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The Faces and Forces Behind Ymmunobio

About us

Where Breakthroughs Begin

Ymmunobio is a preclinical biotech company based in Basel and Princeton, dedicated to developing novel antibody-based therapies for solid tumors. Founded in 2021 by Dr. Katrin Rupalla and Dr. Peter Schiemann, our team brings together leading experts in immunology, oncology, and drug development to create first-in-class therapeutics targeting hard-to-treat solid tumors.

With strong partnerships (e.g., Paul Scherrer Institute) and recognition from key institutions (e.g., Prix Galien, Innosuisse), we are committed to advancing breakthrough therapies and diagnostics that aim to transform the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatment.

Executive Team

Peter Schiemann, PhD

Co-Founder Ymmunobio
CEO & Chairman

Michel Janicot, PhD

Chief Development Officer

Martin Zuzulo

Chief Operating Officer

Christian Germa, MSc

Chief Financial Officer

Selena Blackmore

Director Business Operations

Estelle Chao, MBA

Head of Business Development

Peter Schiemann, PhD

Co-Founder Ymmunobio, CEO & Chairman

Dr. Peter Schiemann co-founded Ymmunobio in 2021 as a way to advance developments in solid tumor research. He serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board. Prior to Ymmunobio, Dr. Schiemann worked at iQure Pharma Inc., where he serves as board member. He has extensive experience in drug development and has been instrumental in establishing Ymmunobio’s strategic direction toward developing first-in-class antibody therapies for cancer patients. Dr. Schiemann also formerly served as Interim COO before Martin Zuzulo was appointed to the role.

Michel Janicot, PhD

Chief Development Officer

Dr. Michel Janicot holds a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry (Molecular and Cell Biology; Paris VII. France) and was Postdoctoral Fellow in the Dept. of Biological Chemistry (M. Daniel Lane) at The Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD. USA). He has 35+ years hands-on experience in preclinical and early clinical pharmaceutical drug development (small molecules, antibodies, oligonucleotides, recombinant proteins/peptides, gene and cell therapy, …) in increasing leadership and managerial roles at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (Sanofi) and subsequently, at Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Since 2012, Michel is the founder and Managing Director of JMi ONConsulting, a Brussels-based consulting firm specialized in providing services and technical/managerial guidances for research and development programs in Oncology, and multiple other indications. Michel was appointed Chief Development Officer at Ymmunobio in January 2023.

Martin Zuzulo

Chief Operating Officer

Martin E. Zuzulo joined Ymmunobio as Chief Operating Officer in April 2023, taking over from Interim COO Peter Schiemann. He brings substantial industry, consulting, and business development experience focused on helping biopharmaceutical and medical device companies improve their R&D capabilities. Previously, he served in manufacturing and process development roles at Biogen and executive positions at leading management consulting organizations including IBM, PwC, and Accenture. He earned his B.S. and B.A. in Biological Sciences (Biochemical Engineering Minor) and Psychology from Stony Brook University.

Christian Germa, MSc

Chief Financial Officer

Christian Germa was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Ymmunobio in October 2023. He brings more than 25 years of finance and corporate governance to the company. Prior to joining Ymmunobio, he served as a Non-Executive Director at Gaz Transport & Technigaz (GTT), Onet SA and Faiveley Transport, and held a range of senior roles in finance and investment. M. Germa holds a MSc degree and has a strong track record across several sectors, including project finance, facilities management, rail manufacturing, and construction.

Selena Blackmore

Director Business Operations

Selena Blackmore joined Ymmunobio as Director of Business Operations in July 2023. She brings more than 20 years of experience with Novartis, where she managed operations and outsourcing across multiple departments, functions, and leadership roles. In her more recent roles, she executed on business strategy through the development of global communications and presentations. She supports the company through project management of activities required to advance research into transformative therapies across cancer indications.

Estelle Chao, MBA

Head of Business Development

Estelle is a strategic biopharma consultant and trusted advisor to over 50 biotech companies, with deep expertise in GxP compliance, clinical operations, and business excellence. She is passionate about enabling innovation and continuous improvement across the biotech value chain. With a background in pharmacy and 17 years of cross- functional experience across the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consulting industries, Estelle brings a blend of scientific understanding and business acumen. She holds an MBA from HEC Paris and is currently pursuing a PhD in Organizational Leadership.

