Our goal is to significantly improve the lives of patients by replacing broad immunosuppression with targeted therapies.
We recognize that patients living with immune-mediated diseases need alternatives to currently available therapies. Despite recent advances and innovations in the treatment of immune-mediated diseases, many patients continue to suffer, cycling through currently approved therapies while looking for a solution that alleviates the debilitating impact of their disease without life-limiting side effects.
Addressing the needs of these patients is why we exist. We are pioneering a precision approach that leverages insights we derive from powerful data analytics to select the right target, right molecule, right indication, right patient, and right endpoint resulting in optimized outcomes for patients. We believe that combining our insights with an integrated approach to drug development will produce the next generation of treatments to address immune dysfunction.
Incubated by Foresite Labs, Alumis is led by a team of deeply experienced professionals who are devoted to transforming the lives of patients with immune-mediated diseases by developing a pipeline of transformative therapies.
Leadership Team
Our leaders are experienced drug developers who are committed to transforming the treatment paradigm for patients living with immune-mediated diseases.
Our experienced leadership team brings a proven track record in developing groundbreaking therapies. Relying on decades of experience creating best-in-class therapies for diseases of immune dysfunction, our team is poised to deliver on our mission to transform the lives of patients who critically need more effective, safe treatments for immune-mediated diseases.
Executive Team
Martin Babler
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
Martin Babler joined in September 2021 as our Chief Executive Officer (CEO), President and Board Chairman. Prior to Alumis, he served as President and CEO of Principia Biopharma, until its acquisition by Sanofi in October 2020. Prior to Principia Biopharma, Martin served as President and CEO of Talima Therapeutics from 2007 to 2011. From 1998 to 2007, he held several positions at Genentech, most notably as Vice President, Immunology Sales and Marketing. While at Genentech, he also helped to build and lead the Commercial Development organization and led the Cardiovascular Marketing organization. Martin previously served at Eli Lilly and Company in positions focused on sales, sales management, global marketing, and business development. Martin serves on the Board of Directors of Neoleukin Therapeutics, Inc., Prelude Therapeutics Inc., Sardona Therapeutics and the Emerging Companies Section Governing Board of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. Martin received a Swiss Federal Diploma in Pharmacy from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and completed the Executive Development Program at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Mark Bradley
Chief Development Officer
Mark Bradley joined in March 2021 as our Chief Development Officer. He brings 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry. Before joining Alumis he was Senior Vice President (SVP) and South San Francisco Site Head at MyoKardia following that company’s acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), and SVP and Project Team Leader for CAMZYOS® prior to the acquisition. Before MyoKardia, Mark held various roles at Biomarin and Genentech, most recently serving as Head, Business Management, gRED Clinical Operations. Mark began his career at UCSF in public health research and received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jörn Drappa M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Jörn Drappa, MD, Ph.D. joined in August 2022 as our Chief Medical Officer (CMO). He is a board-certified rheumatologist with over 25 years of experience in developing novel treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Most recently, he served as CMO at Ventyx Biosciences. Prior to Ventyx Biosciences, Dr. Drappa co-founded Viela Bio, a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of treatments for autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases serving as its Head of R&D and CMO until its acquisition by Horizon Therapeutics in March 2021. At Viela Bio, Dr. Drappa led the development of UPLIZNA® (inebilizumab-cdon) in multiple indications, culminating in its approval for the treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD). Prior to Viela Bio, he held various roles of increasing responsibility leading clinical development programs at MedImmune/AstraZeneca, Genentech, and Amgen. Dr. Drappa received his medical and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cologne in Germany. He completed a residency in internal medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital and a fellowship in rheumatology at the Hospital for Special Surgery, NY.
David M Goldstein
Chief Scientific Officer
David Goldstein, Ph.D. joined in September 2021 as our Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). He is a recognized expert in the fields of small molecule drug discovery, kinase inhibitor design and covalent technologies. David has more than 25 years of industrial experience and has led teams that advanced several small molecule drug candidates into clinical trials in immune-mediated diseases including tolebrutinib, rilzabrutinib, atuzabrutinib and pamapimod. He is a named inventor on more than 40 patents, and he has authored more than 40 scientific publications. Most recently, David was the CSO at Principia Biopharma, a company he helped to launch in 2011 and take public in 2018. Prior to joining Principia, David held positions of increasing responsibility at Roche including Head of Inflammation Chemistry. David serves on the Board member of Frontier Medicines in South San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Virginia and completed postdoctoral studies in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh.
