Susan Catalano, Ph.D.

Dr. Catalano is a pharmaceutical industry executive with more than 20 years of experience in strategic and operational scientific leadership of neurobiology and oncology drug discovery and development companies. She currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Capsida Biotherapeutics. Previously she served as CSO of CODA Biotherapeutics. Prior to this, she guided the discovery and development programs for Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. as co-founder, CSO and member of the Board of Directors. The company made substantial progress under her leadership, progressing from an idea through a full Phase 2 clinical program to an initial public offering in October 2021 (NASDAQ: CGTX). Previously, she held scientific leadership positions at Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rigel Pharmaceuticals and Roche. Dr. Catalano received her Ph.D. in neurobiology from U.C. Irvine, with postdoctoral training at U.C. Berkeley and Caltech, and a B.A. from Barnard College. She has authored numerous publications and patents and served as principal investigator of several National Institutes of Health (NIH) preclinical and clinical awards. She is a recipient of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association Outstanding Entrepreneur award, the Carnegie Science Center Entrepreneur award, and the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women award. At the national level, she serves on the External Advisory Board for several NIH clinical initiatives, NIH review panels in the areas of drug discovery and clinical development for neurodegenerative diseases, and peer-reviewed scientific journal editorial boards.