Wubin (Bill) Pan, Ph.D., MBA
Dr. Pan is a co-founder of Connect and has served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors since May 2012. He has over 25 years of experience in biopharmaceutical R&D, including 10 years in Europe and North America. Prior to co-founding Connect, Dr. Pan co-founded and led Crown Bioscience Inc., a U.S. venture-backed company with major operations in China (Beijing & Shanghai) providing CRO services to international biopharmaceutical companies. Prior to Crown Bioscience, Dr. Pan was the Vice President at TsingHuaYuanXing Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd., where he played key roles for the development of several gene-based therapeutic biologics. He was involved in the development and successful marketing of several biomedical products. Dr. Pan obtained his Ph.D. in Biology from University of Sussex (U.K.) and completed postdoctoral training at the University of California at Berkeley. He holds an MBA from Tsing-Hua University.
Wubin (Bill) Pan, Ph.D., MBA
Co-founder, President and Chairman of the Board
Dr. Pan is a co-founder of Connect and has served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors since May 2012. He has over 25 years of experience in...
Kan Chen, Ph.D.
Dr. Chen is a Principal of Qiming Venture Partners, focusing on healthcare investment. Before joining Qiming Venture Partners, Dr. Chen was a senior scientist at Johnson & Johnson, where he focused on cancer medicine. Prior to that, Dr. Chen was a group leader at Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, where he specialized in cancer immunotherapies. Dr. Chen earned his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Case Western Reserve University in the U.S. and completed his postdoctoral training in immunology at Harvard Medical School. He received his B.S. in Biological Sciences from Fudan University.
Kan Chen, Ph.D.
Principal, Qiming Venture Partners
Dr. Chen is a Principal of Qiming Venture Partners, focusing on healthcare investment. Before joining Qiming Venture Partners, Dr. Chen was a senior scientist at Johnson & Johnson, where he...
Derek Dirocco, Ph.D.
Dr. DiRocco is a principal at RA Capital Management. He works on both public and private investments and serves on the boards of directors for 89Bio, Inc., Achilles Therapeutics Ltd., CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. and iTeos Therapeutics, Inc. Previously, Dr. DiRocco covered solid tumor oncology landscapes. He holds a B.A. in Biology from College of the Holy Cross and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Washington.
Derek Dirocco, Ph.D.
Partner, RA Capital Management
Dr. DiRocco is a principal at RA Capital Management. He works on both public and private investments and serves on the boards of directors for 89Bio, Inc., Achilles Therapeutics Ltd.,...
Jean Liu, J.D.
Ms Liu is a senior executive with more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical and legal firm experience and currently Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Seagen Inc., a targeted cancer therapeutic company. She previously served in senior legal leadership roles at Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. and Durect Corporation, including General Counsel, Head of Compliance and Chief Legal Officer. Before joining the biopharmaceutical industry, Ms. Liu was an attorney at the law firms of Pillsbury LLP and Venture Law Group. Ms. Liu received her J.D. at Columbia University School of Law and her M.S. in Molecular Biology and Stanford University.
Jean Liu, J.D.
Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary, Seagen Inc.
Ms Liu is a senior executive with more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical and legal firm experience and currently Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Seagen...
Zheng Wei, Ph.D.
Dr. Zheng has served as CEO and a member of our board of directors since he co-founded the company in 2012. He has over 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience in the autoimmune disease and inflammation therapeutic areas. Prior to co-founding Connect, Dr. Zheng was Director of Immunology at Arena Pharmaceuticals where he oversaw its immunology discovery programs. Prior to serving at Arena, Dr. Zheng was a scientist and program leader at ChemoCentryx, where he led the implementation of the company’s proprietary technology platform, and the discovery of drug candidates that entered Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials for autoimmune disease indications, including Crohn’s disease. Dr. Zheng was a scientist at Glycomed (acquired by Ligand Pharmaceuticals) and also conducted immunology research at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Zheng is an inventor of 16 issued patents and several pending patent applications on immunology related therapeutic agents and technologies. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Davis.
Zheng Wei, Ph.D.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Zheng has served as CEO and a member of our board of directors since he co-founded the company in 2012. He has over 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience...
Karen J. Wilson, CPA
Ms. Wilson is a strategic biopharmaceutical finance executive and board member with more than 30 years of industry and leadership experience in life science companies across finance, strategy and risk management. She is currently an independent Director and Chairperson of the Audit Committee for Elicio Therapeutics (ELTX) (formerly Angion Biomedica) and LAVA Therapeutics (LVTX). She previously served on the board of Vaxart, Inc. (VXRT). She also previously served as Senior Vice President of Finance at Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (JAZZ), an international biopharmaceutical company. Ms. Wilson is a Certified Public Accountant and received a B.S. in Business from the University of California, Berkeley.
Karen J. Wilson, CPA
Board Director
Ms. Wilson is a strategic biopharmaceutical finance executive and board member with more than 30 years of industry and leadership experience in life science companies across finance, strategy and risk...
Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D.
Dr. Xanthopoulos has over 24 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical research industries as an executive, company founder, chief executive officer, investor and board member. Dr. Xanthopoulos is currently Chairman & CEO of Shoreline Biosciences, and Chairman of Stork Capital Life Sciences, which focuses on building and investing in innovative biotechnology companies. He serves on a number of private and public boards. Dr. Xanthopoulos received a B.S. in Biology from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and both a M.Sc. in Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Stockholm, Sweden.
Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D.
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Shoreline Biosciences and Chairman, Stork Capital Life Sciences
Dr. Xanthopoulos has over 24 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical research industries as an executive, company founder, chief executive officer, investor and board member. Dr. Xanthopoulos is...