Roy Hardiman
Chief Business and Legal Officer
Roy Hardiman joined in September 2021 as our Chief Business and Legal Officer. He has over 30 years of business development, legal, alliance management and strategic experience in the biopharmaceutical field. Before joining Alumis, he was Chief Business Officer of Principia Biopharma where he negotiated the company’s core collaborations with Sanofi and AbbVie. Roy spent almost two decades at Genentech where he was one of the company’s lead negotiators, accountable for the alliance and legal aspects of the company’s relationship with Roche. Prior to joining Genentech, Roy was an attorney with Morrison & Foerster LLP. Roy received his B.A. in pharmacology and M.A. in biology (biochemistry/molecular biology emphasis) from University of California, Santa Barbara, and his JD from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of California, Santa Barbara Foundation.
Sara Klein
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Sara Klein joined in January of 2022 as our General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Before joining Alumis, she was Head of Legal at Principia Biopharma following that company’s acquisition by Sanofi, and Senior Vice President, Legal prior to the acquisition. At Principia Biopharma Sara had general responsibility for the company’s legal, IP and compliance functions, and co-chaired the Operating Committee. Prior to joining Principia Biopharma, Sara was in the private practice of law representing life science and technology companies. She started her career at the law firm of Baker & McKenzie, then was an in-house corporate lawyer at Genentech. Sara graduated from Middlebury College and UC Law SF (formerly UC Hastings).
Derrick Richardson
SVP, Head of People and Culture
Derrick Richardson joined in January of 2022 as Vice President of Program and Portfolio Management. He transitioned into the role of Senior Vice President of People and Culture in June of 2023. He brings over 25 years of experience spanning drug and medical device development. Before joining Alumis he was Head of Late-Stage Cardiovascular Project Management at MyoKardia following that company’s acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Executive Director, Project Management prior to the acquisition. During his time at BMS, Derrick’s team was responsible for a portfolio that included CAMZYOS® and ELIQUIS®. At MyoKardia, Derrick led a team that integrated rapidly evolving research, clinical development, BD and commercial functions. Prior to MyoKardia, he worked as a project management and business operations consultant to AbbVie and Genentech. Derrick’s career began in the medical device industry where he made numerous contributions to innovations in laparoscopic surgery, lab automation and cardiovascular implants. He holds a B.S. in Product Design Engineering from Stanford University and a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University.
John Schroer
Chief Financial Officer
John Schroer joined in March 2022 as our Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He brings more than 30 years of biopharmaceutical development and investing experience in the life sciences industry. In his role at Alumis, John is responsible for leading Finance, Corporate Communications, Facilities, and Information Technology. Prior to Alumis, John served as the CFO for Arsenal Biosciences. Previously, John was CFO of Translate Bio (acquired by Sanofi). Earlier in his career, John held Portfolio Manager and Senior Analyst roles managing investment teams and portfolios across the life sciences industry, most recently with Allianz Global Investors. Previously, John was with Schroer Capital, HealthCor Management, ITROS Capital, INVESCO Funds Group and TCW Group. John serves on the board of Azitra. He received his B.S. in History and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his M.B.A from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. John is also a CFA® charterholder.
Leadership
Alumis Fellow and Head of Discovery
SVP, Head of Technical Operations
SVP, Head of Development Operations
Executive Director and Head of Regulatory Strategy
VP, Head of Quality
SVP, Head of Immunology and Biology
VP, Head of Biostatistics and Statistical Programming
VP, Head of Data Management and Clinical Programming
SVP, Head of Research
VP, Head of Program and Portfolio Management
SVP, Head of Clinical Development and Translational Medicine
SVP, Head of Regulatory and Quality
Executive Director and Head of Information Technology
VP, Toxicology
VP, Head of Genetics
VP, Project Team Leader
VP, DMPK and Clinical Pharmacology
SVP, Head of Biometrics
Ken Brameld
Alumis Fellow and Head of Discovery
Ken Brameld, Ph.D., joined in September of 2021 as Fellow and Head of Discovery. Prior to Alumis, he was Senior Vice President and Head of Research at Principia Biopharma. At Principia Biopharma, Ken was instrumental in launching the company in 2011 and helped build the Tailored Covalency platform central to the company’s success. During his tenure, the small molecule drug discovery team discovered and progressed four molecules into clinical development, including rilzabrutinib and tolebrutinib. Prior to Principia Biopharma, Ken spent four years at Roche, where he was a Principal Scientist and the Computational Chemistry group leader until the site closure in 2010. Ken began his biotech career with positions of increasing responsibility at Scios, Array Biopharma, and Celera. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Caltech under the supervision of Professor William Goddard, III and went on to a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF in the laboratory of Professor Irwin Kuntz.
