Redesigning immunotherapeutics
Team
Samir N. Khleif, MD
Dr. Samir N. Khleif is a pioneer in the field of immunotherapy. He is a medical oncologist, immunologist, innovator, and entrepreneur, as well as a transformational executive in health care and biomedical research.
Prior to becoming CEO of Georgiamune, Dr. Khleif served in different academic and leadership positions. He was a National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist and Chief of the NCI Cancer Vaccine Section, where he led the development of pioneering immune-oncology and cancer vaccines into clinical trials. As a national and international academic leader, and detailed by the US government, he served as the founding director and CEO of the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan, where he led the development of the largest cancer center in the MENA region. He also served as the director of the Georgia Cancer Center, the state cancer center, at Augusta University. He is currently a biomedical scholar and holds a professorship at Georgetown University Medical School.
Dr. Khleif also served as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the FDA, leading the FDA's Critical Path Initiative for Oncology. He is a member of the board of directors of Ayala Pharmaceuticals and Emerald Biopharmaceutics, and served as a member of the scientific advisory board of more than 20 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Khleif is an international KOL in immunology and immunotherapy. He has served on many national committees, including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Biden Cancer Initiative, as chair of the Immunotherapy Committee for NRG, and as a member of the NCI Cooperative Group. He currently serves as an advisor for the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Dr. Khleif is an editor of three books, the author of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific research articles, and a prolific inventor with more than 150 patents issued or pending in the field of immunology and immunotherapy.
Ramy Ibrahim, MD
Ramy Ibrahim has more than two decades of drug development experience working in academia, major pharma companies, midsize, startups, and nonprofit organizations. He worked across different therapeutic areas and has expertise with a wide scope of modalities, including immuno-oncology, targeted therapies, and iPSCs. He led teams working both on advancing early-stage therapies (first-in-man studies) and global teams in charge of designing and executing registrational studies. He helped develop some of the first breakthrough treatments in the field during his tenure at Bristol-Myers Squibb and MedImmune/AstraZeneca, including the global approval of the first checkpoint inhibitor (Yervoy) and advancing the use of immunotherapy into the early stages of disease.
At BMS, Ramy was an integral member of the team that developed and ultimately achieved the regulatory approval of the first checkpoint inhibitor that paved the way for immuno-oncology to become the fourth pillar of cancer therapy. He contributed to the early development of PD1 (nivolumab), 41BB, and OX40. He contributed to growing the IO portfolio at MedImmune/AstraZeneca and built the clinical team that ran multiple global registrational studies with IO therapies both as single agents and in combinations.
In 2016, Ramy joined the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy as their founding CMO, where he built a translational, regulatory, and clinical development team that worked with leading immuno-oncology scientists to develop products, INDs, and company creation based on IP generated by Parker investigators, innovators, and scientists. In 2020, he was named a director to the Board of the institute, where he continues to support the ongoing efforts and initiatives. In 2020, he joined bit.bio, a synthetic biology, clinical-stage company that's pioneering iPSCs reprogramming as their first CMO and US president. He played a key role in the fundraising efforts and setting the clinical strategy for their lead programs across different therapeutic areas.
Ramy served as a director/board member of cell and gene therapy organizations, including bluebird bio, 2Seventy bio, and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.
Jacques Banchereau, PhD
Dr. Jacques Banchereau is a pioneer in human immunology with more than four decades of experience in discovery and transitional science in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia. Jacques has served as the Director of Schering Plough's Laboratory for Immunology Research, the Founding Director of the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, the Senior Vice President, Head of Inflammation & Virology, and Chief Science Officer of the Roche Nutley, New Jersey site, the Deputy Director of the Jackson Laboratory of Genomic Medicine, and the Director of Immunological Sciences at The Jackson Laboratory. He has been a Professor of Immunology at the University of Lyon, the University of Paris, and Mount Sinai, as well as Yale Medical Schools. Jacques has authored more than 500 papers with 136,000 citations and an h factor of 166. In 2009, he received the Dana Foundation Award for Human Immunology Research (now the AAI-Steinman Award).
Mikayel Mkrtichyan, PhD
Dr. Mikayel Mkrichyan’s 18 years of industrial and academic research is focused on development of translational immune therapies based on vaccines, antibodies, small molecules, CAR-T cells, and other immune modulatory strategies.
