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TEAM
MANAGEMENT
MS, MBA
CEO
PhD
VP, Operation
PhD
VP and GM, China Operation
PhD
VP, Research and Early Development
MS, MBA
CEO
Wen Chen, Partner of Yonjin Venture & Yonghua Capital. Before Yonjin, Wen was the Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development and Operation at Tigermed, a publicly traded company located in China. Tigermed is the leading Contract Research Organization in China and Asia Pacific dedicated to provide professional clinical development services to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Wen has over 20 years experience in pharmaceutical R&D, business development and clinical development, with the past 10 years plus at Tigermed where he was instrumental to the rapid growth of the company. Prior to Tigermed, Wen was the Chief Operating Officer of HD Biosciences and the Executive Vice President of HUYA Bioscience International. Wen received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from Purdue University, a Master’s Degree in Immunology and Oncology from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Business Administration from Durham University.
PhD
VP, Operation
Dr. Li is one of the cofounders of AceLink Therapeutics and is in charge of the company’s operation.
Dr. Li has more than 20 years of industry experience in business development and project management in the biotech field. Prior to co-founding AceLink Therapeutics, Dr. Li was a Senior Director of Business Development at Crown Bioscience, a leading translational technology platform company. She was one of the top business executives serving many biotech and pharmaceutical companies for almost 6 years. Before Crown Bioscience, Dr. Li was a Director of Custom Service at Epitomics, a rabbit monoclonal antibody company. At Epitomics, Dr. Li was responsible for the lab operation, project management and account management. Prior to that, Dr. Li also held different scientist positions at Applied Biomics – a proteomics research and service company and at Curagen – a genomics-based target discovery company. Dr. Li received her B.S. in Microbiology from Fudan University, M.S. in Microbiology from Beijing Agriculture University and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Medicine from Oklahoma State University.
PhD
VP and GM, China Operation
Dr. Zheng joined AceLink Therapeutics in 2018, as cofounder, VP, General Manager China. She has more than 20 years of experience in drug discovery and clinical development. She started her drug discovery journey at Zen Sun Biotechnology, China, a start-up company focusing on developing innovative drugs for cancer and cardiovascular disease, as Senior Director of R&D, building Company’s R&D center from ground zero and taking the first drug candidate Neuregulin for IND filing. She then took the position of Senior Director of R&D at IgCon Therapeutic, Shanghai, China, a start-up company utilizing the proprietary yeast two hybrid platform and library to identify antibody leads for therapeutic uses and to generate high affinity humanized antibodies. In recent years, she has been working as chief consultant with Rightway Consulting, specializing in regulatory consultation and medical writing in clinical and health-related areas, bring global drugs to Chinese market, including treatments for kidney diseases, inflammatory diseases, and vaccine products.
Dr. Zheng holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from Fudan University, and PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from University of Missouri-Columbia.
PhD
VP, Research and Early Development
Dr. Babcock has more than 19 years of pharmaceutical industry experience leading drug development and exploratory research projects with a focus on the role of glycolipid biology in rare and more common diseases. At Elan Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Babcock applied genetic, histopathology, and cell biology approaches to better understand the connections between lysosomal dysfunction, glycolipid metabolism, and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Babcock then joined BioMarin where he continued to work on glycolipid biology by leading several small molecule drug development projects targeting glycolipid enzymes including glucosylceramide synthase (GCS), ceramide galactosyl transferase (CGT), and acid ceramidase (AC). Dr. Babcock joined AceLink in 2019 as a co-founder where he leads preclinical research activities from early-stage programs to providing the full package of IND enabling studies.
Dr. Babcock is a graduate of University of Utah (BS, Biology) and the University of Washington, Genome Sciences (PhD).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PhD
MD, PhD
JD, MPH
MS, MBA
PhD
PhD
PhD
Dr. Jerry Shen is a co-founder and CEO of AceLink Therapeutics.
Dr. Shen brings more than 20 years of drug development experience with a focus on cancer, genetic diseases and rare diseases. Before founding AceLink in 2019, he was Executive Director at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, where he was responsible for small molecule drug discovery and development. Prior to BioMarin, he was VP of Drug Discovery Biology at LEAD Therapeutics, a drug company that he was a founding member of. LEAD Therapeutics was acquired by BioMarin in 2010, and he joined BioMarin as a part of that acquisition. Before LEAD Therapeutics,, he worked at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, where he served at positions with increasing responsibilities and helped development of oncolytic viruses, cancer drugs, and gene delivery vectors.
