Leanne Minall

My scientific career has focused on the interface between chemistry and immunology. This cross-training gives me a unique vantage point in the fields of small-molecule drugs, vaccines (including oncolytics), nanoparticles, and drug delivery. Whilst this experience has endowed me with a plasticity of mind and a capacity to think laterally across disciplines on the macro level, I am equally adept at delving into technical details on the micro.
As one of the original employees at two start-up biotech companies, I have been instrumental in their set-up and in charting their scientific strategy and R&D execution. I am the Scientific Director (part-time) at Phare Bio, spun-out from the Jim Collins lab (MIT), where I have quickly become an expert in the development and market landscape for small molecule antibiotics. I was able to identify several target product profiles that both fulfil unmet therapeutic needs and have commercial and partnership potential. I run Phare Bio’s R&D where I manage several academic and government collaborations and four different international CROs. In addition to this work, I am also the Scientific Director at VxBiosciences where I helped build out a new laboratory, developed a novel lipid formulation for RNA delivery, and a route to GMP manufacturing. This role has given me more exposure to the regulatory requirements a biotech must consider when it is approaching IND and experimental budgeting.
Previously, I worked on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine, where I led a team that investigated lipid nanoparticle formulations (LNP). This was a fast-moving project that demanded in-depth collaboration with a scientifically diverse and international team. The pace and high visibility of the COVID project required me to rapidly amass expertise in the field of RNA–LNPs. Additionally, while at Pfizer, I became involved in due diligence exercises where I was part of a team representing pharmaceutical R&D.
I believe I have the scientific acumen, instinct, interpersonal skills, and drive to identify and advance innovation. I am deeply immersed in the start-up world and am a mentor for both Mass Challenge and MassBio Drive, where I regularly meet with founders. I am on the SAB of a recently founded EU-based start-up in the RNA field and I attend VC-led founders’ courses and events. Nothing motivates me more than seeing good ideas getting out of the lab and being actualized into life-changing therapies.