A radical new approach to common disease drug development A radical new approach to common disease drug development

John Mendlein, Ph.D., joined Flagship as executive partner in February 2019. A longtime member of Flagship’s broader ecosystem of companies, John is an experienced biotech leader and has served in numerous executive and board roles. At Flagship, John contributes to Flagship’s strategic and operational objectives, including the origination of new Flagship Labs companies and growth companies. He also serves on the boards of Flagship’s companies and works with portfolio company CEOs and their teams to achieve the best attainable value for each organization.

Throughout his multi-decade career in biotech, John has helped start and lead numerous innovative life sciences companies with product platforms. Prior to joining Flagship, John served as president of corporate and product strategy at Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA), a Flagship Pioneering company. John was also a member of Moderna’s board of directors from 2012-2018.

He has also held leadership roles at multiple additional biotech platform enterprises. John was chief knowledge officer and general counsel at Aurora Biosciences (acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals) where he also served as a board member; CEO of Adnexus Therapeutics, a Flagship company (acquired by BMS); executive chairman, founder, and interim CEO of Fate Therapeutics (a publicly-traded (FATE) immuno-oncology cell therapy platform company); and executive chairman and CEO of Affinium Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Debiopharm Group).

John is co-author or co-inventor of over 210 publications and published patents. He has served on the boards of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), as well as Flagship’s companies: Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Axcella Therapeutics and Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT). John currently serves on the boards of Flagship companies Omega Therapeutics (OMEGA), Empress, and Ampersand, and is Executive Chairman of Sail Biomedicines.

John holds a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, and a B.S. in biology from the University of Miami.

Dr. Koblan has more than 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. He was most recently the Head of Development Operations and CSO at Sumitomo Pharma America (formerly Sunovion) leading the innovative application of discovery science and medicine in CNS. Ken developed methodological advances in early and late clinical development based on novel analytical and machine learning approaches applied to large clinical data sets.  These efforts resulted in the development of two novel medicines in CNS with positive phase 3 clinical endpoints.  In addition, Ken collaborated with the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CIRA), Kyoto University studying disease specific iPS cells for clinical use and cell models for drug discovery.

Ken has held scientific leadership roles at Merck Research Laboratories and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. Ken has contributed to the registration of medicines in a broad range of therapeutic areas including oncology (GARDASIL), diabetes (JANUVIA), neurology (BELSOMRA), and the first-ever RNA interference drug (ONPATTRO).

Ken is co-author or co-inventor of over 175 publications and published patents. Ken was selected as one of the "100 Most Inspiring People" in the pharmaceutical industry and in 2022 elected to the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP).

Ken received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and his Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Cotsapas is a world leader in human genetics. He is currently SVP and Head of Platform Development at Vesalius where he oversees the development and application of our scientific strategy to uncover novel targets for drug development in common, complex diseases. 

Prior to joining Vesalius, Chris was a Professor at Yale School of Medicine for many years, where his laboratory made seminal contributions to the understanding of the genetics of autoimmune and neurological diseases. In this capacity he led multiple international consortia of investigators, developed best-in-class statistical methods, and made key observations that continue to drive the field of human genetics. He mentored >30 trainees and authored >60 articles, which have collectively garnered almost 18,000 citations.

He holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College, London and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute.

Dr. Munoz has more than 30 years of drug discovery and development experience across both industry and academic settings and multiple therapeutic areas.  Ben leads drug development strategy and execution at Vesalius

Prior to joining Vesalius, he spent 8 years in senior leadership roles at Proteostasis Therapeutics, serving as the chief scientific officer and head of drug discovery. Before joining Proteostasis, Ben served as the director of medicinal chemistry at the Molecular Libraries Probe Productions Center Network (MLPCN) at the Broad Institute, a biomedical research institute affiliated with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MLPCN, he was responsible for designing and implementing a phenotypic screening platform to identify active molecules within the Institute’s collection of small molecules. He also oversaw collaborations with Genzyme, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Ben began his career at SIBIA Neuroscience Inc., which was later acquired by Merck. He was director of medicinal chemistry at Merck Research Laboratories for 10 years. In that role, he led key neuroscience programs delivering clinical candidates for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Ben earned his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in chemistry from Brock University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute.

