PLENARY KEYNOTE BIOGRAPHIES
Jennifer R. Cochran, PhD, Shriram Chair &
Professor, Bioengineering & Chemical Engineering, Stanford University
Jennifer Cochran is the Shriram Chair of the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University. She is a Professor of Bioengineering and, by courtesy, Chemical
Engineering and a member of the Cancer Biology, Biophysics, and Immunology graduate programs. Dr. Cochran serves as the Director of the Stanford/NIH Biotechnology pre-doctoral training program, and co-Director of the Stanford NIST pre-doctoral training
program. Her research group uses interdisciplinary approaches in chemistry, engineering, and biophysics to study complex biological systems and to develop new tools for basic science and biomedical applications. Dr. Cochran translational interests
span protein-based drug discovery and development for applications in oncology and regenerative medicine, and development of new technologies for high-throughput protein analysis and engineering. Dr. Cochran obtained her Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Biological Engineering.
Roger M. Perlmutter, MD, PhD., Chief Executive Officer,
and Chairman of Eikon Therapeutics
Dr. Perlmutter is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of Eikon Therapeutics, Inc., a private biotechnology company that employs advanced imaging technologies to identify novel therapeutic
candidates by virtue of their effects on protein dynamics in living cells. A highly accomplished industry as well as academic leader with over 35 years of experience, Dr. Perlmutter was previously Executive Vice President, Merck & Co., and President
of Merck Research Laboratories where he supervised the discovery and development of numerous lifesaving medicines including KEYTRUDA™ , Merck's foundational immuno-oncology therapeutic, which continues to transform cancer care throughout the
world. Before this, Dr. Perlmutter spent 12 years as Executive Vice President and head of R&D at Amgen, Inc., where he is credited with having revolutionized the development of important biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of osteoporosis and
cancer-related bone disease, and for the reduction of hypercholesterolemia-related cardiovascular risk.
Prior to assuming leadership roles in industry, Dr. Perlmutter was a professor in the Departments of Immunology, Biochemistry and Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, and also served as Chairman of its Department of Immunology, where he
was at the same time an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. His research focused on understanding the signaling pathways that control lymphocyte activation. Prior to his role at the University of Washington, he was a lecturer in the
Division of Biology at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.
Dr. Perlmutter is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and both a Distinguished Fellow and past president of the American Association of Immunologists.
YOUNG SCIENTIST KEYNOTE BIOGRAPHY
Xin Zhou, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School; Principal Investigator, Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Xin Zhou is an Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, and Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She obtained her PhD in Bioengineering with Dr. Michael Lin from Stanford University and did her postdoctoral training with Dr. Jim Wells at UCSF. Dr. Zhou’s research focuses on engineering functional protein sensors and switches for modulating biology. In the past, she has built proteins with versatile functions, including light-activated enzymes, phosphotyrosine recognition domains, antibody antagonists and agonists, and biosensors to measure SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Her work was recognized by many awards including an NIH Pathway to Independence Award and a Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists. Dr. Zhou’s new research group aims to leverage the power of protein engineering to gain a deeper fundamental understanding of malignancies and to discover new avenues for therapeutic intervention.