At Circle Pharma, we combine our skills, talents, and passion with the aim to reduce the burden of cancer and other serious illnesses on patients, and their caregivers, everywhere.
A world where cancer and other intractable diseases are conquered by treatments we create so that patients can live long, fulfilling lives.
To harness the power of macrocycle therapies to create effective treatments for cancer and other serious illnesses while minimizing the negative effects patients experience with conventional therapies.
Every member of the Circle Pharma team is essential to our collective mission.
John Josey, Ph.D., served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and member of the Board of Directors at Peloton Therapeutics from 2013 until its acquisition by Merck in 2019. From 2011 to 2013, he was President and Chief Scientific Officer at Peloton, and from 1998 to 2011, Vice President of Discovery Chemistry at Array Pharma.
John received a B.S. in chemistry from Colorado State University, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado. He did post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology. In addition to being a board member at Circle Pharma, John is also a board member at Nura Nio and Atavistik Bio.
John Josey, Ph.D., served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and member of the Board of Directors at Peloton Therapeutics from 2013 until its acquisition by Merck in 2019. From 2011 to 2013, he was President and Chief Scientific Officer at Peloton, and from 1998 to 2011, Vice President of Discovery Chemistry at Array Pharma.
John received a B.S. in chemistry from Colorado State University, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin, and an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado. He did post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology. In addition to being a board member at Circle Pharma, John is also a board member at Nura Nio and Atavistik Bio.
David J. Earp, J.D., Ph.D., has served as the President & CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Circle since October 2013. Previously, David held various roles at Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), including Chief Patent Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Transactions, building a broad IP portfolio and playing an integral role in numerous partnering, licensing and collaboration deals. He led the spin-out of Geron’s nuclear transfer technology into StART Licensing, Inc., and its subsequent acquisition by Viagen Corp. (Austin, Texas). He served on the boards of StART and Viagen, including as Executive Chairman of Viagen and led the sale of the company to TransOva Genetics (subsequently acquired by Intrexon, now Precigen, NASDAQ:PGEN). David was also a member of the Board of Directors of TA Therapeutics Ltd. (Hong Kong, PRC) and of Sienna Cancer Diagnostics (Melbourne, Australia) which he helped take public prior to its consolidation with BARD1 Life Sciences Limited (now INOVIQ, ASX:IIQ). Earlier in his career, he was a partner at the intellectual property law firm Klarquist, LLP (Portland, Oregon). David received his B.S. (with first-class honors) in Microbiology from the University of Leeds, his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Cambridge, and his J.D. (magna cum laude) from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley / USDA PGEC.
David J. Earp, J.D., Ph.D., has served as the President & CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Circle since October 2013. Previously, David held various roles at Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), including Chief Patent Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Transactions, building a broad IP portfolio and playing an integral role in numerous partnering, licensing and collaboration deals. He led the spin-out of Geron’s nuclear transfer technology into StART Licensing, Inc., and its subsequent acquisition by Viagen Corp. (Austin, Texas). He served on the boards of StART and Viagen, including as Executive Chairman of Viagen and led the sale of the company to TransOva Genetics (subsequently acquired by Intrexon, now Precigen, NASDAQ:PGEN). David was also a member of the Board of Directors of TA Therapeutics Ltd. (Hong Kong, PRC) and of Sienna Cancer Diagnostics (Melbourne, Australia) which he helped take public prior to its consolidation with BARD1 Life Sciences Limited (now INOVIQ, ASX:IIQ). Earlier in his career, he was a partner at the intellectual property law firm Klarquist, LLP (Portland, Oregon). David received his B.S. (with first-class honors) in Microbiology from the University of Leeds, his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Cambridge, and his J.D. (magna cum laude) from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley / USDA PGEC.
Matthew P. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a co-founder of Circle Pharma and a member of Circle’s Board of Directors. Matt is a leading authority in computer-aided drug design, computational structural biology, and biophysics and the author of more than 200 research publications. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSF, and in addition to Circle Pharma is a co-founder of companies including Global Blood Therapeutics, Relay Therapeutics, Terremoto and Nine Square Therapeutics. Matt is also a venture partner at Apple Tree Partners.
Matt earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at MIT and completed post-doctoral research at Oxford and Columbia. As a faculty member at UCSF, he received the NSF CAREER Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and several UCSF School of Pharmacy teaching awards. He has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including Biochemistry, PLoS Computational Biology, and Structure.