From 2009 to 2012, Mikayel was postdoctoral fellow at the Vaccine Branch of the National Cancer Institute at NIH, and from 2012 to 2015 he was a member of the Cancer Center Faculty and the Cancer Immunotherapy group at Augusta University (formerly Medical College of Georgia [MCG]).
Mikayel’s research was focused on development of cancer immunotherapies (mono- and combinational) and investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in tumor-mediated immune suppression and T cell signaling pathways.
In 2015, Mikayel joined Five Prime Therapeutics Inc as a Senior Scientist to continue his onco-immunology and immunotherapy research in the industry setting. At Five Prime Therapeutics, he continued his research on development of cancer immune therapies, target validations, and preclinical and translational studies.
Areas of Mikayel’s interest and expertise also cover CAR-T cell development (Senior Scientist at A2 Biotherapeutics) and investigation of immune mechanisms and interactions (Assistant Professor at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University).
Mikayel has over 37 publications in peer-reviewed journals and over 140 pending or published patents.
From 2019 to 2021, Mikayel served as a Director of Research at Georgiamune, and since 2021, he has served as Senior Vice President of Science and Discovery.
Sarah Sharman, PhD
Dr. Sarah Sharman joined Georgiamune, Inc. in 2020 and now serves as Vice President of IP Legal Affairs. She is responsible for protecting Georgiamune’s intellectual property, including portfolio management and global IP strategy. Prior to joining Georgiamune, Sarah was a patent agent in the intellectual property division of Smith, Gambrell, & Russell, LLP in Atlanta. She assisted clients ranging from small start-ups to multinational corporations in drafting and prosecuting patent applications to procure patent protection for technologies in the areas of biochemistry, cancer biology, immunology, molecular biology, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. She obtained her PhD in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
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Board of Directors
Fred Schaufeld
Fred Schaufeld is Co-Founder and a Managing Director of SWaN. He is also a Partner in Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals (NHL), Wizards (NBA), Mystics (WNBA), Capital City Go-Go (NBA-G), and the Capital One Arena. Fred is a Partner in the Washington Nationals (MLB), Team Liquid (e-Sports), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and the Hill Top House Hotel, Harpers Ferry. He also owns American Bike Ride, parent of the DC Bike Ride.
Prior to SWaN, Fred founded and led National Electronics Warranty Corporation (NEW), which was acquired by Asurion in 2008 (now NEWAsurion). NEWAsurion is the world's largest consumer product protection company, employing over 20,000 people worldwide.
Fred currently sits on the boards of Sugar23, Custom Ink, KIND, DuraStat, José Andrés ThinkFood Group, Mindshow, PFL, M34 Capital, Curator Solutions, Georgiamune, and Telos. He is an advisor to the boards of Cava, ClassEDU, Growcentia, and Biothred. He previously sat on the boards of American Honors College, Anonymous Content, Asurion, Bio-Warn, Framebridge, NEW, Noodle Partners, OrderGroove, and SocialRadar.
Fred is a recipient of Ernst & Young's “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
He and his wife, Karen, live in Virginia and are active in organizations dedicated to education, health, environment, peace, interfaith tolerance, military support, and the arts.
Fred received his BA in Government from Lehigh University.
Paul Brown
Paul Brown serves as Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes over 32,000 Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin', Jimmy John's, Rusty Taco, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants worldwide. In 2022, its brands achieved more than $31 billion in global system sales, making Inspire the second largest restaurant company in the United States. Prior to founding Inspire, Paul was Chief Executive Officer of Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc.
Prior to Arby's, Paul served as President of Brands and Commercial Services of Hilton Worldwide. He was the company's global leader for brand management, product standards, marketing, sales, pricing, e-Commerce, loyalty programs, franchise relations, and information technology.
Paul previously served as President of Expedia.com and Expedia's Partner Services Group and was a partner at McKinsey & Company.
He has worked with InterContinental Hotels Group as Senior Vice President of Global Brand Services and was a manager for The Boston Consulting Group.
Paul is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Neiman Marcus Group and a member of the board of Inspire Brands, Inc. He also serves on the boards of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the Georgia Tech Foundation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.
Paul is an alumnus of Georgia Tech, where he received a BS in Management. He received an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a Master of Engineering Management from the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Sean Parker
Sean Parker is a philanthropist and entrepreneur with a record of launching genre-defining companies. He is the President of the Parker Foundation, Chairman of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Founder of the Economic Innovation Group.
In April 2016, Sean launched the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, building on his leadership in funding and promoting research into the relationship between the immune system and cancer. In the ensuing years, the Parker Institute has evolved into a leader in the immunotherapy field for cutting-edge research collaboration and clinical development, including funding a landmark human trial using CRISPR technology.
