Sandra Lechner Email & Phone Number

Senior drug discovery leader with more than 25 years of research and development experience driving serial innovation and delivery of transformative therapies. Broad interdisciplinary knowledge across all stages of drug discovery with expertise in multi-functional group leadership, project and portfolio management, strategic planning and therapeutic development of small molecule and genetic therapies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. As Head of Pain Research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, lead the day to day global drug discovery research program to identify non-opioid Pain therapies, providing strategic direction, leadership and mentoring to multiple cross-functional global teams of 50-100+ scientists. As a core member of the Pain Disease Strategy team, provide scientific leadership for the company's research, clinical, regulatory and commercial teams and in external interactions with key stakeholders, including key opinion leaders, patient advocacy groups, investigators, health care providers, regulators, policy makers and investors. Led the Research and Early Development teams that demonstrated initial clinical proof of concept for inhibition of NaV1.8 in multiple Pain indications and through serial innovation advanced multiple candidates through preclinical and clinical studies, including our lead asset Suzetrigine. Dedicated to building and sustaining an effective culture, with an emphasis on open communication, continual learning, diversity and inclusion, mentoring and collaboration.

Listed skills include Neuroscience, Neuropharmacology, Biotechnology, Molecular Pharmacology, and 11 others.

• 

  Uc San Diego