Yijun Wang

About Yijun Wang

Enthusiastic & curious biomedical scientist with 15 years of experience in drug discovery & development, specialized in molecular & cell biology, oncology, immunology, target engagement, mechanism of action, and biomarker discovery, which resulted in 10 first-author publications & 37 co-author publications.My publication list: & hl=en2. Develop chemical & biological drugs that interfere with TME to enhance cancer treatment efficacy & overcome acquired resistance, like small-molecule inhibitor, PROTAC degrader, immune checkpoint inhibitor, multispecific T-cell engager (TCE), antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), and immune-stimulating antibody conjugate (ISAC).3. Manage independent projects efficiently and collaborate with discovery project team (DPT) & cross-functional groups, including the scientific teams from R&D unit, the technical teams responsible for technology & manufacture process development, and the business development team.4. Have a proven track record of productive & diverse collaborations with pharmaceutical/biotech industry, academic research institutions, and contract research organizations (CRO).5. Stay at the forefront of emerging technologies & therapeutic modalities by a multi-faceted strategy that combines continuous learning, strategic networking, and active technological engagement.

Experience

1. Lab Head Senior Scientist, Immuno-oncology

   EMD Serono, Inc.

   Aug 2023 — Present · Billerica, MA, US

   Tumor Immunology Innovation Cluster, Research Unit Oncology1. Drove pipeline projects by collaborating with DPT & cross-functional groups (Chemical & Biological Engineering, Biophysics & Structural Biology, In-vitro & In-vivo Pharmacology, Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Toxicology), presenting with impact to align multi-functional groups, and convincing healthcare discovery review committee for Go/No Go decisions.2. Proactively contributed to new drug target assessment & concept generation at Innovation Cluster. Led data integration from multi-functional groups, including the biology/MoA analysis, druggability analysis, target SWOT analysis, bioinformatics analysis, and target safety assessment (Spot Award).3. Orchestrated a team of 5 scientists in the strategic development & optimization of novel biochemical & cellular assays for 10 distinct drug discovery projects (3 small-molecule inhibitors, 3 PROTAC degraders, 2 TCEs, and 2 ADCs), advancing the pipeline by identifying 4 lead and 3 backup compounds.4. Led an in-vitro group of 3 scientists to develop and optimize the automated high-throughput screening (HTS) assays to drive screening of compounds & antibodies, resulting in the assay screening capacity improvement by 30% and the timeline acceleration by 25%(Spot Award).5. Supported the collaboration of CRUK – Merck T cell Dysfunction Alliance to evaluate new targets from CD4 and CD8 exhausted T cells and bring promising targets into our pipeline.6. Managed direct reports with emphasis on their career development plan by setting defined objectives, commitments, and impact levels. Built team dynamics that foster an environment where you care personally & challenge directly.

Education

• St. John's University

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology)

  2013 — 2016

• St. John's University

  Master of Science (MS), Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology)

  2011 — 2013