Advisory Board

Iris Helfrich, PhD

Prof. Experimental Dermato-Oncology, University of Munich

Richard Chahwan, PhD

Professor of Cancer Immunology

Dr. Martin Behe, Group Leader at Paul Scherrer Institute and expert in radiopharmaceutical research

Martin Behe, PhD

Group Leader at Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI)

Gunther Wennemuth, MD

Professor of Anatomy, University of Duisburg-Essen

Dr. Keith Skubitz, Professor of Hematology and Oncology at University of Minnesota, Ymmunobio advisor

Keith Skubitz, MD

Prof. for Hematology,
University of Minnesota

Dr. Mitsuro Kanda, Professor of Medicine at Nagoya University and Ymmunobio Advisory Board member

Mitsuro Kanda, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine, Nagoya University

Kate Hermans, MBA

Board Chair / Director, Strategic Advisor, CEO

Dr. Jens Glienke, Patent Attorney and Partner at Gulde & Partner, expert in biotech intellectual property and licensing

Jens Glienke, PhD

Patent Attorney at Gulde & Partner

Kenneth Yamashita

CMC Biologics Development Subject Matter Expert

Dr. Alexander Gutmans, Partner at Walder Wyss and legal counsel for Ymmunobio specializing in corporate and life sciences law

Alexander Gutmans, Dr. iur., LL.M.

Legal Counsel at WalderWyss

Daniel Geynisman, MD

Professor & Chief of Genitourinary Oncology

Matthew Zibelman, MD

Associate Professor and Genitourinary Medical Oncologist

Iris Helfrich, PhD

Professor of Experimental Dermato-Oncology, University of Munich

Prof. Dr. Iris Helfrich is Professor of Experimental Dermato-Oncology at the University of Munich. She leads a research group with remarkable international diversity and has been involved in Ymmunobio’s scientific presentations. According to sources, she has served on Ymmunobio’s advisory board. Her research group focuses on experimental dermato- oncology and has contributed to various cancer research publications.

Richard Chahwan, PhD

Professor of Cancer Immunology

Prof. Dr. Richard Chahwan is Professor for Cancer Immunology and Co-Founder of EVIIVE in Zürich. He recently led the Cancer Immunobiology Laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich. His research focuses on cancer immunology, genome editing, B cell diversification, and extracellular vesicles. Dr. Chahwan’s lab studies immune-immune and immune-tumor interaction mechanisms, aiming to identify and design better immunotherapeutic tools. He also serves as co-founder and CSO of EVIIVE, a biotech UZH spin-off developing cutting-edge liquid biopsy technologies.

Martin Behe, PhD

Group Leader at Paul-Scherrer-Institute (PSI)

Gunther Wennemuth, MD

Professor of Anatomy, University of Duisburg-Essen

Prof. Dr. Gunther Wennemuth is currently chair and head of the Department of Anatomy at the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen. He studied medicine in Marburg and completed his doctorate in 1996. From 1999 to 2001 he spent his post-doc time in the well-known Hille-lab at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. His research focuses primarily on sperm physiology, reproductive biology and prostate cancer. He has expertise in live cell imaging, ion channels & electron microscopy.

Keith Skubitz, MD

Professor of Hematology & Oncology, University of Minnesota

Dr. Keith Skubitz is Professor of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation at the University of Minnesota. He was appointed as a scientific advisor to Ymmunobio in January 2022. Dr. Skubitz has directed multiple clinical trials and has extensive experience in the clinical management of sarcomas. His research interests focus on the biology and treatment of sarcomas, drug development, and immunology, including the biology of the CEACAM family. He has published 206 manuscripts and 39 book chapters and was heavily involved in Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshops related to CEACAMs.

Mitsuro Kanda, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine, Nagoya University

Dr. Mitsuro Kanda is Professor in the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. He joined Ymmunobio’s Advisory Board in March 2023. Dr. Kanda is the inventor of NPTXR antibodies and has been at Nagoya University since 2012. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and is an editorial board member of several journals including Gastric Cancer and Gastroenterology Research and Practice. He was awarded the 2009 AACR Annual Meeting Scholar-in-Training Award.

Kate Hermans, MBA

Board Chair / Director, Strategic Advisor, CEO

For over three decades, Kate Hermans has spent her career successfully leading cross-functional teams to create transformative and sustainable growth across a diverse suite of businesses ($10M-$4B). Currently, Ms. Hermans is a Strategic Advisor and Non-Executive Director to both venture-backed and public biotech and healthtech companies. She is Board Chair of Clue by BioWink, Board Chair of a stealth HealthTech startup, serves on the Board of Mid-Atlantic Diamond Ventures, and on the Advisory Board of the Women’s Resource Center. Recently Ms. Hermans exited the Board of Ambrx Biopharma (AMAM), following Johnson & Johnson’s $2B acquisition, having served as CEO in 2022, reset the company’s strategy, streamlined company operations and onboarded a new CEO. She is an active speaker across multiple industry forums. Previously Kate held various executive business leadership roles at Ambrx, 83bar, Radius Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Wyeth and Intel, working in the U.S., China, Africa, and globally.

