A New Model for An Integrated Venture-
Biotech R&D Ecosystem 

Dr. Foo-Atkins is Soleil's Senior Vice President of Strategy. She brings to Soleil over 20 years of biopharma experience and an emphasis on complementing strategy with a deep understanding of the development process and clinical medicine from her years as a practicing physician. Most recently, Dr. Foo-Atkins was Chief Strategy Officer at Ambys Medicines, a pioneer in liver cell therapy. Prior to Ambys, she was Vice President of Product Strategy at NGM Pharmaceuticals, where she oversaw strategic planning and commercial operations and served as Project Team Leader for NGM’s marquee hepatology program. At Novartis, she worked in global New Product Planning and Market Access; and at Genentech’s Research and Early Development unit, she drove cross-functional team strategy as a Project Team Leader for neurology and ophthalmology programs. Dr. Foo-Atkins developed a love for strategy at McKinsey and Company’s Healthcare Practice. She has a medical degree from the National University of Singapore, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and a Master of Science in Health Economics, Policy and Management from the London School of Economics.

Jeremy is the Senior Vice President of Finance at Soleil.  Jeremy brings over fifteen years of financial leadership experience, driving strategic finance and operations for Soleil.  He has successfully guided biotech companies through critical growth phases, including the transition from privately held to publicly traded and from research and development to commercial.  Jeremy's commitment to excellence is underscored by a focus on fiduciary care, leveraging automation, fortifying financial controls, and fostering cross-functional collaboration.  Prior to Soleil, Jeremy was at Star Therapeutics where he held the position of Senior Vice President, Finance. Before joining Star Therapeutics, Jeremy served as the Controller at NGM Biopharmaceuticals. Jeremy also held the role of Assistant Controller at Raptor Pharmaceuticals. He began his finance career at KPMG LLP, where he worked as a Senior Audit Associate.  Jeremy received a B.A. in Business Administration from the Dominican University of California.

Dr. Gomez, a distinguished professional in the field of life science venture capital and biotechnology operations, currently serves as Principal at TCG Labs. Previously he was Principal, Healthcare Investments at Mubadala Capital. Dr. Gomez's expertise in asset acquisition and strategic partnering was honed through his previous role as Vice President at BridgeBio where he led the sourcing, transactions, and creation of multiple therapeutics start-ups. He has a strong background in business development, having co-founded Stingray Therapeutics and serving as its Director of Business Development. His early career in industry involved diverse experiences at early stage biotechnology companies as a bench scientist, drug developer, project manager, and business development associate. Dr. Gomez earned his B.S. in bioengineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from Rice University.

Dr. Luan serves as Vice President, Discovery Research and a Co-Founder of Soleil. Previously, he was Director of Biology at NGM Biopharmaceuticals, where he led efforts in target identification and validation and spearheaded critical research endeavors. Dr. Luan's experience spans a broad set of therapeutic domains, including immunology, oncology, and cardiometabolic diseases. Dr. Luan earned his B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from UCLA and Ph.D. in Immunobiology from Yale School of Medicine.

Michael Fischbach is the Liu (Liao) Family Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, an Institute Scholar of Stanford ChEM-H, and the director of the Stanford Microbiome Therapies Initiative. Fischbach is a recipient of the NIH Director's Pioneer and New Innovator Awards, an HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholars Award, a Fellowship for Science and Engineering from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, a Medical Research Award from the W.M. Keck Foundation, a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease award, and the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship. His laboratory studies the mechanisms of microbiome-host interactions. Fischbach received his Ph.D. as a John and Fannie Hertz Foundation Fellow in chemistry from Harvard in 2007, where he studied the role of iron acquisition in bacterial pathogenesis and the biosynthesis of antibiotics. After two years as an independent fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, Fischbach joined the faculty at UCSF, where he founded his lab before moving to Stanford in 2017. Fischbach is a co-founder of Kelonia and Revolution Medicines, a member of the scientific advisory boards of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, and TCG Labs/Soleil Labs, and an innovation partner at The Column Group.

Dr. Garcia, PhD is a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, and of Structural Biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He received his BS in Biochemistry from Tulane University, and his PhD in Biophysics from Johns Hopkins University. After two years of post- doctoral work at Genentech, Inc. under Dr. David Goeddel in the Dept. of Molecular Biology, where he learned the emerging technologies of protein engineering and recombinant protein expression, Dr. Garcia moved to a second post-doctoral fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute in the laboratory of Prof. Ian Wilson, where he succeeded in determining the first crystal structures of the T cell receptor and then its complex with peptide-MHC. In 1999, Dr. Garcia started his lab at Stanford University School of Medicine in 1999 where he also became an Investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Garcia was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2012, and the National Academy of Medicine in 2016. He has founded or co-founded several companies, including Synthekine, 3T, Surrozen, ALXO, Mozart, InduPro, Integer and Dispatch.

