Jonathan Leith, Ph.D.

Jon is a seasoned leader with extensive hands-on experience across both early and late-stage development in Oncology, I-O, Cardiovascular, Fibrosis, Immunology, and Virology. He brings deep development expertise and cross-modality experience spanning cell therapy, gene therapy, protein degradation, and both small and large molecules. Most recently, Jon served as Vice President, Early Development, Hematology, Oncology and Cell Therapy at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he was accountable for more than 30 pre-IND to proof-of-concept assets. In this role, and previously, Jon led early development efforts across hematology and cell therapy, as well as the cardiovascular and fibrosis therapeutic areas. Jon joined BMS in 2010 from Tibotec (Johnson & Johnson), where he held multiple roles beginning in 2006, including serving as Therapeutic Director for Oncology and Virology in Canada, with broad responsibility for regional medical affairs, health economics, and reimbursement. Earlier in his career, from 2001 to 2006, Jon held global development and clinical roles at Boehringer Ingelheim in Germany, primarily focused on virology compounds. He has a strong track record of leadership and broad experience across diverse pharmaceutical roles and geographies.

Jon holds a master’s degree in biology from McMaster University and a doctoral degree in immunology from the University of Toronto, where his research focused on viral vaccines.