Dean Zhang

About Dean Zhang

Execution-oriented, visionary scientific leader with a proven track record of building and scaling discovery platforms, leading high-performing teams, enabling and progressing innovation, and leading programs to successes from target validation to development candidates and IND. Built and advanced Blueprint’s targeted protein degradation (TPD) platform from ground up — defining strategy, securing resources, aligning the teams, and leading execution in partnership with senior leadership, delivering multiple best-in-class development candidates and first-in-class programs. Demonstrated ability to identify and establish cutting-edge technologies and research capabilities, and to apply them to drive program successes. Well versed in latest drug discovery trends, experienced in identifying and establishing research partnerships to access innovative technologies, including establishing and leading partnership with an AI company and integrating AI into driving programs and platform growth.

Experience

1. Director

   Blueprint Medicines

   Jan 2024 — Present · Cambridge, MA, US

   Program leadership and success: Delivered BLU-020, a best-in-class oncology degrader development candidate as project leader, enabled IND submission. Led novel target validation and first-in-class hit-finding campaigns through MoA deconvolution and into hit optimization in partnership with AI partner and computational teams. • Platform build and results: Architected and scaled Blueprint\'s TPD platform in partnership with research leadership. Executed the platform build and led it to success through partnership with broad research organization. Established core research capabilities and high-performing scientific teams. Led the platform to deliver multiple best-in-class development candidates and advanced several first-in-class projects. • Technology innovation and impacts: Established cutting-edge technologies such as high content imaging, proteomics and functional genomics for TPD platform. Led the teams to strategically apply the technologies to provide high-quality routine screening support and critical deep characterization data to drive program successes. Established high content imaging-based hit finding capability and used it to execute first-in-class targets, progressed projects through successful MoA deconvolution by strategically leveraging functional genomics and chemical biology capabilities. • People Management: Managed and mentored teams of up to 5 scientists across biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, and proteomics, fostering a culture of scientific rigor and collaboration.• Partnership and AI: Championed research collaborations with multiple biotech companies including ProteoVant and VantAI (an AI enabled drug discovery biotech), driving early engagement through deal signing and integrating AI into TPD programs.• CRO and Externalization: Led efforts to initiate, build and manage effective collaborations with multiple research CRO partners in China, India and Europe.

Education

• Stony Brook University

  Ph.D, Biochemistry, Enzymology, Pharmacology, Chemical Biology, Mechanistic PK/PD and PET imaging

  2012 — 2017

• Sun Yat-sen University

  Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Polymer Science, Biomedical Engineering

  2008 — 2012

• Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

  Scholars in Biomedical Sciences, Translational Medicine

  2014 — 2016

Skills

• Assay Development
• Residence Time
• Enzyme Assays
• Drug Development
• Pk/Pd
• Biochemistry
• Target Engagement
• Small Animal Models
• Pharmacology
• Research
• Drug Discovery
• Radiochemistry
• Lead Discovery
• Quantitative Biochemistry
• Lead Optimization
• Chemistry
• Positron Emission Tomography
• Pk
• Grant Writing
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pharmacodynamics
• Mechanistic-Pk/Pd
• Pd
• Scientific Writing
• Drug Kinetics