Quantitative Biosciences Institute Taps Dr. John Young as Chief Strategy Officer

The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has appointed John A.T. Young, Ph.D., as Chief Strategy Officer.

In his role as Chief Strategy Officer, Young will lead QBI’s industry engagement and partnership strategy, working across QBI’s core platform areas, including proteomics, structural biology, CRISPR engineering and AI/ML-driven target discovery, to develop collaborations with biopharmaceutical companies, biotech ventures and public health institutions. He will also support the strategic development of QBI spinouts and will play a key role in advancing QBI’s position as the leading academic hub for PPI-driven drug discovery.

“John is exactly the kind of bridge-builder QBI needs at this moment in our evolution,” stated Nevan J. Krogan, Ph.D., Director, QBI. “John has operated at the highest levels of academic research and global pharma, he understands our science deeply, and he knows how to translate academic discovery into impact. His experience leading infectious disease R&D at Roche, his role in the ACTIV COVID-19 partnership, and his long-standing connections across the biotech and pharma ecosystem make him an extraordinary asset for QBI and for the patients we ultimately serve.”

Experience

Young joins QBI from Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), where he served as Vice President and Global Head of Infectious Diseases, and subsequently as Global Head of Pandemic Preparedness. During his decade at Roche, he led R&D programs across chronic hepatitis B, respiratory viruses, and drug-resistant bacterial infections. He also served on the boards of the AMR Action Fund and the Intrepid Alliance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Young served on the leadership team of the FNIH/NIH-led ACTIV (Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines) public-private partnership, co-chairing its Preclinical and TRACE working groups. His contributions were recognized with the NIH Office of the Director’s Award and the Charles A. Sanders M.D. Partnership Award from the Foundation for the NIH.

Prior to Roche, Young was an academic leader in the study of pathogen-host interactions. He previously held faculty positions at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Harvard Medical School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at UCSF. He completed his postdoctoral training at UCSF under Nobel Laureate, Dr. Harold Varmus. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and was Founding Editor-in-Chief of PLoS Pathogens. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications spanning HIV, anthrax toxin, influenza, hepatitis B, COVID-19, and antimicrobial resistance.

“QBI is in a unique position to usher in a new era of PPI-based drug discovery,” said Young. “I am honored to join the team at this pivotal moment to help translate our world-class science into innovative new medicines.”