Matthew P. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a co-founder of Circle Pharma and a member of Circle’s Board of Directors. Matt is a leading authority in computer-aided drug design, computational structural biology, and biophysics and the author of more than 200 research publications. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSF, and in addition to Circle Pharma is a co-founder of companies including Global Blood Therapeutics, Relay Therapeutics, Terremoto and Nine Square Therapeutics. Matt is also a venture partner at Apple Tree Partners.
Matt earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at MIT and completed post-doctoral research at Oxford and Columbia. As a faculty member at UCSF, he received the NSF CAREER Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and several UCSF School of Pharmacy teaching awards. He has served on the editorial boards of several journals, including Biochemistry, PLoS Computational Biology, and Structure.
Dr. Kelsey has extensive experience in oncology clinical development. He currently serves as president, head of research and development and chief medical officer at Revolution Medicines (NASDAQ:RVMD), and previously held roles including president of Onkaido Therapeutics, the oncology-focused unit of Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), senior vice president of new products at Medivation (acquired by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)), executive vice president and chief medical officer at Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), vice president of oncology at Genentech (part of the Roche Group) and medical director at Pharmacia / SUGEN (acquired by Pfizer). Dr. Kelsey has had key roles in the development of many oncology therapeutics including Sutent, Perjeta, Kadcycla, Erivedge and imetelstat.
Dr. Kelsey received his medical degrees from the University of Birmingham in the UK and trained as a hematologic oncologist at Barts and The London Hospital where he was a clinician-scientist focused on leukemias and lymphomas.
Dr. Kelsey has extensive experience in oncology clinical development. He currently serves as president, head of research and development and chief medical officer at Revolution Medicines (NASDAQ:RVMD), and previously held roles including president of Onkaido Therapeutics, the oncology-focused unit of Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), senior vice president of new products at Medivation (acquired by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)), executive vice president and chief medical officer at Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), vice president of oncology at Genentech (part of the Roche Group) and medical director at Pharmacia / SUGEN (acquired by Pfizer). Dr. Kelsey has had key roles in the development of many oncology therapeutics including Sutent, Perjeta, Kadcycla, Erivedge and imetelstat.
Dr. Kelsey received his medical degrees from the University of Birmingham in the UK and trained as a hematologic oncologist at Barts and The London Hospital where he was a clinician-scientist focused on leukemias and lymphomas.
Dr. Walter Moos has been a managing director of Pandect, a venture capital firm, since 2018. He brings more than three decades of experience in executive roles in biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations. Walter has served as chairman/CEO of ShangPharma Innovation, president of SRI Biosciences (Stanford Research Institute), chairman/CEO of MitoKor (Migenix), and vice president at Chiron (Novartis) and Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis (Pfizer).
Over the course of his career Walter has served on numerous boards and as an advisor to government, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and he has held faculty positions at several major universities, including serving as a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California San Francisco since 1992. He has been a consultant to industry in North America, Europe, and Asia, and has worked as an advisor or committee member for organizations including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Walter has co-founded several scientific journals, co-authored and edited a number of books, and has published and patented widely. He holds an A.B. in chemistry from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California Berkeley.
Dr. Walter Moos has been a managing director of Pandect, a venture capital firm, since 2018. He brings more than three decades of experience in executive roles in biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations. Walter has served as chairman/CEO of ShangPharma Innovation, president of SRI Biosciences (Stanford Research Institute), chairman/CEO of MitoKor (Migenix), and vice president at Chiron (Novartis) and Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis (Pfizer).
Over the course of his career Walter has served on numerous boards and as an advisor to government, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and he has held faculty positions at several major universities, including serving as a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California San Francisco since 1992. He has been a consultant to industry in North America, Europe, and Asia, and has worked as an advisor or committee member for organizations including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Walter has co-founded several scientific journals, co-authored and edited a number of books, and has published and patented widely. He holds an A.B. in chemistry from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California Berkeley.
Thilo Schroeder, Ph.D., is a partner at Nextech Invest, an oncology-focused venture firm. With a passion for precision medicines in cancer, he has been instrumental in growing and shaping Nextech since 2012. Thilo serves on the boards of Revolution Medicines, Circle Pharma, Cargo Therapeutics, Atavistik Bio, MOMA Therapeutics, Exo Therapeutics, and Alterome Therapeutics, and has previously held board positions at companies like Blueprint Medicines and Peloton Therapeutics (acquired by Merck).