Dr. Brown has over 25 years of portfolio strategy and development experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.  Lisa has led several global therapeutic programs through all phases of development and has expertise in building and leading diverse and inclusive teams. 

Prior to joining Vesalius, Lisa was the Head of R&D Strategy and Operations at Sarepta Therapeutics where she was responsible for program leadership and management and strategic and operational change initiatives. This included refining R&D leadership, governance, and advisory committee structures to drive scientific and portfolio-level strategic alignment. Prior to Sarepta, Lisa held leadership roles of increasing responsibility in portfolio strategy and management at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Biogen and contributed to the discovery, development and approval of several products including SYMDEKO® and TECFIDERA®.    

Early in her career, Lisa worked at the Brigham and Women’s hospital and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where she contributed to, and conducted NIH and industry sponsored clinical and epidemiologic research in cardiovascular disease and maternal and child health. 

Lisa holds an ScD in epidemiology from Harvard University, after which she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She holds an MPH and a BA from Boston University. 

Dr. Williams has over 15 years of deep and diverse strategic, scientific, and operational experience in academic, private and public sectors. Throughout her career she has focused on building platform companies and scaling innovation from creation to late-stage clinical development across multiple therapeutic areas.

Prior to Vesalius, Alison was Senior Director of Corporate Development at Axcella Therapeutics, a Flagship company, where she held roles of increasing responsibility across Partnering & Strategic Investment, Communications (IR/PR) and New Products Innovation as Axcella scaled from origination to Phase II Clinical studies and from a private to public Company. She is an alumnus of the Flagship Fellowship program for innovator entrepreneurs.

While in academia, Alison led several industry alliances based on her independent research that modeled novel mechanisms of action and potential therapeutics in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Asthma. She was a senior Postdoctoral Fellow in the Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences (MIPS) at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health where she studied the interconnectivity between asthma, metabolism and environmental exposures. She is co-author of 26 original publications and co-inventor on several granted patents.

Alison received her MBA from Harvard Business School. She received a PhD in Respiratory Pharmacology from the Airways Disease Section of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, and a BSc. in Pharmacology from King’s College London. 

Mr. Hulburt has more than 25 years of experience directing multifaceted financial operations for private and publicly traded global corporations across diverse industries including biopharmaceuticals, energy, manufacturing, hi-tech and software. 

Prior to joining Vesalius, spent 5 years in a senior leadership role as VP, Controller for Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. While there, he led all financial aspects of the business and built the financial and operational infrastructure required for substantial growth. He transitioned the company from a private to a public company and helped raise over $650 million through an IPO and three additional follow-on public offerings. During this time the company had a peak market capitalization of more than $1.5 billion. Prior to Rhythm, John held senior Accounting & Finance positions at multiple companies in various industries. Most of these previous companies were publicly listed on either the Nasdaq, NYSE or Toronto Stock Exchange. 

John started his career in the assurance practice of the Boston office of Ernst & Young LLP. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BSBA with a concentration in accounting from Merrimack College and is a Certified Public Accountant. 

Doug Cole joined Flagship Pioneering in 2001. He focuses on life science.

At Flagship, Doug has co-founded Ensemble Therapeutics, Foghorn Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FHTX), Inzen Therapeutics, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Permeon Biologics, Sigilon Therapeutics, (NASDAQ: SGTX), and Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SYRS). He has led investments in Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO), Alvine Pharmaceuticals, Avedro (NASDAQ: AVDR, acquired by Glaukos), CombinatoRx (NASDAQ: ZLCS), Concert Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNCE), Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), Editas (NASDAQ: EDIT), Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX), Receptos (NASDAQ: RCPT, acquired by Celgene), Seventh Sense Biosystems, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: TTPH), and Torque.

He currently serves on the board of directors of Denali Therapeutics, Cygnal Therapeutics, Foghorn Therapeutics, KSQ Therapeutics, Inzen Therapeutics, Repertoire Immune Medicines, Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), and Sigilon Therapeutics. He formerly served on the board of directors of Avedro, AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ: AVEO), CombinatoRx, Concert Pharmaceuticals, CGI, Moderna, Morphotek (acquired by Eisai Pharmaceuticals), Receptos, Resolvyx, Selecta (NASDAQ: SELB), Seventh Sense, Taris (acquired by JNJ), and Tetraphase.