Dr. Shen holds B.S. in Physiology from Fudan University, PhD in Molecular Biology from State University of New York at Buffalo, and received post-doctoral training in Dr. Thomas Shenk’s lab at Princeton University. He has co-authored more than 35 peer-reviewed papers and is a co-inventor in more than 30 patents. In 2018, Talazoparib, a cancer drug for which he spent many years of his career both at LEAD and at BioMarin, received marketing approval in US, Europe and other countries.
MD, PhD
Dayao Zhao is with WeBiosciences and Mystic Laboratory.
Dr. Zhao holds an M.D. in Neurology and Pediatrics from Beijing University Medical School and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Harvard University Medical School. Dr. Zhao brings extensive experience in drug discovery and development.
Until recently Dr. Zhao was the CEO of AffaMed Therapeutics which focuses on diseases in CNS and ophthalmology areas. From 2016 to 2019, Dr. Zhao is the General Manager of Pfizer China R&D Center Shanghai, Wuhan, and Beijing. He is also the head of Development China organization which is fully responsible for all clinical development in China for the global markets. From 2011 to 2015, Dr. Zhao was the head of China R&D of Johnson and Johnson’s pharmaceutical division. He established and shaped a clear vision of research and development and scientific affairs’ operating models to support the new Jassen strategy, bringing together several groups from Jassen China and the Asia R&D center into one end-to-end R&D organization based in China. He led JNJ China R&D to conduct numerous clinical trials and register many new products in China and around the world.
Prior to JNJ, Dr. Zhao was a Group VP at Genzyme. He headed Genzyme’s Japan-Asia Pacific R&D where he has overall responsibilities for Clinical Development, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Affairs and Regulatory Affairs. His role included the responsibility for all Phase I – IV studies in the region. In addition, he has accountability for Genzyme’s Quality Council for the region.
Prior to his position at Genzyme, Dr. Zhao worked in both discovery and clinical development at Pfizer Central Research, and led the CNS clinical development team in North America at Novartis.
JD, MPH
Sally Wang Liang is the US-based Investment Partner at Highlight Capital (HLC), responsible for the life sciences VC group of an internationally ranked Growth Equity and Venture Capital firm with a global footprint. She has been actively involved in the biotech startup ecosystem: as a Venture Partner at Viva Bioinnovator (VBI) and a board member/observer to eight early-stage biotechs, as a Scientific Advisory Board member, and as Expert-in-Residence at the Harvard iLab.
She comes to Highlight as a life sciences investor, business executive and a multidisciplinary IP & Regulatory lawyer with 20+ years of healthcare industry experience. She has been SVP of Business Development, Head of the Global Business Unit at PepLib. Previously, she was Entrepreneur-in-Residence (Acting VP of Investments and General Counsel) at the biotech involved in in-licensing promising university technology into NewCo. She was CEO and Co-founder of an international telemedicine company, and as Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of IP and Regulatory of a leading digital therapeutics company. As a lawyer, she practiced pharmaceutical patent litigation and IP licensing at the premier intellectual property firm and clerked for a federal judge. She began her career as a management consultant at Clarion Healthcare (now Lumanity), advising many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies and top biotech firms on business strategy. Sally received a A.B. in Biology from Harvard College, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a M.P.H from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
MS, MBA
Wen Chen, Partner of Yonjin Venture & Yonghua Capital. Before Yonjin, Wen was the Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development and Operation at Tigermed, a publicly traded company located in China. Tigermed is the leading Contract Research Organization in China and Asia Pacific dedicated to provide professional clinical development services to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Wen has over 20 years experience in pharmaceutical R&D, business development and clinical development, with the past 10 years plus at Tigermed where he was instrumental to the rapid growth of the company. Prior to Tigermed, Wen was the Chief Operating Officer of HD Biosciences and the Executive Vice President of HUYA Bioscience International. Wen received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry from Purdue University, a Master’s Degree in Immunology and Oncology from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Business Administration from Durham University.
PhD
Dr. Post is the Chief Scientific Officer of Vivace Therapeutics and Virtuoso Therapeutics and a member of the board of directors, bringing more than three decades of pharmaceutical experience spanning companies of all sizes. Before joining Vivace in 2016, he served as chief scientific officer of BioMarin, a publicly held biopharmaceutical firm with a focus on rare diseases. He joined BioMarin when the company acquired LEAD Therapeutics, a drug discovery company where he was a co-founder and served as CSO. He was responsible for inception as well as subsequent development of talazoparib until it was sold to Medivation by BioMarin. Positions prior to LEAD included senior vice president of research and development for Onyx Pharmaceuticals and vice president of discovery research for Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Post and Dr. Shen have worked together at three different companies (Onyx, LEAD, BioMarin) since 2000.