Thilo began his biotech career at Micromet (acquired by Amgen) while studying at Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg. He conducted research at the University of Sydney and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Zurich, focusing on protein engineering and the development of Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins).
Thilo Schroeder, Ph.D., is a partner at Nextech Invest, an oncology-focused venture firm. With a passion for precision medicines in cancer, he has been instrumental in growing and shaping Nextech since 2012. Thilo serves on the boards of Revolution Medicines, Circle Pharma, Cargo Therapeutics, Atavistik Bio, MOMA Therapeutics, Exo Therapeutics, and Alterome Therapeutics, and has previously held board positions at companies like Blueprint Medicines and Peloton Therapeutics (acquired by Merck).
Thilo began his biotech career at Micromet (acquired by Amgen) while studying at Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg. He conducted research at the University of Sydney and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Zurich, focusing on protein engineering and the development of Designed Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (DARPins).
Mr. Evangelista joined The Column Group in 2012 and has almost two decades of venture capital industry experience. Previously, he was with Three Arch Partners, and prior to that, Lightspeed Venture Partners. He began his career working for several large money management firms including Fisher Investments and Barclays Global Investors.
Mr. Evangelista is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in the state of California and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs.
Mr. Evangelista joined The Column Group in 2012 and has almost two decades of venture capital industry experience. Previously, he was with Three Arch Partners, and prior to that, Lightspeed Venture Partners. He began his career working for several large money management firms including Fisher Investments and Barclays Global Investors.
Mr. Evangelista is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in the state of California and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs.
Dr. Kaelin is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kaelin was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, with co-recipients Sir Peter J Ratcliffe and Dr. Gregg L. Semenza, for discoveries related to the mechanisms by which cell sense and respond to oxygen levels. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians, and has been a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator since 1998. Dr. Kaelin’s research seeks to understand how mutations affecting tumor-suppressor genes cause cancer and to lay the foundation for new anticancer therapies. Dr. Kaelin has received numerous recognitions for his work, including the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the Princess Takamatsu Award (AACR), the Science of Oncology Award (ASCO) and the Canada Gairdner International Award. Dr. Kaelin obtained his undergraduate and MD degrees from Duke University and completed his training in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he served as chief medical resident. He was a clinical fellow in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, during which time he was a McDonnell Scholar.
Dr. Kaelin is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kaelin was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, with co-recipients Sir Peter J Ratcliffe and Dr. Gregg L. Semenza, for discoveries related to the mechanisms by which cell sense and respond to oxygen levels. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians, and has been a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator since 1998. Dr. Kaelin’s research seeks to understand how mutations affecting tumor-suppressor genes cause cancer and to lay the foundation for new anticancer therapies. Dr. Kaelin has received numerous recognitions for his work, including the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the Princess Takamatsu Award (AACR), the Science of Oncology Award (ASCO) and the Canada Gairdner International Award. Dr. Kaelin obtained his undergraduate and MD degrees from Duke University and completed his training in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he served as chief medical resident. He was a clinical fellow in Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, during which time he was a McDonnell Scholar.
Dr. Ashworth is the President of the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology / Oncology at UCSF and Sr. Vice President for Cancer Services with USCF Health. He previously served as the Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Dr. Ashworth is a translational biologist whose research is focused on understanding tumor genetics to develop improvements in the treatment and care of cancer patients. He contributed to the identification of the BRCA2 breast cancer susceptibility gene and the development of PARP inhibitors for cancer treatment. Dr. Ashworth is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His work has been recognized with awards including the European Society of Medical Oncology Lifetime Achievement Award, the Drexel Prize in Cancer Biology, the Basser Global Prize, the Meyenburg Foundation Cancer Research Award, the David T. Workman memorial Award of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Center and the Genetics Society Medal. Dr. Ashworth received his doctorate in biochemistry from University College, London.
Dr. Ashworth is the President of the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology / Oncology at UCSF and Sr. Vice President for Cancer Services with USCF Health. He previously served as the Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Dr. Ashworth is a translational biologist whose research is focused on understanding tumor genetics to develop improvements in the treatment and care of cancer patients. He contributed to the identification of the BRCA2 breast cancer susceptibility gene and the development of PARP inhibitors for cancer treatment. Dr. Ashworth is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and a Fellow of the Royal Society. His work has been recognized with awards including the European Society of Medical Oncology Lifetime Achievement Award, the Drexel Prize in Cancer Biology, the Basser Global Prize, the Meyenburg Foundation Cancer Research Award, the David T. Workman memorial Award of the Samuel Waxman Cancer Center and the Genetics Society Medal. Dr. Ashworth received his doctorate in biochemistry from University College, London.