Kolbot By
SVP, Head of Technical Operations
Kolbot By joined in January of 2022 as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations. He has more than 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, overseeing manufacturing processes of new chemical entities, and advancing development programs from proof of concept to commercial production. Prior to Alumis, Kolbot was SVP, Technical Operations at Rain Therapeutics where he led the company’s late-stage CMC development program. Prior to Rain Therapeutics, Kolbot was Vice President, Chemical Development at Principia Biopharma where he led the company’s late-stage drug substance program. Prior to Principia Biopharma he was at Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Aryx Therapeutics, and NPS Pharmaceuticals. While at Onyx, Kolbot helped to develop the carfilzomib drug substance program from Phase 2 through commercialization. Kolbot holds a B.S. in chemistry from UC Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Davis.
Jeff Douglas
SVP, Head of Development Operations
Jeff Douglas joined in August of 2021. He currently serves as our Senior Vice President of Development Operations. He brings more than 25 years of clinical research and development experience. Prior to Alumis he was at MyoKardia, where he served as Head of Clinical Operations until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). Jeff successfully led the integration of MyoKardia’s development operations function into BMS. Prior to MyoKardia, Jeff was Group Program Director of Genentech’s research and development clinical operations function where he oversaw programs focused on cancer immunotherapy and hematologic malignancies and helped to lead more than 30 preclinical stage compounds into development. Jeff holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Lily Gong
Executive Director and Head of Regulatory Strategy
Lily joined in January of 2023 as Executive Director, Regulatory Strategy. She brings over 20 years of experience in Regulatory, Project Management, and Quality in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Prior to joining Alumis, Lily was Head of Global Regulatory Markets at Jazz Pharmaceuticals and was a member of the Global Regulatory Affairs leadership team. In this role, she led a team of regulatory professionals whose collective remit was overall accountability for understanding the regulatory framework, including regional trends, for various types of applications and procedures for small and large molecules across all regions. Prior to Jazz, Lily held positions of increasing responsibility at Alexza Pharmaceuticals and LifeScan Inc. Lily has served as Global Regulatory Lead for several molecules and was instrumental in obtaining global approval of two products, ADASUVE® and SUNOSI®. She holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on International Business from San Jose State University.
Grace Halteh
VP, Head of Quality
Grace joined as Vice President of Quality in September 2022. She brings over 25 years of experience in life sciences quality & compliance, operations excellence, and project management. As a quality professional, Grace has recognized expertise in quality management & compliance, inspection readiness, vendor management programs, clinical study execution, and due diligence initiatives. She helped lead Global Health Authority inspections, resulting in the successful registration of multiple Biologics and small molecule products. Grace brings strong leadership and end to end vision across various GxP quality functions encompassing establishment of quality management departments, conducting operational assessments, implementing process improvements, and building quality systems. Prior to joining Alumis, Grace was the VP of Quality at Arcellx and a member of the Executive Management team. She held various quality and operations leadership roles at Exelixis, Nektar Therapeutics, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, Janssen - A Johnson and Johnson Company, Elan Pharmaceuticals and Syntex. Grace holds an M.S. in Systems Management, and a B.S in Cell and Molecular Biology.
Claire Langrish
SVP, Head of Immunology and Biology
Claire joined in September of 2021 as Senior Vice President and Head of Immunology and Biology. She is a recognized leader in the field of immunology, with a focus on drug discovery in immune mediated diseases. Claire previously served as Vice President, Head of Immunology and Biology at Principia Biopharma, where she championed target biology, preclinical and clinical translation, building novel insights and deeper understanding of BTK beyond the B cell. Prior to Principia Biopharma, she held positions of increasing responsibility at DNAX, Roche, Takeda and Theravance. During her postdoctoral studies, Claire was credited with the discovery of Th17 cells, and uncovered the key role of IL-23 and IL-17 in autoimmunity, prompting rewritten text-books and a new wave of approved medicines for patients. Claire received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Imperial College London, and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK.
Ruixiao Lu
VP, Head of Biostatistics and Statistical Programming
Ruixiao joined in August of 2022 as Vice President (VP) of Biostatistics and Statistical Programming. She is a statistical leader in the biotech/biopharma industry with a particular interest in targeted therapies and personalized patient management. Prior to Alumis, she was VP, Head of Statistics, Clinical Data Management & Data Science at Quantum Leap Healthcare, overseeing the statistics and analytical teams as well as the trial sponsor of the I-SPY2 trial and I-SPY COVID trial, among the first platform trials in Oncology and COVID clinical research searching for targeted therapies. Prior to Quantum Leap Healthcare, she worked at Genomic Health/Exact Sciences, with increasing responsibilities in product development, medical affairs, business development, statistics and programming. Ruixiao is active in the statistics and data sciences communities through leadership roles with several organizations including American Statistical Association, Bay Area Biopharm Statistics Workshop, DataShu and Partnership for Clinical Research and Statistics. Ruixiao received her B.S. degree in Statistics from Peking University in Beijing, China and a Ph.D. in Statistics with emphasis on Biostatistics from University of California, Davis.
