Senior Director, Head of Biology

Key Responsibilities

• Own Vesalius’s biological validation strategy from human genetics to disease-relevant cellular phenotypes and translational readouts.
• Translate genetic and functional genomics evidence into testable hypotheses, crisp experimental plans, and clear go/no-go decision points.
• Serve as research project lead for preclinical drug discovery programs (early through established preclinical stages), driving timelines, data quality, and scientific narrative.
• Lead target validation across multiple modalities (small molecules, biologics, oligonucleotides, and emerging modalities), with a modality-agnostic mindset.
• Provide subject-matter leadership in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, including immune/neuroinflammatory mechanisms and CNS-relevant cell type dysregulation.
• Oversee design, execution, and interpretation of iPSC-derived and other human-relevant phenotypic assays, including assay development, functional readouts, and orthogonal validation.
• Lead and mentor scientists focused on cell model development and biology enabling capabilities; manage direct reports and coordinate matrixed teams across programs.
• Establish standards for experimental rigor, reproducibility, and data interpretation; drive documentation and best practices to support portfolio prioritization and target nomination.
• Design and manage experiments executed with external partners (CROs and collaborators), including study design, oversight, and troubleshooting.
• Partner closely with data scientists and other subject matter experts to integrate multi-omic datasets with biology, enabling rapid learning cycles and high-quality decisions.
• Collaborate with internal tissue and cell model experts to support target validation and ongoing discovery programs.

  Qualifications

  • PhD (or MD/PhD) in neuroscience, biology, immunology, genetics, or related field; or MS/BS with commensurate industry experience.
  • 10+ years of relevant experience (industry and/or advanced academic), including leadership roles in target validation and assay/model development.
  • Demonstrated success validating targets and progressing programs through a preclinical therapeutic pipeline.
  • Demonstrated experience in using molecular genomic tools (e.g., genome engineering, RNAi) to interrogate biological systems.
  • Proven experience working across multiple therapeutic areas, with emphasis on neurodegeneration and meaningful exposure to cardiovascular and immune biology.
  • Deep expertise in human-relevant in vitro systems (e.g., iPSC-derived models), cell culture, molecular biology, genetic manipulation, and functional assay development.
  • Track record of impactful scientific contributions (e.g., publications, patents, or delivered programs) and strong scientific judgment.
  • Experience leading and mentoring teams, including direct people management and matrix leadership across functions.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex datasets into clear recommendations for senior stakeholders.