Robert Allen, Ph.D. has served as our Chief Scientific Officer since April 2023. He brings over 30 years of experience across the infectious disease space, most recently as the Chief Scientific Officer of SmartPharm Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Sorrento Therapeutics, from 2020 to 2023.
During that time, he led efforts to develop gene-encoded monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 that could be quickly adapted to respond to emerging variants of concern. He also served concurrently as Senior Vice President, Antiviral and Oncolytic Immunotherapy Development, at Sorrento Therapeutics. Prior to his time at SmartPharm Therapeutics, he held multiple senior scientific roles across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries including Sorrento Therapeutics, SIGA Technologies, and the Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute.
Robert holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Columbia University, an M.S. in Applied Biology from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Biology from Rhodes College. He has published extensively in the field of virology and completed his postdoctoral training in virology at Washington University in St. Louis and Emory University.