Lucinda is the Chief Operating Officer and a Co-Founder of Soleil. Her career highlights include co-founding Aligos Therapeutics, Inc., where she held the roles of Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer and General Counsel and managed daily business operations from 2018 to 2023. Before joining Soleil, Lucinda was the Executive Director of Transactions, Business Development and Licensing at Merck & Co.'s West Coast BD Hub from 2016 to 2018. She also played a key role as Vice President, Head of Legal Affairs at Alios BioPharma, Inc., assisting in its acquisition by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson in 2014 and its integration thereafter. Her career trajectory includes almost a decade tenure as Vice President, Legal Affairs & Associate General Counsel at InterMune, Inc. (acquired by Roche in 2014) where she was responsible for general corporate, licensing and M&A activities.  Prior to her in-house roles, she spent several years at various law firms in their corporate and life sciences transactions practice groups.  Lucinda earned a B.A. in Business Economics and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Lichtman is the Chief Science Officer and a Co-Founder of Soleil. Prior, Dr. Lichtman contributed his expertise to NGM Biopharmaceuticals for over 8 years, where he served as VP of Research. His tenure at NGM also included roles as Associate Director of Bioinformatics and Senior Scientist in Bioinformatics, contributing to large molecule compounds and target discovery focused on curing metabolic diseases. Dr. Lichtman earned a Ph.D. in Chemical and Systems Biology from Stanford University School of Medicine. He also completed a Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He started his academic path with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dickinson College.

Dr. Kutzkey is a Managing Partner at TCG Labs and Chair of the TCG Labs-Soleil Strategic Board. He has played key roles in launching over 20 portfolio companies for The Column Group (TCG), including NGM Biopharmaceuticals, ORIC, Cajal, NuraBio, Indupro, Kallyope, and Kimia. He served as Chairman of Carmot Therapeutics until its acquisition by Roche in 2023 and was the founding CEO of Peloton, Neurona, Surrozen, and Nurix.  Previously, he was a scientist at KAI Pharmaceuticals, specializing in protein kinase C inhibitors. Dr. Kutzkey completed his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley under Dr. Robert Tjian and gained his academic grounding from Stanford University.

Dr. Tian joined The Column Group (TCG) as a Venture Partner in 2022. Previously he was Senior Vice President at NGM Biopharmaceuticals, providing leadership for our discovery research efforts. Prior to NGM, he was the Scientific Director in the Metabolic Disorders Therapeutic Area at Amgen, responsible for early stage discovery research in the area of diabetes and lipid disorders. Prior to Amgen, he was responsible for the orphan G protein-coupled receptor drug discovery program at Tularik, successfully leading several projects in multiple therapeutic areas, including metabolic disease, inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders. During the course of these efforts, Dr. Tian and his team identified several clinical candidates for study in humans. Dr. Tian received a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and completed post-doctoral training in Developmental Biology at Harvard University.

Dr. Chen holds dual leadership roles as Managing Partner of TCG Labs and Co-Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Soleil. He is also a member of the TCG Labs-Soleil Strategic Board. Previously, he founded NGM Biopharmaceuticals and served as its Chief Scientific Officer. Additionally, he was NGM's President until 2014 and served on its Board of Directors.

At Amgen, Dr. Chen held the role of Vice President of Metabolic Disorders, leading global research in small molecule and biologic drug discovery for metabolic, bone, mineral, and muscle disorders. Before Amgen, he was Vice President of Biology at Tularik, overseeing research in areas such as oncology, inflammation, and metabolic diseases. Dr. Chen's work at Amgen and Tularik has expanded the understanding of biology and physiology across various disease areas, resulting in multiple drug candidates, including Repatha® (evolocumab), known for its ability to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Dr. Chen received a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science from Fu-Jen Catholic University, an M.S. in Biochemistry from National Taiwan University, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, focusing on transcription mechanisms under Dr. Robert Tjian.

Dr. Learned is a co-founder of Soleil and holds the dual roles of Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President for Research Management. He was also a founding team member of NGM Biopharmaceuticals, where he previously held the role of Vice President of Research Operations. At NGM, Dr. Learned worked closely with the Chief Scientific Officer to shape research strategy, manage the research portfolio and foster partnerships with pharmaceutical companies including Janssen, Daiichi Sankyo, and Merck. With nearly 30 years of industry experience, Dr. Learned’s career includes roles at Tularik, Amgen, and NGM, where he focused primarily on drug discovery research in the area of metabolic disorders. Prior to his work in industry, he was a member of the faculty in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC Davis. Dr. Learned holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from UCLA and was awarded a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from UC Berkeley for work conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Tjian.

