Esther Martinborough

Esther Martinborough has over two decades of drug discovery, research, and development expertise in the life sciences industry. She is Senior Vice President of Research at Escient Pharmaceuticals, a private biotechnology company, where she leads a team responsible for the company’s discovery and early development pipeline. Dr. Martinborough previously served for ten years as Executive Director Head of Research and Senior Director Head of Chemistry at Receptos-Celgene and Receptos, respectively, where she was responsible for transforming a pre-clinical academic asset into a potential best-in-class blockbuster drug, Zeposia® (Ozanimod), for Multiple Sclerosis, which was the cornerstone of a multi-billion dollar acquisition by Celgene. Previously, Dr. Martinborough held positions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, developing novel approaches to treating neuropathic pain, and at Ligand Pharmaceuticals, focusing on hormonal dysfunctions. She earned her M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, received her Ph.D. from the Swiss Institute of Technology, Zurich, and was a post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.