Sean has been recognized for his leadership in funding and promoting research into the relationship between the immune system and cancer, including by the Vatican, where he was awarded the Pontifical Key Philanthropy Award, and by the Jefferson Foundation for Outstanding Public Service by a Private Citizen. He has also received the Friends of Cancer Research Leadership Award, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Public Service Award for his efforts in championing cancer immunotherapy, and the Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from Trinity College, Dublin.
Sean was the co-founder of Napster at age 19, and Plaxo at age 21. In 2004, he joined with Mark Zuckerberg to develop the online social network Facebook and served as Facebook's founding president.
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Amy Abernethy, MD, PhD
Dr. Amy Abernethy is the President of Product Development and Chief Medical Officer at Verily, where she leads teams in the development and delivery of solutions that bridge the gap between clinical research and care.
Before joining Verily, Amy was Principal Deputy Commissioner and Acting Chief Information Officer of the US Food & Drug Administration. Prior roles include serving as CMO/CSO of Flatiron Health and multiple roles at Duke University, where she was Professor of Medicine.
Amy went to the University of Pennsylvania and then Duke University Medical School, and received her PhD from Flinders University in Australia.
Deep Nishar
Deep Nishar is a managing director at the venture capital firm General Catalyst (GC), partnering with founders from seed to growth stage and beyond to seek to build companies that withstand the test of time. At GC, Deep focuses on investing in growth-stage companies in enterprise software, biotech, and life sciences, working with the next generation of forward-thinking founders and helping to guide a transformational change in technology and investing.
Since joining GC, Deep has led our investments in Adept, Cellanome, FarMart, Latent, SonarSource, Upside, and Vevo, among others. He has also partnered with a number of GC portfolio companies, including Livongo, Eightfold.ai, and Glean. Deep has a strong belief in multidisciplinary innovation and spent the last few years working with companies that bring the technology and bio/pharma worlds together—and that is essential for the next phase of our health assurance work as we bring forth the radical collaboration between tech, health care, and bio/pharma as one ecosystem.
Samir N. Khleif, MD
Dr. Samir N. Khleif is a pioneer in the field of immunotherapy. He is a medical oncologist, immunologist, innovator, and entrepreneur, as well as a transformational executive in health care and biomedical research.
Prior to becoming CEO of Georgiamune, Dr. Khleif served in different academic and leadership positions. He was a National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist and Chief of the NCI Cancer Vaccine Section, where he led the development of pioneering immune-oncology and cancer vaccines into clinical trials. As a national and international academic leader, and detailed by the US government, he served as the founding director and CEO of the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan, where he led the development of the largest cancer center in the MENA region. He also served as the director of the Georgia Cancer Center, the state cancer center, at Augusta University. He is currently a biomedical scholar and holds a professorship at Georgetown University Medical School.
Dr. Khleif also served as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the FDA, leading the FDA's Critical Path Initiative for Oncology. He is a member of the board of directors of Ayala Pharmaceuticals and Emerald Biopharmaceutics, and served as a member of the scientific advisory board of more than 20 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Khleif is an international KOL in immunology and immunotherapy. He has served on many national committees, including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Biden Cancer Initiative, as chair of the Immunotherapy Committee for NRG, and as a member of the NCI Cooperative Group. He currently serves as an advisor for the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Dr. Khleif is an editor of three books, the author of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific research articles, and a prolific inventor with more than 150 patents issued or pending in the field of immunology and immunotherapy.
Scientific Advisory Board
Jérôme Galon, PhD
Dr. Jérôme Galon is Director of Research Exceptional class at INSERM (French NIH), and head of the laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology in Paris, France. A specialist in the fields of immunology and cancer, he is associate Director and co-founder of the European Academy of Tumor Immunology (EATI) and was a board member of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). His work on the comprehensive analysis of the tumor microenvironment and the role of T cells in human cancer led to the demonstration of the importance of adaptive pre-existing immunity in human cancer and the concept of cancer immune contexture. He also pioneered the Immunoscore. Jérôme is the co-founder of HalioDx, a Veracyte company. His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the William B. Coley Award, an international prize which honors the best scientists in fundamental and cancer immunology, the European Inventor Award 2019, the Jeantet-Collen award 2021, the Galien Prize in 2021, the Duquesne Prize in 2022, and awards from the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine.
