Brian Cathers

Brian Cathers has a strong background in the biopharmaceutical industry, with over 25 years of experience. Brian most recently served as the Chief Scientific Officer at Gate Bioscience starting in 2023. Prior to that, they held the role of CSO, Hematology Research Unit at Pfizer from 2022 to 2023.

From 2019 to 2022, Brian was the Chief Scientific Officer at Global Blood Therapeutics, where they created an industry-leading pipeline focused on sickle cell disease. Brian expanded research capabilities to include translational science and genetics, and developed a more potent next-generation drug. Brian also launched a red cell health biomarker effort to improve disease assessment and therapy response.

Before joining Global Blood Therapeutics, Brian worked at Celgene from 2004 to 2019, initially as an Executive Director and later as a Senior Director. In these roles, they led a team responsible for protein production, target validation, and the development of assays for drug discovery efforts. Brian also led pioneering efforts in the field of molecular glue protein degraders.

Prior to Celgene, Brian was a Group Leader at NewBiotics from 2000 to 2004, where they built a strong team focused on enzyme target discovery and validation. The successful completion of a Phase I/II trial led to the acquisition of NewBiotics by Celmed Biosciences.

Brian started their career at Axys Pharmaceuticals in 1999 as a Scientist, where they made significant contributions in enzymology and high-throughput screening, particularly in the field of asthma/inflammation and anti-cancer targets.

Brian began their scientific career as a Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin from 1996 to 1999, where they conducted research on telomerase substrates/inhibitors and G-quadruplex DNA interactive molecules as anti-cancer agents. Brian also played a role in establishing the biopharmaceutical company Cylene.

Overall, Brian Cathers has a diverse range of experience in scientific leadership and drug discovery, particularly in the areas of sickle cell disease, enzymology, and target validation.

Brian Cathers earned their PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from The University of Kansas, where they attended from 1992 to 1996. Prior to that, they completed their Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, with a minor in Mathematics, at Emporia State University from 1988 to 1992.