Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Leiden joined our Board in July 2009. He has more than 20 years of experience in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors.

Dr. Leiden was President and Chief Operating Officer of Abbott Laboratories, Pharmaceuticals Products Group, and a member of the Board of Directors of Abbott and TAP Pharmaceutical Products, Inc. from 2001 to 2006. From 1987 to 2000, Dr. Leiden held several academic appointments, including the Rawson Professor of Medicine and Pathology and Chief of Cardiology and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of Chicago, the Elkan R. Blout Professor of Biological Sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health, and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. During his academic career, Dr. Leiden was involved in starting several biotechnology companies, including Vical Inc. and Cardiogene Inc. He is an elected member of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Leiden is currently a Managing Director at Clarus Ventures, a life sciences venture capital firm. Dr. Leiden is also a Director and the non-executive Vice Chairman of the board of Shire plc. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of both TyRx Pharma and Variation Biotechnologies Inc., and a member of the Board of Directors of Biolex Therapeutics and Lycera Corp.. Dr. Leiden received both his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago.