The Spectrum
Highlight Video
Scientific Session: Harnessing the Immune System
Immuno-oncology Approaches
Travis Young, vice president of Biologics at the Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines, is the lead investigator of antibody- and cellular therapy-based programs in immuno-oncology. His team developed the switchable CAR-T cell program which, in partnership with AbbVie, is entering a phase 1 clinical study for patients with lymphoma. His team’s bispecific antibody for prostate cancer is also expected to enter clinical trials this year.
Intelligent Intervention: Discovering a New Treatment for MS and Ulcerative Colitis
Hugh Rosen, professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, uses chemical and biological approaches to define and manipulate the molecular gatekeepers regulating cell trafficking in the immune system. His research led to the discovery and development of ozanimod, a breakthrough drug acquired by Celgene, that slows brain atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis and shows promise for treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
A Regulatory T-Cell Approach to Parkinson’s Disease
Sean Joseph is the director of Pharmacology at Calibr-Skaggs where he leads the pharmacology team on many small molecule and biotherapeutic drug discovery programs, with a focus on neurodegenerative disease. His research at Calibr-Skaggs, Novartis and Genentech has led to the clinical entry of five small molecule drugs and three antibody drugs, including OCREVUS®, the first FDA-approved drug for the primary progressive form of multiple sclerosis.
Rational Vaccine Strategies
Dennis Burton, co-chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, focuses his research primarily on developing strategies to rationally design vaccines for “difficult” pathogens, particularly HIV and also malaria and flu. He leads the NIH Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID) at Scripps Research and is a Scientific Director of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Consortium.
Scientific Session: Regenerative Medicine and Aging
Regenerative Medicines for Osteoarthritis
Kristen Johnson is a principal investigator of Biology at Calibr-Skaggs where she directs a team of researchers focused on the identification of small molecules for modulation of the innate immune system as an approach and platform to target tumors, autoimmune disease and neurodegeneration. She currently leads an $8.4M CIRM-funded grant for the phase 1 clinical study of KA34, a potential disease-modifying drug for osteoarthritis.
Novel Approaches to Aging & Age-Related Disease
Michael Petrascheck, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, studies the connection between aging and aging-related disease by identifying small molecules that increase lifespan in C. elegans and testing those molecules for effects on various models of age-related disease.
Remyelination for Multiple Sclerosis
Luke Lairson is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research where he uses a chemical biology approach to study cell fate- and cell state-determining processes that play a causative role in the progression of human disease. His ongoing research programs include the selective induction of endogenous stem cell differentiation and the modulation of immunological response within tumor microenvironments.
Regeneration & Repair of the Heart & Lung
Michael Bollong is a Scripps Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research. His research focuses on the discovery of small molecules that alter cellular fate and identity in various disease states, including molecules that promote organ repair in the heart and lungs and those that block cancer progression and ameliorate cellular stress.
Scientific Session: Neglected and Childhood Disease
Spread & Evolution of Deadly Pathogens
Kristian Andersen, associate professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, studies the complex relationship between host and pathogen. Using a combination of next-generation sequencing, field work, experimentation and computational biology, he spearheads large international collaborations investigating the spread and evolution of deadly pathogens, including Ebola, Lassa, West Nile and Zika.
Preventing Malaria
Arnab Chatterjee, vice president of Medicinal Chemistry at Calibr-Skaggs, focuses on the application of novel synthetic methods to expedite structural diversification in medicinal chemistry, cell-based lead optimization and advanced formulation methods for delivery of small molecules. He and his teams at Calibr-Skaggs have produced eight preclinical candidates, with three novel first-in-class compounds currently in clinical trials.
Novel Drugs for Autism-Spectrum Disorder
Gavin Rumbaugh is an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research where he studies genes that cause defined subtypes of autism-spectrum disorder. He seeks to understand how these genes regulate brain function in health and disease. The basic discoveries in his lab are leveraged to create precision therapies tailored to genetically defined forms of autism.
Treatments for Diabetes
In Nikki Alvarez's role as associate director of Alliances at Calibr-Skaggs, she directs translational research programs and drug discovery collaborations with pharmaceutical companies and disease-focused foundations, including the JDRF.
Scientific Session: Novel Therapeutic Strategies
Protein Homeostasis: Novel Strategies for Degenerative Diseases
Jeff Kelly, Department of Chemistry professor at Scripps Research, examines the bioorganic and biophysical chemistry of aberrant conformational changes in proteins associated with degenerative diseases, seeking to develop new approaches for preventing these diseases with purposefully designed small molecules. His mechanistic studies of protein aggregation led to the discovery of tafamidis, marketed by Pfizer as Vyndaqel®.
Disease in a Dish for Precision Medicine
Kristin Baldwin is a professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research. In her research she harnesses new technologies at the intersection of genomics, stem cells and disease biology to generate human cellular models suitable for identifying new disease mechanisms, screening for new therapeutics and targeting appropriate patient populations. Her current efforts focus on common neurologic and cardiovascular diseases.
Directed Remodeling of the Gut Microbiome
Reza Ghadiri, Department of Chemistry professor at Scripps Research, develops novel methods for the rational design and construction of functional biomolecular systems, such as self-assembling antimicrobial agents, programmed enzyme therapeutics, molecular computation, self-replicating systems, methods for deciphering the chemical biology of the gut microbiome and novel therapeutics.
Therapeutics for Addiction Relapse & PTSD
Courtney Miller is an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research where she works to develop novel psychiatric therapeutics through selective targeting of aberrant brain plasticity via unique synaptic and epigenetic contributors. She is currently developing a myosin-based drug that is expected to reduce relapse to drug use with a single administration.
Panel Discussions
The Role of Nonprofits in Accelerating Drug Discovery
Moderator: Chris Walsh Consulting professor, Stanford University
Brian Fiske Senior VP, Research Programs, Michael J. Fox Foundation
Ramy Ibrahim CMO and VP, Clinical Development, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Maria Millan President and CEO, CIRM
Trevor Mundel President, Global Health Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Paul Negulescu Senior VP and Site Head of SD Research, Vertex
Novel Funding Mechanisms for Biomedical Research
Moderator: James Schaeffer UCLA Innovation Center, President, JMSchaeffer Consulting
Dan Burgess Venture Partner, SV Health Investors
Richard Heyman Executive Chairman of the Board, Metacrine, Inc.
Kathryn Richmond Director, The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group
Peter Schultz President & CEO, Scripps Research
Barbara Sosnowski VP and Global Head, Emerging Science & Innovation Lead, WRD External Partnerships, Pfizer
Keynote Presentations