Dr. Goeddel is a Partner at TCG Labs, chairs the TCG Labs-Soleil Scientific Advisory Board, and is a member of the TCG Labs-Soleil Strategic Board. He was the first scientist at Genentech in 1978, and over the course of 15 years, ascended through various roles including Staff Scientist, Director of Molecular Biology, and Genentech Fellow. His pioneering work in gene cloning and the expression of human proteins formed the foundation for the development of five therapeutics, all of which were successfully brought to market by Genentech. Dr. Goeddel co-founded Tularik, and served as Vice President of Research until 1996, after which he assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer until 2004, when Tularik was acquired by Amgen. Dr. Goeddel's scientific achievements have earned him prestigious awards, including the Scheele Medal, the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, the Inventor of the Year Award, the Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award, the Howley Prize for Arthritis Research, and the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Currently, he chairs the boards of A2 Biotherapeutics, Hexagon Bio, and Tenaya Therapeutics, serves on the board of NGM Biopharmaceuticals, and chairs the Scientific Advisory Board for Velia. Dr. Goeddel holds a B.A. in Chemistry from UCSD and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Trombley is a Member of the TCG Labs-Soleil Strategic Board. She is currently the President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of Lycia’s board of directors.  Dr. Trombley has also served as an independent director of Carmot Therapeutics since 2016.  Prior to joining Lycia, Aetna was President and Chief Operating Officer of NGM Biopharmaceuticals, where she had broad strategic and operational responsibilities for nine years. At NGM, she was instrumental in establishing multiple strategic partnerships and a successful initial public offering in 2019.  Previously, she served as Chief of Staff for the Chief Executive Officer of Novartis and was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. She received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from MIT.

Dr. Hymowitz joined The Column Group (TCG) in 2021. Previously, she spent 22 years at Genentech rising to Vice President of Protein Sciences. In this role, she oversaw the large molecule drug discovery portfolio and mentored project teams on the identification and optimization of more than 35 clinical candidates. As a member of the Genentech Small Molecule Leadership Team, she supported project teams in advancing more than 25 molecules to IND-enabling studies. Earlier as a structural biologist, she led or participated in numerous antibody or small molecule drug discovery teams including a collaboration with AbbVie and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute that resulted in the discovery of Venclexta. Dr. Hymowitz earned a B.A. in Chemistry from Swarthmore College followed by a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco.

Ken is a Partner of TCG Labs. He has nearly four decades of experience as counsel for emerging biopharma companies in strategic, business development, financing and operational efforts, across a range of sectors, from genetic medicines, chemistry platforms, cell therapies, antibodies, drug delivery and genomics, to therapeutic area companies in oncology, neurology, cardio/metabolism, immunology and ophthalmology. Along the way he has been involved with groundbreaking ventures like Amylin, Genta, RPR Gencell, Pharmacoepia, Cell Genesis, Abgenix, Tercica, Rinat, Array, Dendreon, Juno, Aragon/Seragon, Pharmacyclics, Peloton Therapeutics, Carmot, Legend, Alector, Denali and dozens of others, as well as established biopharma companies like Immunex, Genentech and Amgen. Ken is currently on the Boards of Summit Therapeutics and Acurex, and previously, Pharmacyclics and Pulse Biosciences. He is also a Partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Peter is a Managing Partner at TCG LABS and serves as a member of the TCG Labs-Soleil Strategic Board, bringing with him 38 years of experience in venture capital and finance. Peter is also the Founder and Managing Partner of The Column Group (TCG). His influence extends through pivotal roles in Biotech companies, including Chairmanships at Seragon Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Genentech in 2014), Aragon Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2013), and ORIC Pharmaceuticals. Peter also served as Board Director at Carmot Therapeutics (acquired by Roche in 2023), Chemocentryx (Acquired by Amgen in 2022), Constellation Pharmaceuticals (acquired by MorphoSys in 2021), Immune Design (acquired by Merck in 2019), Tercica (acquired by Ipsen in 2008), Rosetta Inpharmatics (acquired by Merck in 2001), Revolution Medicine, RAPT Therapeutics, Somalogic, and PTC Therapeutics. He is currently a Board Director at Escient Pharmaceuticals.

Before TCG, Peter was the Founder and Managing Partner of Three Crowns Capital, where he played a pivotal role in financing many biotech companies such as, Tularik, Rosetta, PTC, Chemocentryx, Sunesis, Rinat, Tercica, Somalogic, Infinity, Cumbre, AVEO and Fiveprime. Prior to that, he held the position of Associate Managing Director overseeing European Investment Banking at Nomura in London. Peter also serves as a Trustee at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

Dr. Miller is the Chief Technology Officer and a Co-Founder of Soleil. She brings extensive experience and expertise in biologics drug discovery, with a track record spanning over 20 years in leadership roles at organizations such as IGM Biosciences, Five Prime Therapeutics, Novartis, Merck, and Genentech. Dr. Miller's influence spans a wide array of therapeutic areas, including oncology, autoimmunity, cardiovascular health, ophthalmology, and neurology. She is renowned for her ability to establish innovative technology platforms for antibody discovery, protein and antibody engineering, and novel therapeutic formats. As an accomplished executive in the biotechnology sector, Dr. Miller has a proven history of leading successful preclinical research teams and managing collaborative research partnerships that have contributed to the development of new medicines.