David Parkinson
Dr. David Parkinson has been ESSA’s President and Chief Executive Officer since 2016, and a member of ESSA’s Board of Directors since 2015. David has more than 30 years of experience in clinical oncology development. Prior to joining ESSA, he was a Venture Partner at New Enterprise Associates, Inc. and served as the President and CEO of Nodality, Inc., a biotechnology company developing human cell–based translational diagnostic tools. Throughout his career, David has held senior roles in clinical oncology development at a number of pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including Biogen, Amgen, and Novartis, and has overseen the successful clinical development of a series of cancer therapeutics, including Gleevec, Zometa, Femara, and Vectibix. He currently serves as Director on the boards of CTI Biopharma, Inc. and Angiocrine Bioscience, Inc. David received his MD from the University of Toronto, has previously held academic positions at Tufts and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and has served as Chief of the Investigational Drug Branch and acting Associate Director of the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program of the National Cancer Institute. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and is a recipient of the FDA’s Cody Medal.
Fred Ramsdell
Dr. Fred Ramsdell is a veteran biotechnology leader in immunology with over three decades of experience. Fred is a founder of Sonoma Biotherapeutics and serves as Chief Scientific Officer. Immediately prior to Sonoma, Fred was the CSO at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), where he helped build and advance multiple research programs from the inception of the Institute.
Fred earned his doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of California, Los Angeles, completed a fellowship at the NIH, and subsequently joined Immunex. He later joined Darwin Molecular (acquired by Celltech, Inc), where his team’s efforts included the discovery of FOXP3, the key factor for regulatory T cells. The discovery was awarded the 2017 Crafoord Prize. Fred has held leadership positions at ZymoGenetics and Novo Nordisk, and he currently sits on various scientific advisory boards and grant review agencies.
Mace Rothenberg
Dr. Mace Rothenberg is a medical oncologist with more than 30 years of experience spanning government, academia, and industry. Mace served as Chief Medical Officer of Pfizer from 2019 to 2021, during which time the company initiated, completed, and obtained emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine. Prior to that, Mace led clinical development for oncology at Pfizer from 2008 to 2018. His organization developed and obtained regulatory approval for 11 new cancer medicines in a span of 10 years. Mace began his career at the National Cancer Institute, then moved to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and then to Vanderbilt, where he became Professor of Medicine and Ingram Professsor of Cancer Research. Mace received his BA magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, his MD from New York University, his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt, and his medical oncology training at the National Cancer Institute.
Elliott Sigal, MD, PhD
Dr. Elliott Sigal is a former Executive Vice President and Director of Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). He served as Chief Scientific Officer and President of R&D for Bristol-Myers Squibb from 2004 until 2013. Under Elliott’s leadership, fourteen new medicines came to market, including Eliquis (stroke), Farxiga (diabetes), Baraclude (hepatitis B), Orencia (rheumatoid arthritis), Sprycel (leukemia), and Yervoy, the first checkpoint inhibitor. He built BMS research into a lead position in immuno-oncology, which is revolutionizing the practice of medicine in cancer. During his tenure, Elliott was named the best R&D chief in the pharmaceutical industry by Scrip Intelligence.
Elliott currently consults for select biotechnology companies. He is co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Amgen and is a member of the Sean Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Scientific Steering Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors for public biotechnology companies Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Vir Biotechnology and private companies Tessera Therapeutics and Affinia Therapeutics. Elliott served as a venture partner and senior advisor to the healthcare team of the investment firm NEA from 2014 to 2023. Prior board positions include Spark Therapeutics (2014-2019), Adaptimmune Therapeutics (2015-2023), Surface Oncology (2018-2023), Mead Johnson Nutrition (2009-2017), and Bristol-Myers Squibb (2011-2013). Elliott joined BMS in 1997 and held roles in both discovery and development before ascending to Chief Scientific Officer. Positions prior to BMS included a faculty appointment at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), senior executive roles at Syntex/Roche, and CEO of the genomics firm Mercator Genetics. Elliott received his MD from the University of Chicago in 1981 and trained in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine at UCSF. Prior to medical school, he received a BS, MS, and PhD in industrial engineering from Purdue University.
Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, FASCO
Dr. Jedd Wolchok is the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Jedd is a clinician-scientist exploring innovative immunotherapeutic strategies in laboratory models, and a principal investigator in numerous pivotal clinical trials. He helped establish immunotherapy as a standard approach to cancer treatment and was instrumental in the clinical development leading to the approval of ipilimumab and the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab for advanced melanoma. He supervises an NIH R01-funded basic science laboratory that is focused on investigating novel immunotherapeutic agents in preclinical laboratory models. The focus of his translational research laboratory is to investigate innovative means to modulate the immune response to cancer, as well as to better understand the mechanistic basis for sensitivity and resistance to currently available immunotherapies.
