Providing strategic consulting for biotech organizations in drug discovery, pharmacology, and operational optimization. Key contributions include:- Binding Assay Expertise: Designed and advised on ligand-protein binding assays for small molecules, supporting both the validation of machine learning (ML) predictions and the generation of high-quality data to enhance ML training models.- AI-Driven Research Integration: Assisted teams in adopting AI-driven tools to improve research workflows, including evaluating external solutions and training on their effective use.- Strategic Target Validation: Delivered technical insights and competitive intelligence to inform pharmacological strategies for target validation and drug discovery, with an emphasis on leveraging advanced computational platforms.

Led a multidisciplinary team of 20+ scientists and research associates to drive in vivo drug discovery efforts, focusing on generating robust efficacy, PK/PD, and mechanistic data to support the transition of programs from hits to clinical candidates. Key contributions include:- Standardization and Automation: Established scalable, reproducible in vivo assays and workflows, ensuring high-quality, interconnected data generation for diverse disease areas, including fibrosis, neurology, oncology, metabolic, and rare diseases.- Data-Driven Innovation: Collaborated with data engineers, scientists, and product managers to develop the digital vivarium platform, integrating advanced analytics and machine learning to enhance data quality and operational efficiency.- CRO and In-House Leadership: Orchestrated hybrid in vivo studies through in-house resources and CRO partnerships, adapting to program needs while ensuring quality and timeliness.- Team Development: Fostered a culture of innovation and resilience, mentoring team members to deliver critical insights and actionable in vivo data for decision-making in drug discovery.Recursion Pharmaceuticals integrates biology, chemistry, and AI in a massively parallel system to efficiently discover treatments for diseases that can be modeled at the cellular level.

Relypsa improved patients' lives through the discovery and development of novel therapeutics leveraging polymer science. The company focused on non-absorbed polymeric drugs to treat disorders from the gastrointestinal tract, including Veltassa® (patiromer), approved by the FDA in 2015. Acquired by Vifor Pharma in 2016.- Drug Discovery Leadership: Played a critical role as a core member of the cross-functional team building the company’s drug discovery pipeline, with expertise spanning diabetes, obesity, NAFLD/NASH, cirrhosis, primary hypertension, CKD, IBS, and IBD.- In Vivo Lead Optimization: Led in vivo pharmacology efforts for multiple programs, including the hepatic encephalopathy project, delivering pivotal efficacy, PK/PD, and translational data to support lead optimization and go/no-go decisions.- Translational Expertise: Designed and validated preclinical models and assays, connecting in vivo results with clinical relevance to advance therapeutic candidates efficiently.- Collaborative Innovation: Leveraged the company’s proprietary polymer optimization platform to explore and validate novel therapeutic strategies.- Impactful Therapeutics: Contributed to the development of a robust discovery pipeline, including assets targeting metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases, while collaborating with CROs and academic partners to enhance program outcomes.

Ardelyx develops novel, orally available, non-systemic therapeutics engineered to treat CKD, diabetes, obesity, and related disorders. These gut-restricted therapies minimize systemic exposure to reduce side effects while targeting specific GI tract pathways. Ardelyx went public in 2014 with a $250 million valuation.- Foundational Team Member: Recruited as part of Ardelyx's initial scientific team to establish a multidisciplinary drug discovery approach, contributing to pipeline growth and therapeutic innovation.- In Vivo and Ex Vivo Model Development: Developed and validated pharmacology models for diabetes, hypertension, IBD, IBS-C, and CKD. Key programs included gut ion transport, homeostasis, and incretin secretagogues.- Proof-of-Concept Studies: Utilized advanced rodent models to conduct proof-of-concept and efficacy studies, focusing on postprandial metabolism and ion regulation.- Lead Pharmacologist: Directed in-life pharmacology efforts during lead optimization phases, designing and executing PK and PD studies to advance multiple concurrent programs.- Translational Impact: Delivered pivotal preclinical data that guided program decision-making, supporting Ardelyx’s mission to develop targeted, gut-restricted therapies with improved safety profiles.

Conducted basic and translational research in Dr. David Hui’s lab, focusing on lipid metabolism and its role in metabolic disease pathogenesis:- Investigated mechanisms of cholesterol, phospholipid, and triglyceride absorption and their contributions to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.- Studied the interplay between dietary lipids and metabolic disorders, uncovering molecular pathways relevant to disease progression and therapeutic interventions.- Published peer-reviewed research elucidating the physiological regulation of lipid absorption and its impact on energy balance and metabolic health.