Dr. Post holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan.
PhD
Dr. Wu founded Cenova Capital in 2010, one of the earliest healthcare sector-specific GPs in China. Prior to Cenova, Dr. Wu co-founded Shanghai Genomics in 2001, one of the earliest and most successful life science company in China. The company was the first China biotechnology company listed on a major international stock exchange (2007 in TSE), and successfully developed a billion-dollar drug (pirfenidone) in China. Dr. Wu was a recipient of the prestigious ‘National Outstanding Young Scientist Award’ in 2002 from the Chinese National Science Foundation. He also made important contributions in the field of immuno-oncology and has published over thirty high-quality research papers in professional journals, including Science and Nature.
Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. degree in Immunology from University of California, San Francisco, and majored in Clinical Medicine in Shanghai Fudan University Medical School.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
MD
PhD
MD, PhD
PhD
MD
Henry Hulter, MD is Emeritus Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) at UCSF with an academic research career centered in renal acid-base transport, electrolyte transport and divalent ion and bone metabolism in animal models and in clinical studies. He has served as a consultant in drug discovery and development to numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in nearly every organ indication. He received his AB degree at Princeton and MD degree and internal medicine residency training at Johns Hopkins with nephrology training at Tufts New England Medical Center.
PhD
Dr. Post is the Chief Scientific Officer of Vivace Therapeutics and Virtuoso Therapeutics and a member of the board of directors, bringing more than three decades of pharmaceutical experience spanning companies of all sizes. Before joining Vivace in 2016, he served as chief scientific officer of BioMarin, a publicly held biopharmaceutical firm with a focus on rare diseases. He joined BioMarin when the company acquired LEAD Therapeutics, a drug discovery company where he was a co-founder and served as CSO. He was responsible for inception as well as subsequent development of talazoparib until it was sold to Medivation by BioMarin. Positions prior to LEAD included senior vice president of research and development for Onyx Pharmaceuticals and vice president of discovery research for Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Post and Dr. Shen have worked together at three different companies (Onyx, LEAD, BioMarin) since 2000.
Dr. Post holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan.
MD, PhD
Adam Shaywitz, MD, PhD is the Chief Medical Officer at BridgeBio Gene Therapy (BBGT), which is part of the larger BridgeBio Pharma portfolio focused on finding and developing novel treatment approaches for genetically driven disease. BBGT is developing gene therapy treatments for a range of monogenic rare diseases including Canavan disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, TMC1-related hearing loss and tuberous sclerosis. Prior to joining BridgeBio Adam worked at BioMarin Pharmaceutical where he led clinical programs aimed at treating a broad range of rare diseases including Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS III), achondroplasia, endocrinologic disorders, Morquio A syndrome and other lysosomal storage disorders. Before joining BioMarin Adam spent four years at Amgen in their early clinical development group, focused on advancing promising diabetes and metabolism agents into the clinic. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard Medical School, and subsequently went on to pursue a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. Adam currently serves on the Board of Directors at Cure Sanfilippo Foundation.
PhD
Dr. Garovoy has over 20 years of experience in the Biopharmaceutical Industry with a successful track record of drug development. Dr. Garovoy helped develop Raptiva with XOMA/Genentech and held numerous positions in industry including Vice President of Clinical Science at Xoma, Sr. VP Clinical Development at Hyperion and Chief Medical Officer at Arriva Pharmaceuticals and Medgenics Inc. For the past six years he has been a Clinical Consultant for immunological/inflammatory diseases, metabolic rare diseases and gene therapy to which he has applied his translational medicine knowledge. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology at New York University and received his M.D., with honors, at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at New York University, Bellevue Hospital and a Fellowship in Immunology, Transplantation and Nephrology at Harvard Medical School, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Dr. Garovoy is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He holds medical licenses in New York, Massachusetts, Texas and California. He holds two patents: one for making universal donor cells and the second for psoriasis therapy (Genentech). Dr. Garovoy has published over 200 original articles and chapters and has held multiple teaching positions initially at Harvard Medical School and more recently as a faculty member at UCSF where he was Professor of Surgery, Medicine and Laboratory Medicine.