Clinical Advisory Board
Sonia Quaratino, MD, PhD
Dr. Sonia Quaratino is an R&D executive with over 25 years of experience in basic research, clinical development, and translational medicine, having worked in academia, global large pharmaceuticals, and biotech. Sonia is EVP and CMO at Innate Pharma (IPHA). She is also Non-Executive Director of Engitix (UK) and Chair of the Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board of STIpe (Denmark), and an advisor for Pureos Bioventures (Switzerland), Nucleome (UK), and Anaveon AG (Switzerland).
Recently, Sonia was the Chief Medical Officer at Georgiamune Inc, building the Development Team. Previously, she was CMO at Kymab (Cambridge, UK) until its acquisition by Sanofi. She was also Global Program Lead in Oncology at Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, where she was responsible for several immunotherapeutic programs in early stage. Prior to that, she was Senior Medical Director Oncology and Advisor in Immunology at Merck Serono, Germany. Sonia was Professor of Immunology at the University of Southampton (UK), where her research group focused on chronic inflammatory diseases and the interface between cancer immunity and autoimmunity.
Sonia's publications include high-impact journals like Nature Medicine, Nature Cell Biology, Lancet, Gastroenterology, and the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Sonia has received her MD, a Doctorate in Hematology and Oncology from the University of Palermo (Italy), and a PhD in Immunology from Imperial College London (UK).
Alexander M.M. Eggermont, MD, PhD
Board of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich (CCCM), Technical University Munich & Ludwig Maximiliaan University Munich, Munich, Germany
Chief Scientific Officer, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
Professor Clinical & Translational Immunotherapy, University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
Coordinator, Comprehensive Cancer Center Program Deutsche KrebsHilfe, Germany, & Strategic Advisor @ DKFZ-NCT Heidelberg for National Center for Tumors Program, Germany
Past Director General, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus Grand Paris, France (2010-2019) & Emeritus Professor Oncology, University Paris-Saclay, France (2012-2021)
Emeritus Professor, International Networking Cancer Research, Erasmus, MC, Rotterdam, NL
Emeritus Professor Surgical Oncology Erasmus University, Rotterdam, NL
Honorary Professor Surgical Oncology, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium
Fellow of USA NIH-NCI Surgery Branch (Steve Rosenberg) (85-86) PhD 1987 Tumor Immunology
International (current & past) scientific societal positions
- President European Academy of Cancer Sciences (2010-2019), Executive board (2019-present)
- President Cancer Core Europe (2014-2019)
- ECCO President, European CanCer Organization (2009-2011)
- EORTC President (2006-2009), Exec Board (1998-2012), Chairman Melanoma Group (1994-2000)
- ASCO: Board of Directors of ASCO (2008-2010; Surgery Chair) and JCO Editorial Board
- AACR: Deputy Editor of Clinical Cancer Research (2001-2009)
- ESMO: Executive Board (2014-2018)
- CRUK: Board of Trustees/Strategic Research Committee (2016-2019)
- DFG: Wissenschaftsrat, Germany (2017-2020)
- DKH (Deutsche Krebshilfe) (2007-Present) President International Jury CCC-Program
- European Journal of Cancer: Editor-in-Chief since January 2011
Professional awards (selection): Joseph Maisin Chair (Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium (2001); ASCO Statesman Award (2010); Michiel Van Vloten Award of the Dutch Surgical Society (2016); John Wayne Award of Clinical Research of Society Surgical Oncology (2018); Doctorate Honoris Causa (University Essen, Germany) (2018); Honorary Chair KAZIOR (Kazakh Cancer Institute) (2019); Deutsche Krebshilfe Cancer Award (2019); European Academy of Tumor Immunology Award (2023)
Specialties & Scientific Output: Clinical: immunotherapy, melanoma, sarcoma, drug development. Basic/Translational: tumor immunology, animal models. Scientific Output: >1000 publications; 36 PhD theses @ Erasmus MC: H-index/citations: 116, >67000 citations (Web of Science), HI: 119, >70000 (Scopus); HI: 132, >84000 (Research Gate); HI: 137, >97000 citations (Google Scholar)
Societal Awards: Légion d'Honneur, France (2015)
Jon Wigginton, MD
