SAPA-GP Webinar - BioVerse: Where Science Sparks Business 13

Speaker’s Bio

Dr. W. David Shen is the founder and CEO of Proteologix, an innovative biotech company specializing in immunology and inflammation diseases (I&I). Proteologix focuses on discovering and developing highly differentiated multi-specific, multi-functional antibody drugs to enhance efficacy and extend molecular half-life for less frequent dosing. The company was recently acquired by J&J.
Dr. Shen is a distinguished expert in the field of antibodies and therapeutic proteins, with a track record of advancing pipelines from discovery to proof-of-concept stages in clinical trials. As an executive who has led research and process development teams in leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies, he brings exceptional interpersonal skills, extensive experience in fostering internal and external collaborations, and success in matrix environments. Combining scientific and industrial vision, Dr. Shen has a proven history of inventing new technologies, holding 20 patents or applications, and publishing over 20 peer-reviewed papers with substantial industrial application potential.
Specialties: Discovery, engineering, and profiling of therapeutic antibodies and protein drugs. Experienced in phage display, hybridoma, protein/mAb engineering, humanization, optimization, and characterization. Developed a novel mammalian display of antibody IgGs. Leads process development and CMC groups, including immunoassay and potency assay.

Kaveri Pohlman, PhD, MBA, served as a Senior Analyst at BTIG where she covered small- to large-cap biotechnology companies. Prior to BTIG, Dr. Pohlman was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Weill Cornell Medical College, where her research work focused on understanding the pathogenesis of different subtypes of prostate cancer, defining the molecular biology underlying the disease progression, and identifying new therapeutic targets. She earned a PhD in molecular and cellular biology from SUNY Downstate Medical Center, an MS in biotechnology from New York University Tandon School of Engineering, and an MBA from Birla Institute of Management Technology.

Dr. David (Xinyi) Gu is responsible for financial operations and financing strategies at EpimAb.  Previously, he was a Senior Analyst at Millennium Management covering public investments in global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Before that, Dr. Gu was a Vice President and Global Pharmaceutical Equity Research Analyst at Jefferies LLC, where he was responsible for covering global large-cap pharmaceutical companies across multiple therapeutic areas. Prior to Jefferies, Dr. Gu was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, and also held equity research positions at Wells Fargo Securities. Dr. Gu holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Michigan, and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.