Dr. Stillman is the President and CEO of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York and previously served as the Director of the NCI-designated CSHL Cancer Center. He is a biochemist and cancer researcher who has made seminal discoveries related to the eukaryotic DNA replication cycle, including the discovery of the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), a key protein that initiates the process of making chromosomes competent for duplication. His work has provided insights into the complexity of cell replication and has implications for understanding genomic instability and tumor heterogeneity in cancer. Dr. Stillman is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He has received multiple awards including the Alfred P Sloan Prize, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the Basic Science Award from the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Herbert Tabor Research Award, the Canada Gairdner International Award, the Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Order of Australia. Dr. Stillman received his doctorate from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University.
Dr. Stillman is the President and CEO of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York and previously served as the Director of the NCI-designated CSHL Cancer Center. He is a biochemist and cancer researcher who has made seminal discoveries related to the eukaryotic DNA replication cycle, including the discovery of the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), a key protein that initiates the process of making chromosomes competent for duplication. His work has provided insights into the complexity of cell replication and has implications for understanding genomic instability and tumor heterogeneity in cancer. Dr. Stillman is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He has received multiple awards including the Alfred P Sloan Prize, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the Basic Science Award from the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Herbert Tabor Research Award, the Canada Gairdner International Award, the Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics and the Order of Australia. Dr. Stillman received his doctorate from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University.
Mohamad joined Circle in 2025 as our consulting interim Chief Financial Officer. He is also a Managing Director at Pandect Bioventures and was previously CFO of ShangPharma Innovations. Prior to that, he held executive roles in corporate business development at Nektar Therapeutics and in investor relations and corporate communications roles at Depomed. He also held key positions in healthcare investment banking at Needham & Co., RBC Capital Markets and Merrill Lynch, and served as CFO at Alacritas (Omnicare). Mohamad has led numerous deals spanning the range of royalty monetization, out-licensing and in-licensing, manufacturing and supply, collaborations and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and public and private financings including roadshows and venture investments. Mohamad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Genetics from University of California, Davis; a Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University; and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Mohamad joined Circle in 2025 as our consulting interim Chief Financial Officer. He is also a Managing Director at Pandect Bioventures and was previously CFO of ShangPharma Innovations. Prior to that, he held executive roles in corporate business development at Nektar Therapeutics and in investor relations and corporate communications roles at Depomed. He also held key positions in healthcare investment banking at Needham & Co., RBC Capital Markets and Merrill Lynch, and served as CFO at Alacritas (Omnicare). Mohamad has led numerous deals spanning the range of royalty monetization, out-licensing and in-licensing, manufacturing and supply, collaborations and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and public and private financings including roadshows and venture investments. Mohamad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Genetics from University of California, Davis; a Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University; and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Jacqueline joined Circle in 2025 as a Research Associate II in our Chemistry department. Previously, at UCLA, she worked on the chemoenzymatic synthesis of Darobactin, an antibiotic targeting Gram-negative bacteria, under Prof. Patrick Harran. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in Prof. Jennifer Lu’s lab as part of a NASA fellowship and additional synthetic experience through an internship in Merck’s Discovery Chemistry division. Jacqueline holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Merced and an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Jacqueline joined Circle in 2025 as a Research Associate II in our Chemistry department. Previously, at UCLA, she worked on the chemoenzymatic synthesis of Darobactin, an antibiotic targeting Gram-negative bacteria, under Prof. Patrick Harran. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in Prof. Jennifer Lu’s lab as part of a NASA fellowship and additional synthetic experience through an internship in Merck’s Discovery Chemistry division. Jacqueline holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Merced and an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Chris joined Circle Pharma in 2025 as our Vice President, Program Team Lead. Over the course of his 30+ year career in Life Science, he has led a broad range of product development teams in both diagnostics and drug development. His early career was spent in R&D, resulting in numerous innovations that led to company startups, subsequent liquidity events, dozens of publications and presentations, and the awarding of 22 patents. The latter part of his career has been focused on leading teams to develop and deliver products of higher quality in less time and with lower cost. Much of this was achieved via independent consulting over 12 years for organizations such as AbbVie, Astellas, Bellicum, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB).
