Our team
Meet the team
Venkat Reddy, PhD
CSO at General Inception
Michael Howell, PhD
CSO at Zura Bio
Biography
Venkat Reddy, Ph.D., brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his current role as CSO of General Inception. Prior to joining General Inception in 2022, Venkat was the CEO/CSO at Macrophage Pharma Ltd, where he was responsible for R&D strategy, operations, and fundraising activities. Notably, Venkat played a pivotal role in the successful exit of APC therapeutics, an immuno-oncology focused startup company he co-founded. With these accomplishments under his belt, Venkat brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his current role as CSO of General Inception. Additionally, he serves on the Boards of Tactile Therapeutics which he co-founded, Pharmacelera and Tavira Therapeutics, further solidifying his reputation as a respected industry leader. Venkat's career in the biotech and pharma industries speaks volumes about his expertise and leadership abilities. With a successful track record and extensive strategic and management experience, he has held senior executive roles in both European and US companies. Venkat has made significant contributions to the development of both small and large molecules in the fields of Oncology and Autoimmune diseases. His previous roles at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Novartis have equipped him with a deep understanding of the industry and a keen insight into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Venkat has a diverse educational background. He holds a PhD from the Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, where he specialized in immunology and oncology. Following his doctoral studies, Venkat undertook post-doctoral research at the renowned Scripps Research Institute also in Immunology and Oncology.
Biography
Dr. Michael Howell currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Translational Science at Zura Bio. He is also the Founder of Mountaineer Biosciences and Co-Founder of Galileo Biosystems. Dr. Howell is an immunologist with more than 20 years of experience in the government, academic, and biopharma/biotech sectors. Prior to joining Zura Bio, Dr. Howell was a faculty member at National Jewish Health, and held roles of increasing responsibility at Boehringer Ingelheim, Immune Tolerance Network, MedImmune/AstraZeneca, Incyte Corporation, and DermTech. He has previously led research and development teams dedicated to the discovery of novel therapies and the integration of precision and personalized medicine approaches into clinical development. His efforts have led to the approval of multiple therapies, novel diagnostic approaches to patient treatment, and have been highlighted in more than 60 publications and numerous patents. Dr. Howell received his PhD in Immunology from the West Virginia University School of Medicine and completed his post-doctoral training at National Jewish Health.