Rivervest Venture Partners is excited to announce the addition of two distinguished researchers, John C. Cambier and Gary DeCrescenzo, to its esteemed Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). These appointments underscore RiverVest’s commitment to leveraging top-tier scientific expertise in its investment strategy within the biopharmaceutical and medical device sectors. This strategic enhancement of the SAB ensures RiverVest Venture Partners remains at the forefront of identifying and nurturing groundbreaking companies.
John C. Cambier brings pioneering insights in B cell biology to RiverVest Venture Partners. His groundbreaking work includes the identification and characterization of the signaling function of B cell antigen receptor components CD79A and B. Further expanding our understanding of cellular mechanisms, his research group elucidated the inhibitory signaling mechanisms of FcγRIIB, recognized as the first checkpoint receptor. Notably, Dr. Cambier’s team was the first to clone the Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING), a significant therapeutic target in contemporary cancer research. His expertise will be invaluable to RiverVest Venture Partners’ portfolio companies focusing on innovative therapeutic approaches.
Gary DeCrescenzo’s extensive experience spans a broad spectrum of therapeutic areas, including protease inhibitors, kinases, nuclear hormone receptors, and antibody-drug conjugates. His career is marked by successfully guiding numerous programs from the initial discovery phase through early clinical development. Mr. DeCrescenzo’s expertise encompasses critical therapeutic domains such as inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and oncology. His proven track record in drug development will provide significant strategic advantage to RiverVest Venture Partners’ investment decisions.
RiverVest Venture Partners also expresses deep appreciation for John DiPersio, M.D., Ph.D., for his dedicated service and valuable contributions to the SAB over the past 20 years. While Dr. DiPersio is stepping down from the board, his insights will continue to be a valuable resource for the RiverVest team.
Dr. Cambier and Mr. DeCrescenzo join a distinguished group of current SAB members, including:
- Ronald T. Borchardt, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas-Lawrence
- Jared Rutter, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Dee Glen and Ida Smith Endowed Chair for Cancer Research, University of Utah & Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Alessandro Sette, Dr. Biol. Sci., Professor and Member, La Jolla Institute for Immunology
- Peter Tontonoz, M.D., Ph.D., The Francis and Albert Piansky Professor of Pathology and Professor of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles
Comprising leading figures in medical research, RiverVest Venture Partners’ Scientific Advisory Board plays a crucial role in guiding the firm’s strategy. The SAB provides essential expert counsel as RiverVest Venture Partners continues to identify and invest in promising biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, driving innovation and growth in the life sciences sector.
For further details, the full press release is available here.