Shereen McIntyre
VP, Head of Data Management and Clinical Programming
Shereen McIntyre joined in November of 2021. She currently serves as Vice President and Head of Data Management and Clinical Programming, bringing more than 22 years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry experience. Prior to Alumis, Shereen was Executive Director of Data Management at MyoKardia until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). At MyoKardia, Shereen built and led the data management function inclusive of clinical programming, ensuring successful completion of key data deliverables in support of the company’s NDA filing. Before MyoKardia, Shereen also served as head of data management at Avanir Pharmaceuticals and Five Prime Therapeutics. Shereen started her career at Amylin Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, where she held biometrics positions of increasing responsibility over her 15-year tenure at the company. Throughout her career, she has supported multiple regulatory drug filings, enabling several approvals. Shereen holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UC San Diego and an M.B.A. in Management from San Diego State University.
Tim Owens
SVP, Head of Research
Tim Owens joined in May of 2022 as Senior Vice President of Research, bringing a strong track record in small molecule drug development. Tim has over 15 years of industrial experience in research programs spanning autoimmune disease, CNS indications, and oncology. Tim has authored more than 30 scientific publications and is a named inventor on more than 20 patents. Before joining Alumis, he was Head of Research at Principia Biopharma following that company’s acquisition by Sanofi and held the same role prior to the acquisition. At Principia and Sanofi, he led multiple early research programs and was the inventor of rilzabrutinib and tolebrutinib, both of which have advanced to Phase 3 trials. Prior to Principia Biopharma, Tim held positions of increasing responsibility at Roche including Section Head, Chemical Biology. Tim received his B.S. from UC San Diego, his Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Berkeley and completed postdoctoral studies at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
Karen Pellett
VP, Head of Program and Portfolio Management
Karen joined in April of 2022. She currently serves as VP, Head of Program and Portfolio Management. Prior to Alumis, she was at Genentech, where she spent 11 years in program management roles of increasing responsibility across various disease areas (immunology, oncology, cardiovascular) and disciplines, including Group Project Manager in Genentech’s Research and Early Development Portfolio Strategy and Management group, and Director in the company’s Pharma Technical Program and Portfolio group. Prior to Genentech, Karen started her career with Pfizer, working in analytical chemistry, clinical supply chain on SUTENT®, GEODON® and ZITHROMAX®, and business management roles in Global Research and Development and Global Supply. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Amherst College and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from New York University.
Roman Rubio, M.D.
SVP, Head of Clinical Development and Translational Medicine
Roman joined in September of 2022 as Senior Vice President and Head of Clinical Development and Translational Medicine. Prior to Alumis he was SVP, Clinical Development with Revance, where he led Phase 1, 2 and pivotal Phase 3 programs in both neurology and dermatology and that led to the approval of DAXXIFY® (daxibotulinumtoxinA) in both cervical dystonia and glabellar lines. Prior to Revance, Dr. Rubio was at Genentech for over 11 years, ascending through several clinical and development management roles to global head of ophthalmology. While at Genentech, he held key leadership roles in the successful development and approval of several ophthalmic indications for Genentech's LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab injection). Dr. Rubio has an M.B.A. in Health care Management and Finance from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and received his M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco.
Joel Selcher
SVP, Head of Regulatory and Quality
Joel Selcher joined in April 2022 as Senior Vice President, Regulatory & Quality, bringing more than 20 years of drug development experience and a proven track record of developing and driving regulatory strategies across a range of therapeutic areas. In his role at Alumis, Joel is responsible for building and leading the Regulatory and Quality organizations. Prior to Alumis, Joel served as Vice President, Regulatory at MyoKardia until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). Previously, Joel was Head of Global Regulatory Strategy at Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and earlier in his career, held regulatory project leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Genentech. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Princeton University, and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Baylor College of Medicine prior to a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Lance Shinseki
Executive Director and Head of Information Technology
Lance joined in February of 2022 as Executive Director and Head of Information Technology (IT). He brings more than 25 years of industry experience to Alumis. Prior to Alumis, Lance was the Head of IT at Oric Pharmaceuticals. He also held Head of IT and management roles at MyoKardia, Nevro, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, and Gilead Sciences. While at MyoKardia, He built an IT team and developed business solutions supporting the commercial launch of CAMZYOS® prior to the Bristol Meyer Squibb (BMS) acquisition. Following the acquisition of MyoKardia by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Lance oversaw the integration of the IT function. Lance holds a degree in Business Administration from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in Computer Information Systems.
