Steve Sparks, PhD

VP and Head of Chemistry

Steve’s passion for medicinal chemistry and drug development was spurred by an internship at Burroughs Wellcome where he worked on the development of new HIV treatments during his senior year in college. The unique opportunity to utilize chemistry, biology, and pharmaceutical sciences to design new therapeutics which impact patient’s lives resonated with Steve and has led to over a 20 year career in drug discovery and development. With roles of increasing responsibility in both large pharma and biotech at companies including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Viamet Pharmaceuticals, and Arvinas, Steve has contributed numerous candidate nominations across diverse therapeutic areas including metabolic, cardiovascular, and neuroscience with several compounds currently in IND-enabling studies. Most recently at Arvinas Steve developed the first orally bio-available, brain penetrant PROTAC to treat patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Steve graduated cum laude from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a BS in chemistry and then obtained his PhD in organic chemistry at the University of California, Irvine working with Kenneth Shea. Steve then conducted post-doctoral studies with Steve Martin at the University of Texas, Austin prior to starting his industrial career at GSK. In his spare time, Steve enjoys skiing, listening to music, and spending time with his family.