Dr. David J. Bearss is a seasoned pharmaceutical innovator and biotech entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in both academia and industry. Renowned for his work in structure-based drug discovery and the use of genetic models, he has played a key role in advancing 16 compounds from lab discovery to clinical development. A co-founder of eight biotech companies, Dr. Bearss is deeply committed to translating research into impactful therapies. Before becoming CEO of Halia Therapeutics in 2022, he served as CSO and CEO at Tolero Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, and held similar leadership roles at Montigen and SuperGen. His academic contributions include co-founding the Center for Investigational Therapeutics at Huntsman Cancer Institute and serving as an associate professor at both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University.