BIRGIT ZECH
CEO

With 20 years of experience working in the biotechnology sector in the EU and US, Birgit brings significant competence to Anavo in areas such as Operations, Business Development and Intellectual Property. She played a crucial role in establishing Business Development departments in many of her previous biotech companies including Gotham Therapeutics, which she co-founded, X-Rx, MabDiscovery GmbH, Pieris AG, and started her scientific career at Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG. Birgit has an excellent track record in fund raising and global deal making in major markets with >$1bn in overall accumulated deal value. Birgit obtained her PhD in chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Germany.

CLAUS SCHALPER
FINANCIAL ADVISOR

Claus is a serial entrepreneur in life sciences with 20 years expertise in the industry. He cofounded Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIRS) in 2001 and was CFO up to the listing of the Company in the US. He played a key role in transforming Pieris to its current stage. He also served as CEO of Pieris and executed its first international pharma partnerships. Furthermore, Claus is cofounder and CEO of XL-protein GmbH since 2009 and led the company to profitability by executing a series of collaborations with pharma and biotech. Claus began his career with Arthur Andersen and subsequently served as CEO for companies within the IT industry. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Bamberg, Germany.

JOE LEWIS, PHD, MBA
SVP BIOLOGY & SITE HEAD HEIDELBERG

Joe is Senior Vice President of Biology and Site Head Heidelberg at Anavo. He has over twenty-five years of experience in industry and academic roles and has a broad knowledge of small molecule drug development against novel targets. Before joining Anavo, Joe was Head of Chemical Biology Core Facility at EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) and concurrently CEO of Elara Pharmaceuticals. Prior to EMBL, Joe was a Group Leader at Anadys Pharmaceuticals. He holds a PhD from the Institute of Molecular Pathology and a Master's of Business Administration from Mannheim Business School.

MARGARET BIDDLE
Senior Director Medicinal Chemistry

Margaret is Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Anavo, bringing more than 15 years of experience in medicinal chemistry across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Prior to joining Anavo, she held scientist- and director-level roles at Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Mitobridge, Rheos Medicines, Entact Bio, and Avilar Therapeutics. She has a successful track record of leading projects from concept and target validation through to clinical candidate nomination across small molecule and heterobifunctional programs in a range of therapeutic areas, including autoimmune, cardiovascular, and rare diseases. Margaret has also contributed to the establishment of new technology platforms and has experience leading external collaborations with pharmaceutical and academic partners. She obtained her PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed postdoctoral studies in synthetic methodology at Northwestern University.

EDWARD HOLSON
CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER

Dr. Edward Holson is a distinguished scientist and entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, and therapeutic development. Before joining Anavo, he co-founded Photys Therapeutics, serving as Chief Scientific Officer and Strategic Advisor. He previously held the roles of President and Chief Scientific Officer as a co-founder at Amathus Therapeutics. He was also the founder of KDAc Therapeutics, where he served as Director, President, and Chief Scientific Officer, and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. He was a founding member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Rodin Therapeutics and served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Atlas Venture. His academic tenure includes serving as Director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and Director of the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Platform at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Earlier in his career, Dr Holson worked at Infinity Pharmaceuticals and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA in various roles in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical development.

MARIO NIEPEL

Mario is Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences at Anavo, and he is the first member of Anavo’s US site located in Cambridge, MA. Mario has a deep understanding of the preclinical development of small molecule inhibitors and degraders, and he has led multiple cross-functional programs to development candidate status and clinical trials in oncology and inflammatory disease. Prior to joining Anavo, Mario held leadership positions at Ribon Therapeutics, Flagship Labs, and Harvard Medical School. He holds graduate degrees in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Cell Biology from the RWTH Aachen, UC Riverside, and Rockefeller University.