Dr. Jon Wigginton currently serves as President of Research and Development at Bright Peak Therapeutics. Previously, he served as Senior Advisor and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board at Cullinan Oncology, Inc., having earlier served as the company's Chief Medical Officer. Prior to that, Jon was Chief Medical Officer at MacroGenics, where he led the company's evolution of a fully integrated clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy organization. Jon also held various leadership positions at Bristol Myers Squibb, including Therapeutic Area Head and Executive Director, Immuno-Oncology Early Clinical Research. There, he led early clinical development of the BMS Immuno-Oncology portfolio, including checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 (Nivolumab)/Opdivo®) and anti-PD-L1 (BMS-936559); checkpoint inhibitor—based combinations, including anti-CTLA-4 (Yervoy®)/anti-PD-1 (Opdivo®), among others; and a spectrum of other I-O agents. He also co-founded and co-led the BMS International Immuno-Oncology Network (IION). Jon also previously served as President of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC). Earlier in his career, he worked at the National Cancer Institute for 15 years, and served as Head of the Investigational Biologics Section in the Center for Cancer Research (NCI intramural program). There, he demonstrated the initial therapeutic synergy and key mechanisms of action by several novel cytokine-based approaches for cancer immunotherapy. Jon is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Sutro Biopharma. He earned his MD and BS in biology from the University of Michigan.
Omid Hamid, MD
Dr. Omid Hamid is the Chief of Translational Research & Immuno-Oncology and head of the Phase I Program at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, where he works to ensure that patients receive access to the most up-to-date therapeutics. Most recently, in his role with the Phase 1 Developmental Therapeutics Program, Omid has been instrumental in bringing new therapies from the investigational lab to the clinic for patient benefit. These therapies involve immuno-oncologic therapies such as PD-1 inhibitors (Keytruda, Nivolumab, Atezolizumab) and other checkpoint inhibitors, therapies against tumor angiogenesis, and targeted agents that block internal processes in tumor cells' function (BRAF, MEK). Omid's research focus involves manipulation of a patient's immune system to attack cancer cells and maintain continuously elevated levels of immunity and discovery of novel therapies.
Omid is recognized nationally and internationally as a key opinion leader in immuno-oncologic drug development and melanoma therapeutics. Through his role as the Chief of Immunotherapy and Translational Research, patients at The Angeles Clinic have benefited from first-in-class, paradigm-shifting drugs. Omid was an investigator in the initial trials with ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, and vemurafenib, agents that led to significant survival benefits in the lives of our patients. Through his leadership, the next phase of agents has become available to our patients. He has been a key investigator on combinations of BRAF/MEK inhibitors and novel immune therapy with PD-1 antibodies and continues to be at the forefront of drug development.
His current work focuses on novel drugs and combinations to overcome PD1 resistance for solid tumors and lymphomas. Current interests involve novel therapeutics through targeted agents, ImmTACs (Immune-mobilizing monoclonal T-cell receptors Against Cancer), bifunctional antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, adoptive T cell therapies, natural killer cells, and CAR-T for solid tumors.
Omid has presented research done at The Angeles Clinic at major national and international meetings, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), and many other key national and international meetings. He has published manuscripts, abstracts, and reviews on immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and melanoma care in prestigious journals such as the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and Clinical Cancer Research.
Paolo A. Ascierto, MD
Dr. Paolo A. Ascierto is Director of the Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy at the National Tumor Institute Fondazione G. Pascale in Naples (Italy). He earned his medical degree from the University of Naples where he earned board certification in oncology. Before the present position at the Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapy of the National Tumor Institute, he previously served there as a postdoctoral fellow and then vice-director of the Department of Clinical Immunology.
Major research interests have included genetics and proteomics research of melanoma, assessment of new molecular markers for tumor progression in patients with malignant melanoma, targeted therapies for melanoma, biochemical and immunological monitoring, immunotherapy and vaccination treatments. He has served as principal investigator in numerous clinical trials and has been well-published in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to his interests.
Dr. Ascierto serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Translational Medicine, the Journal of Immunotherapy of Cancer (JITC), Combination Products in Therapy, the Journal of Skin Cancer and the Dataset Papers in Immunology. He is the Editor in Chief of the Combination Strategies section of the Journal of Translational Medicine. He has been an invited speaker at more than 350 national and international meetings and maintains active memberships in several medical societies in Italy and abroad.
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