Pieter Kwak

About Pieter Kwak

Experienced Scientist with a demonstrated history of working on drug discovery in the pharmaceuticals industry and translating cutting-edge biology. Skilled in Molecular/Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology. Strong research professional with a Ph.D.(University of Tokyo) and post-doctoral research experience (Harvard Medical School).

Experience

1. Director, Biology

   Numerion Labs

   Nov 2025 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Strategic leader at Numerion Labs (formerly known as Atomwise Inc.) bridging the gap between wet-lab biology and computational innovation at an AI/ML-native drug discovery company. Responsible for the biological validation and optimization of our AI platform capabilities, utilizing experimental feedback loops to drive model fine-tuning and accelerate therapeutic development. AI-Model Validation & Optimization:• Pressure-test AI model capabilities by designing and executing complex biological assays that establish rigorous \"ground truth\" data. Evaluated thousands of compounds with experimental results over a suite of drug discovery programs.• Drive algorithmic fine-tuning by feeding high-quality experimental results back into the computational pipeline, enhancing predictive accuracy.• Improve early-stage success rates by integrating rapid wet-lab validation cycles directly into the machine learning drug discovery workflow.Cross-Functional Leadership:• Orchestrate workflows across diverse disciplines, acting as a critical interface between DMPK, CADD, Medicinal Chemistry, and ML specialists.• Bridge the Bio-ML divide, translating wet-lab constraints into logic that ensures our models can impact experimental reality.• Collaborate with executive leadership to align scientific milestones with broader corporate strategy and investment goals. Program Management & Partnerships:• Lead comprehensive drug discovery programs from target / hit identification through lead optimization, ensuring scientific rigor and operational efficiency. Ensuring development of differentiating small molecules and disease hypotheses to secure high translational therapeutic value across the pipeline.• Manage high-stakes pharmaceutical partnerships, ensuring external program needs are met while leveraging internal AI capabilities.• Oversee resource allocation and timelines for both internal pipeline assets and external collaboration deliverables.

Education

• Harvard Medical School

  Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Cell/Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

  2012 — 2016

• Nanjing Agricultural University

  Master of Science (M.Sc.), Molecular Biology & Biochemistry

  2006 — 2009

• The University of Tokyo

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Medical Genome Sciences

  2009 — 2012

• Wageningen University & Research

  Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

  2003 — 2006