Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy appoints chief scientific officer
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Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy appointed John Connolly, PhD, as its chief scientific officer.
Connolly will work with the institute’s leadership team, center directors and scientific steering team to design and execute its overall research strategy. He also will identify and expand partnerships with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to support the institute’s research efforts.
“As [the institute] looks to the future, it is critical that we identify and target the most promising areas of cancer immunotherapy and collaborate with the right industry partners to advance our mission,” Sean Parker, the institute’s founder and chairman, said in a press release. “John is a globally recognized scientific leader in immuno-oncology, with a background spanning academic research and executive roles in biotechnology. I’m convinced he has the experience and energy to build on our success in bringing immunotherapy treatments from bench to bedside to market for the benefit of all [patients with cancer].”
Connolly most recently served as chief scientific officer of Tessa Therapeutics, where he led a team of researchers to develop next-generation T-cell therapy treatments. He also is associate professor at National University of Singapore and adjunct associate professor of immunology at Baylor University.
He has more than 20 years of research experience in immunotherapy, and his research interests focus on immune monitoring and immunometabolism.
“The field of immunotherapy is at a maturity point with technology right now, which gives us the opportunity to create long-term, durable treatments that wouldn’t have been possible 5 years ago,” Connolly said in the release. “I was attracted to [Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy] because of Sean’s powerful vision for the institute, and I am most looking forward to collaborating with [its] network of world-class investigators to find the fastest path forward to cure patients.”
The nonprofit Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, a collaboration between leading cancer centers and immunotherapy researchers, strives to accelerate the development of breakthrough immune therapies.
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