applied principles learned in nucleic acid probe development to antisense therapeutics • Developed computational techniques to model the structure of nucleic acid targets and predict interactions with therapeutic oligonucleotides • Oversaw activity testing using in vitro assays and demonstrated efficacy of new designs Group Leader – Probe design • Developed methodologies for the design and characterization of amplification primers and detection probes • Directed a group providing validated probe and primer sets to product development teams • Designed probes that were subsequently used in FDA-approved clinical diagnostic products for over 10 different organisms causing infectious disease (see list of patents) Research Assistant/Associate • As part of the nonisotopic detection group, played a major role in the development of a homogenous chemiluminescence assay for the specific detection of nucleic acid targets. Show less


UCSD, laboratory of Dr. Susan Taylor
• Research Assistant

  • Oct 1984 - Jul 1985