Chris joined Circle Pharma in 2025 as our Vice President, Program Team Lead. Over the course of his 30+ year career in Life Science, he has led a broad range of product development teams in both diagnostics and drug development. His early career was spent in R&D, resulting in numerous innovations that led to company startups, subsequent liquidity events, dozens of publications and presentations, and the awarding of 22 patents. The latter part of his career has been focused on leading teams to develop and deliver products of higher quality in less time and with lower cost. Much of this was achieved via independent consulting over 12 years for organizations such as AbbVie, Astellas, Bellicum, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB).
Joe joined Circle in 2024 and is our VP, Clinical Technical Operations. Prior to joining Circle, he spent 23 years of his career in various positions of increasing responsibility in the Manufacturing and Quality space at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Joe has held leadership roles at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and Coherus Biosciences. Joe holds a B.S. in Biology from Salem State University and an M.B.A. from Colorado State University.
Joe joined Circle in 2024 and is our VP, Clinical Technical Operations. Prior to joining Circle, he spent 23 years of his career in various positions of increasing responsibility in the Manufacturing and Quality space at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Joe has held leadership roles at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and Coherus Biosciences. Joe holds a B.S. in Biology from Salem State University and an M.B.A. from Colorado State University.
Anuja joined Circle in 2024 and is a Scientist II with our Biology team. Previously, Anuja worked at Denali Therapeutics on multiple preclinical discovery initiatives focused on neurodegeneration targets. Anuja earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, where her research focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which P450 enzymes functionalize their substrates. Following her Ph.D., she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she worked on identifying inhibitors of kinase enzymes for targeted cancer therapies.
Anuja joined Circle in 2024 and is a Scientist II with our Biology team. Previously, Anuja worked at Denali Therapeutics on multiple preclinical discovery initiatives focused on neurodegeneration targets. Anuja earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, where her research focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which P450 enzymes functionalize their substrates. Following her Ph.D., she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she worked on identifying inhibitors of kinase enzymes for targeted cancer therapies.
Stefan joined Circle in 2024 is a Sr. Scientist II on our Biochemistry team. Previously, Stefan worked at Sardona Therapeutics as one of their first scientists, where he led the Early Discovery Group. Stefan earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from ETH Zurich and later pursued a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Genentech in the Early Discovery Biochemistry Department. During his time at Genentech, he provided mechanistic insights into drug discovery projects in ophthalmology, immunology, and oncology. Stefan has published over 15 papers, including in Cell and Nature Communications.
Stefan joined Circle in 2024 is a Sr. Scientist II on our Biochemistry team. Previously, Stefan worked at Sardona Therapeutics as one of their first scientists, where he led the Early Discovery Group. Stefan earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from ETH Zurich and later pursued a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Genentech in the Early Discovery Biochemistry Department. During his time at Genentech, he provided mechanistic insights into drug discovery projects in ophthalmology, immunology, and oncology. Stefan has published over 15 papers, including in Cell and Nature Communications.
Mohamad joined Circle in 2025 as our consulting interim Chief Financial Officer. He is also a Managing Director at Pandect Bioventures and was previously CFO of ShangPharma Innovations. Prior to that, he held executive roles in corporate business development at Nektar Therapeutics and in investor relations and corporate communications roles at Depomed. He also held key positions in healthcare investment banking at Needham & Co., RBC Capital Markets and Merrill Lynch, and served as CFO at Alacritas (Omnicare). Mohamad has led numerous deals spanning the range of royalty monetization, out-licensing and in-licensing, manufacturing and supply, collaborations and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and public and private financings including roadshows and venture investments. Mohamad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Genetics from University of California, Davis; a Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University; and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Mohamad joined Circle in 2025 as our consulting interim Chief Financial Officer. He is also a Managing Director at Pandect Bioventures and was previously CFO of ShangPharma Innovations. Prior to that, he held executive roles in corporate business development at Nektar Therapeutics and in investor relations and corporate communications roles at Depomed. He also held key positions in healthcare investment banking at Needham & Co., RBC Capital Markets and Merrill Lynch, and served as CFO at Alacritas (Omnicare). Mohamad has led numerous deals spanning the range of royalty monetization, out-licensing and in-licensing, manufacturing and supply, collaborations and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and public and private financings including roadshows and venture investments. Mohamad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Genetics from University of California, Davis; a Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University; and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Jacqueline joined Circle in 2025 as a Research Associate II in our Chemistry department. Previously, at UCLA, she worked on the chemoenzymatic synthesis of Darobactin, an antibiotic targeting Gram-negative bacteria, under Prof. Patrick Harran. