The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at the UCSF School of Pharmacy has appointed two nationally recognized leaders in translational science, infectious disease research, and pandemic preparedness to newly created executive leadership roles aimed at scientific and strategic growth.

John A.T. Young, PhD, a former Roche pharmaceutical executive and internationally recognized infectious disease researcher, has been named QBI's chief strategy officer. Andy Kilianski, PhD, who most recently helped oversee more than $1 billion in research investments at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), has been appointed chief science and technology officer.

The appointments strengthen QBI's leadership team as the institute expands collaborations with industry, government, and global health partners to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new therapies.

"John and Andy each bring an exceptional combination of scientific expertise, leadership experience, and translational vision," said Nevan Krogan, PhD, director of QBI and professor in the school’s Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. "Together, they will help expand QBI's impact by building the partnerships and technological capabilities needed to move groundbreaking discoveries from the laboratory toward improving human health."

Pharmaceutical and public health leadership

Young joins QBI after more than a decade at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, where he served as the global head of infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness. He led research and development programs focused on chronic hepatitis B, respiratory viruses, and drug-resistant bacterial infections, and played a leadership role in the NIH-led ACTIV (Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines) public-private partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier in his career, Young held faculty positions at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Harvard Medical School, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at UCSF. He also completed postdoctoral training at UCSF under Nobel Laureate Harold Varmus.

"John is exactly the kind of bridge-builder QBI needs at this moment in our evolution," Krogan said. "He has operated at the highest levels of academic research and global pharma, he understands our science deeply, and he knows how to translate academic discovery into impact."

As chief strategy officer, Young will lead QBI's industry engagement and partnership strategy, working across the institute's research platforms — including proteomics, structural biology, CRISPR engineering, and AI- and machine learning-driven target discovery — to develop collaborations with biopharmaceutical companies, biotechnology ventures, and public health organizations. He will also help advance QBI's growing portfolio of spinout companies.

"QBI is in a unique position to usher in a new era of protein-protein interaction-based drug discovery," Young said. "I am honored to join the team at this pivotal moment to help translate our world-class science into innovative new medicines."

Vaccine discovery and AI-enabled drug development

Kilianski comes to UCSF from Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), where he served as program manager and deputy director of the Health Science Futures Mission Office. There, he led a team of 75 staff overseeing a portfolio of more than $1 billion in biomedical research and pharmaceutical development investments, launching programs to transform vaccine discovery and AI-enabled drug development.

Previously, Kilianski served as senior director for emerging infectious diseases at International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was appointed chief scientist of the U.S. Secretary of Defense's COVID-19 Task Force, becoming one of the founding members of Operation Warp Speed. His scientific career began with research on coronavirus biology and the protein-protein interactions between coronaviruses and host cells.

"Andy represents an extraordinary and rare combination of deep coronavirus science, pandemic response leadership, and translational research experience," Krogan said. "His ability to bridge the worlds of academic discovery, government policy, and industry partnership is exactly what QBI needs to take forward our programs."

As chief science and technology officer, Kilianski will lead QBI's technology strategy and help guide industry engagement across the institute's research platforms. He will also support the strategic development of QBI spinout companies while advancing QBI's position as a leader in disease-agnostic drug discovery and pandemic preparedness.

"QBI sits at a unique intersection of world-class science, translational ambition, and amazing people," Kilianski said. "Having spent my career working to bridge the gap between discovery and impact, from the lab bench to the top of the U.S. government and global health community, I understand how rare it is to find an institution with both the scientific depth and the strategic vision to make that translation happen."

An engine for therapeutic discovery

QBI brings together researchers across the biomedical and physical sciences to study the protein interactions that drive human disease. Its integrated research platforms have advanced discoveries in cancer, neurodegeneration, and infectious diseases. The institute's collaborative approach has also helped launch biotechnology companies, translating discoveries made at UCSF into new opportunities for drug development.