Richard Gaynor

President, BioNTech

Richard Gaynor, M.D. is currently the President, Chief of Research and Development, for BioNTech US, formerly Neon Therapeutics (NasdaqGS: NTGN), a biotechnology company developing novel neoantigen-targeted T cell therapies. Prior to his tenure at BioNTech, Dr. Gaynor spent 15 years in a series of senior roles at Lilly Oncology, most recently as Senior Vice President Clinical Development and Medical Affairs, where he chaired the Lilly Oncology Research and Development Committee and helped oversee a variety of collaborations, including with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, AstraZeneca and GE. Prior to that role, Dr. Gaynor also led preclinical and early clinical oncology research at Eli Lilly. Dr. Gaynor began his career in academia, spending nine years on the faculty at UCLA School of Medicine, followed by 11 years on the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, including time serving as the chief of hematology-oncology and director of the Simmons Cancer Center. He holds an M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and, following his residency in internal medicine there, he completed fellowship training in hematology-oncology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is the author of nearly 150 publications and participates on numerous advisory boards and committees, including the American Association of Cancer Research, the Stand Up To Cancer scientific advisory committee, and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Dr. Gaynor also serves on the board of directors of Alkermes plc.