Mike Taylor
VP, Toxicology
Mike Taylor joined in September of 2021 as our Vice President of Toxicology. Mike has over 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry beginning with Syntex Research in Palo Alto, CA. Most recently, he was the Founder and Principal of NonClinical Safety Assessment, a consulting firm focusing on the safety evaluation of drugs and medical devices. Mike’s experience spans a variety of therapeutic areas, successfully supporting the development of both novel and repurposed therapeutics. He has held executive leadership positions at Roche, Durect Corporation, Protein Design Labs, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, and Limerick BioPharma. Mike is currently a mentor in Stanford University’s SPARK program, providing pharmaceutical development guidance to students and aspiring entrepreneurs. Mike is author/co-author of more than 50 publications, including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and abstracts. He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in toxicology from Utah State University. He completed postdoctoral training at the CNRS of France and the NIH, is a member of the Society of Toxicology and the American College of Toxicology and is certified by the American Board of Toxicology.
Mera Tilley
VP, Head of Genetics
Mera joined in February of 2022 as Vice President in Genetics. She is an NIH/NHGRI-trained genetic epidemiologist and human geneticist. She leads Alumis’ efforts to leverage genomics and genetics to guide research and development of novel and precise therapeutics in collaboration with Foresite Labs. Mera previously did a stint in the start-up world leading the Precision Medicine and Translational Genetics group at Goldfinch Bio. Prior to Goldfinch, she spent six years at Pfizer in roles across drug discovery, development, and medical affairs. Prior to Pfizer, she was at the National Human Genome Research Institute, where she developed new methods for analyzing rare variants in DNA sequence data to discover novel genetic causes of coronary artery disease. During her early career she trained in a variety of fields, including molecular biology, bioinformatics, and science policy. Mera holds a PhD in Genetics, Epidemiology, and Behavioral Health from Penn State University.
Milly Kitty Toor
VP, Project Team Leader
Milly Kitty Toor joined in December of 2021 and currently serves as VP and Project Team Leader for ESK-001. Before joining Alumis, she was Director, HCP Marketing at MyoKardia until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). At MyoKardia she led brand strategy and market development for the launch of CAMZYOS®. Prior to joining MyoKardia, Milly held roles of increasing responsibility at Gilead and ZS Associates for over 10 years with focus on go-to-market and portfolio strategy. Milly has global healthcare experience as she worked extensively in Europe. She holds an MBA from HHL (Leipzig Graduate School of Management).
Sibel Ucpinar
VP, DMPK and Clinical Pharmacology
Bio to come.
David Zhang
SVP, Head of Biometrics
David Zhang joined in March of 2021 as Senior Vice President and Head of Biometrics and Data Management. As part of the founding management team at Alumis, he served as Chief Information Officer responsible for establishing capabilities in Biometrics, IT, Facilities and Investor Relations during the early days of the company. Before joining Alumis, David was Vice President of Biometrics, Data Science and Digital Health at MyoKardia until its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). At MyoKardia, David built the organization’s advanced analytics capabilities from the ground up to enable the successful completion of critical study designs, data readouts and New Drug Application submission of CAMZYOS®. Prior to MyoKardia, David spent 15 years at Genentech with increasing responsibilities leading and building biostatistics and strategic innovation functions. David is a founding member of the Bay Area Biopharm Statistics Workshop serving as its President in 2022. He began his pharmaceutical industry career at Eli Lilly and Abbott Laboratories after receiving his Ph.D. in biostatistics with a minor in genetics from UCLA and completing post-doctoral research at Columbia University.
Board of Directors
Martin Babler
President and CEO, Chairman of the Board
Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D.
Founder and Managing General Partner, Samsara BioCapital
Julian Baker
Managing Member, Baker Brothers Investments
Alan Colowick
Managing Director, AyurMaya, an affiliate of Matrix Capital Management
Richard Gaster, M.D., Ph.D.
Managing Partner, venBio Partners
Sapna Srivastava
Independent Board Member
Jim Tananbaum, M.D.
Founder and CEO, Foresite Capital
Zhengbin (Bing) Yao, Ph.D.
CEO, ArriVent Biopharma