Icosavax CEO and leadership

Adam Simpson is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Icosavax. He has substantial life science operational and emerging company experience and has executed significant partnering and acquisition transactions. Previously, Adam was CEO of PvP Biologics, another spinout from University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD), from company creation through its sale to Takeda. Prior to joining PvP Biologics, he was the president and chief operating officer of Cypher Genomics, a genome interpretation company focused on biomarker discovery to facilitate drug development, through its sale to Human Longevity, Inc. Prior to that, Adam was a cofounder and chief business officer of Meritage Pharma, a company developing treatments for upper gastrointestinal disorders, from company creation through its staged sale to Shire, and at Verus Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on treatments for asthma and anaphylaxis, where as general counsel he led its sale to AstraZeneca and Shionogi. He has been a cofounder of four additional life sciences companies that have either gone public or been acquired. Adam started his career as an attorney at Latham & Watkins. He holds a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Tom Russo is a Chief Financial Officer at ICOSAVAX INC.. He has worked as Vice President/Head:Commercial Finance at Gilead Sciences Inc., Senior Analyst:Equity Research at Baird, and Chief Financial Officer at ASSEMBLY BIOSCIENCES INC.. Tom studied at UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BOOTH and University of Notre Dame.

Cassia Cearley, Ph.D. is the Chief Business Officer (CBO) of Icosavax. Cassia has worked with pharmaceutical companies in various roles for more than 10 years. Prior to joining Icosavax, Cassia was the vice president of research for Aptinyx Inc., where she led a team responsible for building a portfolio of small molecule NMDA receptor modulators. Prior to this, Cassia was on the corporate development team of Naurex Inc, which was responsible for the spinout of Aptinyx Inc. and the sale of Naurex to Allergan. Previously, Cassia worked at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where she was the director of portfolio management. Prior to Takeda, Cassia was an engagement manager with the life sciences practice of L.E.K. Consulting. Cassia received a Ph.D. in neuroscience from University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in neuroscience from the Washington State University Honors College.

Douglas Holtzman, Ph.D., M.P.H. is the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Icosavax. He has more than 25 years of experience in industry and the philanthropic sector leading and funding innovative research and development activities with an emphasis on vaccines. Prior to Icosavax, he was Vice President, Discovery at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he led a team working on dengue and norovirus vaccine candidates. He was also a member of the management committee that helped to globalize Takeda’s Japan-based vaccines business. Prior to Takeda, Doug was Deputy Director, Childhood Pneumonia, at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he developed strategies to tackle the global burden of childhood pneumonia, including RSV, through novel vaccine and vaccination programs and increased access to care. He received his Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley and his public health training from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Adam Simpson is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Icosavax. He has substantial life science operational and emerging company experience and has executed significant partnering and acquisition transactions. Previously, Adam was CEO of PvP Biologics, another spinout from University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD), from company creation through its sale to Takeda. Prior to joining PvP Biologics, he was the president and chief operating officer of Cypher Genomics, a genome interpretation company focused on biomarker discovery to facilitate drug development, through its sale to Human Longevity, Inc. Prior to that, Adam was a cofounder and chief business officer of Meritage Pharma, a company developing treatments for upper gastrointestinal disorders, from company creation through its staged sale to Shire, and at Verus Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on treatments for asthma and anaphylaxis, where as general counsel he led its sale to AstraZeneca and Shionogi. He has been a cofounder of four additional life sciences companies that have either gone public or been acquired. Adam started his career as an attorney at Latham & Watkins. He holds a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Adam Simpson is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Icosavax. He has substantial life science operational and emerging company experience and has executed significant partnering and acquisition transactions. Previously, Adam was CEO of PvP Biologics, another spinout from University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD), from company creation through its sale to Takeda. Prior to joining PvP Biologics, he was the president and chief operating officer of Cypher Genomics, a genome interpretation company focused on biomarker discovery to facilitate drug development, through its sale to Human Longevity, Inc. Prior to that, Adam was a cofounder and chief business officer of Meritage Pharma, a company developing treatments for upper gastrointestinal disorders, from company creation through its staged sale to Shire, and at Verus Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on treatments for asthma and anaphylaxis, where as general counsel he led its sale to AstraZeneca and Shionogi. He has been a cofounder of four additional life sciences companies that have either gone public or been acquired. Adam started his career as an attorney at Latham & Watkins. He holds a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Douglas Holtzman, Ph.D., M.P.H. is the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Icosavax. He has more than 25 years of experience in industry and the philanthropic sector leading and funding innovative research and development activities with an emphasis on vaccines. Prior to Icosavax, he was Vice President, Discovery at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he led a team working on dengue and norovirus vaccine candidates. He was also a member of the management committee that helped to globalize Takeda’s Japan-based vaccines business. Prior to Takeda, Doug was Deputy Director, Childhood Pneumonia, at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he developed strategies to tackle the global burden of childhood pneumonia, including RSV, through novel vaccine and vaccination programs and increased access to care. He received his Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley and his public health training from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.