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in Prof. Jennifer Lu’s lab as part of a NASA fellowship and additional synthetic experience through an internship in Merck’s Discovery Chemistry division. Jacqueline holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Merced and an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Jacqueline joined Circle in 2025 as a Research Associate II in our Chemistry department. Previously, at UCLA, she worked on the chemoenzymatic synthesis of Darobactin, an antibiotic targeting Gram-negative bacteria, under Prof. Patrick Harran. During her undergraduate studies, she gained experience in Prof. Jennifer Lu’s lab as part of a NASA fellowship and additional synthetic experience through an internship in Merck’s Discovery Chemistry division. Jacqueline holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Merced and an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Chris joined Circle Pharma in 2025 as our Vice President, Program Team Lead. Over the course of his 30+ year career in Life Science, he has led a broad range of product development teams in both diagnostics and drug development. His early career was spent in R&D, resulting in numerous innovations that led to company startups, subsequent liquidity events, dozens of publications and presentations, and the awarding of 22 patents. The latter part of his career has been focused on leading teams to develop and deliver products of higher quality in less time and with lower cost. Much of this was achieved via independent consulting over 12 years for organizations such as AbbVie, Astellas, Bellicum, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB).
Chris joined Circle Pharma in 2025 as our Vice President, Program Team Lead. Over the course of his 30+ year career in Life Science, he has led a broad range of product development teams in both diagnostics and drug development. His early career was spent in R&D, resulting in numerous innovations that led to company startups, subsequent liquidity events, dozens of publications and presentations, and the awarding of 22 patents. The latter part of his career has been focused on leading teams to develop and deliver products of higher quality in less time and with lower cost. Much of this was achieved via independent consulting over 12 years for organizations such as AbbVie, Astellas, Bellicum, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is also a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB).
Joe joined Circle in 2024 and is our VP, Clinical Technical Operations. Prior to joining Circle, he spent 23 years of his career in various positions of increasing responsibility in the Manufacturing and Quality space at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Joe has held leadership roles at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and Coherus Biosciences. Joe holds a B.S. in Biology from Salem State University and an M.B.A. from Colorado State University.
Joe joined Circle in 2024 and is our VP, Clinical Technical Operations. Prior to joining Circle, he spent 23 years of his career in various positions of increasing responsibility in the Manufacturing and Quality space at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, Joe has held leadership roles at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and Coherus Biosciences. Joe holds a B.S. in Biology from Salem State University and an M.B.A. from Colorado State University.
Anuja joined Circle in 2024 and is a Scientist II with our Biology team. Previously, Anuja worked at Denali Therapeutics on multiple preclinical discovery initiatives focused on neurodegeneration targets. Anuja earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, where her research focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which P450 enzymes functionalize their substrates. Following her Ph.D., she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she worked on identifying inhibitors of kinase enzymes for targeted cancer therapies.
Anuja joined Circle in 2024 and is a Scientist II with our Biology team. Previously, Anuja worked at Denali Therapeutics on multiple preclinical discovery initiatives focused on neurodegeneration targets. Anuja earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, where her research focused on elucidating the mechanisms by which P450 enzymes functionalize their substrates. Following her Ph.D., she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she worked on identifying inhibitors of kinase enzymes for targeted cancer therapies.
Stefan joined Circle in 2024 is a Sr. Scientist II on our Biochemistry team. Previously, Stefan worked at Sardona Therapeutics as one of their first scientists, where he led the Early Discovery Group. Stefan earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from ETH Zurich and later pursued a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Genentech in the Early Discovery Biochemistry Department. During his time at Genentech, he provided mechanistic insights into drug discovery projects in ophthalmology, immunology, and oncology. Stefan has published over 15 papers, including in Cell and Nature Communications.
Stefan joined Circle in 2024 is a Sr. Scientist II on our Biochemistry team. Previously, Stefan worked at Sardona Therapeutics as one of their first scientists, where he led the Early Discovery Group. Stefan earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from ETH Zurich and later pursued a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Genentech in the Early Discovery Biochemistry Department. During his time at Genentech, he provided mechanistic insights into drug discovery projects in ophthalmology, immunology, and oncology. Stefan has published over 15 papers, including in Cell and Nature Communications.
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