Ash Khanna

Ash has a PhD in Pharmaceutics from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he received the prestigious Buffalo Pharmaceutics Graduate Scholar Award. Ashish's graduate research focus was on gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disease, and his research findings have been published in several peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Ash holds an MBA in finance from the Wharton School and a BS in pharmacy from the University of Bombay.

Ash recently founded vaccine developer SutroVax, where he serves as CBO and Director. SutroVax was recently spun out of Sutro BioPharma to harness the Xpress CFTM proprietary cell-free protein synthesis platform to develop novel vaccines against major infectious diseases. 

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Previously, Ash was an Associate at SV Life Sciences, focused on therapeutics, diagnostics, and other life sciences investments. Ash was a board observer or actively involved with the firm's investment in Allocure, Good Start Genetics, Logical Therapeutics, Mpex Pharma, NKT Therapeutics, PanOptica, and Sutro BioPharma. 

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Before venture, Ash was a Team Leader at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where his primary responsibility was the clinical advancement of anti-diabetic agents. Ash led the Preclinical Development Team that discovered Onglyza (Saxagliptin), a DPP-4 inhibitor that is currently marketed for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Ash also co-founded and served as the Chief Business Officer of IntuiTouch, a medical device company that harnesses near-infrared technology for the detection of breast cancer. 

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Ash started his career at BMS in 1999 as a bench scientist where he conceptualized and implemented an integrated preclinical study design that led to the discovery of a novel diabetes drug on which he holds a patent.

Ash is a member of Fellows Class 10 and served his fellowship with mentors Lutz Giebel and Michael Ross at SV Life Sciences in Foster City, CA.