Rik Frank

About Rik Frank

I am a Senior Director of Biology Research specializing in immunology and inflammation, leading discovery-stage programs from target validation through IND-enabling studies. I oversee a team of scientists and drive strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration to advance novel therapeutics toward the clinic.With deep expertise in assay development, experimental design, and translational biology, I’ve led research efforts across multiple stages of preclinical drug discovery. While I no longer work at the bench, I remain closely engaged in scientific decision-making and mentoring, helping guide complex biology into actionable development paths.I’m passionate about building high-performing teams, fostering innovation, and making science matter—for patients, for partners, and for progress.Let’s connect if you’d like to talk science, leadership in biotech, or how to build discovery engines that last.

Experience

1. Senior Director, Biology Research

   Anaptysbio

   Jan 2026 — Present · San Diego, CA, US

   Progressed from Scientist to Senior Director, advancing the company’s immunology and inflammation pipeline by leading discovery programs from target validation through IND-enabling studies. Transitioned from hands-on experimentation to leading project teams and shaping biology research strategy, bridging discovery, translational, and clinical development.Key Contributions:Lead discovery-stage projects from inception to lead declaration, driving scientific strategy and experimental design.Serve as biology lead on cross-functional teams, ensuring seamless alignment between discovery, translational, and clinical efforts.Direct antibody discovery campaigns and functional assays probing immune modulation pathways.Produce data packages for investors, scientific audiences, and portfolio decision-making.Build and mentor high-performing scientific teams, fostering innovation and accountability.

Education

• University of North Texas

  HS Diploma

  1997 — 1999

• Keck Graduate Institute

  Certificate, Bioscience Management

  2008 — 2009

• UC San Diego

  BS, Biology

  1999 — 2003

• Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences

  Ph.D., Immunology / Immuno-oncology

  2005 — 2010

Skills

• Immunohistochemistry
• Antibody Discovery
• Antibodies
• Antibody Expression
• Problem Solving
• Biopharmaceuticals
• Tissue Culture
• Western Blot
• Dna
• In Vivo
• Hplc
• Flow Cytometry
• Recombinant Antibodies
• Phage Display
• Cell Based Assays
• Analytical Methods Development
• Chromatography
• Cell Biology
• Sds-Page
• Immunoassays
• Biochemistry
• Western Blotting
• Drug Discovery
• Immunology
• Assay Development
• Cell
• Biotechnology
• Stem Cells
• Size Exclusion
• Elisa
• Immunoprecipitation
• Antibody Development
• Molecular Biology
• Pcr
• Antibody Engineering