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Biotech Insights

Jian Zuo is Co-founder and CEO of Ting Therapeutics, a biotech startup developing therapeutics to prevent and treat hearing loss. Previously, Jian Zuo was Professor and Chair of Biomedical Sciences at Creighton University’s School of Medicine from 2018 to 2023. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China (1985); and a PhD in Physiology from the University of California at San Francisco (1993). He joined the faculty at the Department of Developmental Neurobiology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 1998 until 2018. His primary research interests included mouse genetics and mouse models that illustrate mechanisms of hair cell regeneration to restore hearing, and screening small molecule compounds to preserve or restore hearing in preclinical models. He has been a member of the ARO since 1998 and has received the Bellucci Prize in Hearing Research in 2004. In 2023, he chose to leave academia to become the full-time CEO of Ting Therapeutics located in San Diego, CA.

Javier San Martin is the CMO of LeonaBio, a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel therapeutics for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including treatment-resistant metastatic breast cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. San Martin joined LeonaBio from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, where he served as Chief Medical Officer and guided development teams to advance that company’s RNAi-based therapeutics in the metabolic and liver disease area. Prior to Arrowhead, he served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Clinical Development at Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, where he led the development of Crysvita® (burosumab-twza), the first drug approved to treat the rare, inherited disease of x-linked hypophosphatemia. Before that, Dr. San Martin served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Alder Biopharmaceuticals, where he managed medical, regulatory, and clinical operations. Earlier, he led two major development programs as Global Development Leader for Amgen’s Bone Therapeutic Area and directed the anti-sclerostin antibody clinical program Eventiy® (romosozumab-aqqg) through the end of Phase 2 and was responsible for development and approval of Prolia® (denosumab) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Prior to Amgen, Dr. San Martin spent seven years at Eli Lilly working on Phase 3b and Phase 4 clinical trials to support the successful launch and medical affairs activities for Evista® and Forteo®.

Niren Shah is the CEO and Co-Founder of Cove Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for disorders of the eye, beginning with Stargardt disease. His career spans more than 15 years across biotech leadership, business development, investor relations, medical affairs, and clinical research. Prior to founding Cove in 2021, Niren served as VP/Head of Business Operations and Chief of Staff at Taysha Gene Therapies and held several leadership roles at PTC Therapeutics across strategic partnerships, business development, and investor relations. Earlier in his career, he worked in medical affairs at NPS Pharma and Novartis and began his career in clinical research and academia, serving as an investigator on Phase II–IV clinical trials and as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Niren also serves as an advisor or board member to venture firms, biotech companies, and has previously owned a pair of restaurants which were acquired in 2014.