Before joining Flagship, Doug was instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School and assistant in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital; medical director at Cytotherapeutics, in Providence, Rhode Island; and program executive at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Cambridge, Mass.

He holds an A.B. magna cum laude with high distinction in English from Dartmouth College, where he was a senior fellow and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. He obtained post-graduate training in medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass.

Doug is a member of the scientific advisory board and the board of directors of the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation.

John Mendlein, Ph.D., joined Flagship as executive partner in February 2019. A longtime member of Flagship’s broader ecosystem of companies, John is an experienced biotech leader and has served in numerous executive and board roles. At Flagship, John contributes to Flagship’s strategic and operational objectives, including the origination of new Flagship Labs companies and growth companies. He also serves on the boards of Flagship’s companies and works with portfolio company CEOs and their teams to achieve the best attainable value for each organization.

Throughout his multi-decade career in biotech, John has helped start and lead numerous innovative life sciences companies with product platforms. Prior to joining Flagship, John served as president of corporate and product strategy at Moderna Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRNA), a Flagship Pioneering company. John was also a member of Moderna’s board of directors from 2012-2018.

He has also held leadership roles at multiple additional biotech platform enterprises. John was chief knowledge officer and general counsel at Aurora Biosciences (acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals) where he also served as a board member; CEO of Adnexus Therapeutics, a Flagship company (acquired by BMS); executive chairman, founder, and interim CEO of Fate Therapeutics (a publicly-traded (FATE) immuno-oncology cell therapy platform company); and executive chairman and CEO of Affinium Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Debiopharm Group).

John is co-author or co-inventor of over 210 publications and published patents. He has served on the boards of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), as well as Flagship’s companies: Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA), Axcella Therapeutics and Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT). John currently serves on the boards of Flagship companies Omega Therapeutics (OMEGA), Empress, and Ampersand, and is Executive Chairman of Sail Biomedicines.

John holds a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles, a J.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, and a B.S. in biology from the University of Miami.

Steven E. Hyman, MD is a Core Institute Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Director of the Broad Program in Brain Health. He is also Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor and Harald McPike Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology.

In 2024 Hyman became the first director of the Program in Brain Health at the Broad Institute, supporting translational research on brain disorders. From 2012-2024, he directed the Broad’s Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research. He is principal investigator of the Psychiatric Biomarkers Network, a multi-institutional and multi-sector collaboration focused on fluid biomarkers for the schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorder. From 2001 to 2011 Hyman served as Provost (chief academic officer) of Harvard University. From 1996 to 2001 he was Director of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), where he invested in neuroscience and emerging genomic technologies and initiated a series of large clinical trials to inform practice. He has served as Editor of the Annual Review of Neuroscience (2002-2016) and as Chair of the International Advisory Committee at WHO on the revision of the Mental, Behavioral, or Neurodevelopmental Disorders section for ICD-11 (2006-2014). He served as President of the International Neuroethics Society during its formative period (2008-2013), as President of the Society for Neuroscience (2015), and President of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2018). He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a distinguished life fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) where he chaired the Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders (2012-2018). He chairs the Boards of Directors of the Charles A. Dana Foundation (NY) and the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering (Geneva, Switzerland). In the private sector he is a Director of Voyager Therapeutics, Cyclerion Therapeutics, and Vesalius Therapeutics. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of J&J Innovative Medicine and F-Prime Capital. He received his BA, summa cum laude, from Yale, an MA from the University of Cambridge, which he attended as a Mellon fellow studying History and Philosophy of Science, and an MD, cum laude, from Harvard Medical School.

Andrew W. Lo is the Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, director of MIT’s Laboratory for Financial Engineering, and principal investigator at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. His healthcare-related research interests include: new financial engineering tools and business models for drug and device development and healthcare delivery, especially for rare and ultra-rare diseases; statistical methods for incorporating patient preferences into the drug approval process; predicting clinical trial outcomes via machine learning techniques; and novel reimbursement models for creating a robust gene and cell therapy ecosystem. He is a co-founder and director of BridgeBio Pharma, a director of AbCellera, Atomwise, n-Lorem, and Vesalius, a co-founder and chairman of QLS Advisors, and a member of the advisory board to the American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Impact Fund. Dr. Lo received his B.A. in economics from Yale University and his A.M. and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.