Jens Glienke, PhD

Patent Attorney at Gulde & Partner

Dr. Jens Glienke is a German Patent Attorney and European Patent and Trademark Attorney who serves as a Partner at Gulde & Partner. He graduated in Biology at the Free University of Berlin, majoring in Molecular Biology and Genetics. He gained practical experience during a five-year oncological research placement for a major German pharmaceutical company and subsequently managed development projects involving therapeutic and diagnostic work. Since 2004, he has been working in intellectual property, with special competence in patent analyses, freedom to operate analyses, opposition and appeal proceedings, and license agreements.

Kenneth Yamashita

CMC Biologics Manufacturing and Quality Expert

Ken is currently the CEO of KLY Consulting Inc. with 34 years of industry experience at Schering-Plough, Warner Lambert, Merck, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, G&W Laboratories, Piramal Pharma Solutions and ZyVersa Therapeutics. Operations executive with proven leadership and extensive knowledge of manufacturing, quality, operational excellence, regulatory requirements and registrations across all stages of CMC product development, clinical operations through commercial launches. Entrepreneurial capabilities and knowledge of overall business strategies that led to achieving a competitive advantage for supported business units.

Alexander Gutmans, Dr. iur., LL.M.

Legal Counsel at WalderWyss

Dr. Alexander Gutmans is a Partner at Walder Wyss AG since 2014. He advises national and international clients in commercial and corporate law, M&A, private equity, venture capital, and financings, as well as health care and life sciences matters. Born in 1967, he studied at the Universities of Basel and Lausanne and received an LL.M. from Yale Law School. He started his career as legal counsel at Sandoz AG and worked as a foreign associate with an American law firm in New York before joining a leading Swiss law firm. As a notary of Canton Basel-Stadt, he assists clients with commercial register and real estate transactions.

Daniel Geynisman, MD

Professor & Chief of Genitourinary Oncology

Daniel M. Geynisman, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center and serves as Division Chief of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Vice Chair for Quality Improvement. He is also editor-in-chief of JNCCN. Clinically, he treats patients with all urological malignancies, including bladder, kidney, prostate, penile, testicular, and adrenal cancers. His research focuses on health outcomes, quality improvement, and new drug development in genitourinary cancers. He has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts and serves on the NCCN guideline panel for testicular cancer. Dr. Geynisman earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh, completed his residency in internal medicine there, including a year as chief resident, and completed a Hematology/Oncology fellowship at the University of Chicago, serving as chief fellow in his final year.

Matthew Zibelman, MD

Associate Professor and Genitourinary Medical Oncologist

Dr. Zibelman is an associate professor and genitourinary medical oncologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. He is also Director of the Genitourinary Service Line Clinical and Translational Research group, overseeing clinical trials and collaborative research. He treats patients with genitourinary malignancies, with a focus on immunotherapy and related adverse events. Dr. Zibelman has published extensively on immunotherapy for GU cancers and is principal investigator on several ongoing combination immunotherapy trials. He earned his medical degree from Temple University, completed an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago, including a year as chief resident, and completed a medical oncology fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Board of Directors

Peter Schiemann, PhD

Co-Founder Ymmunobio
CEO & Chairman

Caroline Germa, MD

Clinical Oncology Development Expert

Jürgen Heitmann, PhD

Board Member & Business Development Expert

Caroline Germa, MD

Clinical Oncology Development Expert

Dr. Caroline Germa is a medical oncologist with more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She joined Ymmunobio’s Board of Directors in February 2023. Currently, she serves as Chief Medical Officer at Triana Biomedicines, a clinical-stage biotech company. More recently, she was Chief Medical Officer at Transcenta and Ikena Oncology. Previously she was vice president and head of the Early Development Clinical Group for AstraZeneca’s oncology department and Vice President and Development Team Lead for a major partnered oncology program at Bristol Myers Squibb. She spent seven years at Novartis, leading late- phase clinical development of multiple oncology assets, including the worldwide development and registration strategy for Ribociclib.

Jürgen Heitmann, PhD

Board Member & Business Development Expert

Dr. Jürgen Heitmann was appointed to Ymmunobio’s Board of Directors in August 2022. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in business development strategy, deal negotiation, search & evaluation, due diligence, and commercial assessment. Currently, he serves as Director of Business Development & Alliance Management at Shionogi Europe. Previously, he was CBO at Sensorion and Director of Business Development at Nordic Pharma. His career includes roles at McKinsey & Company, Novartis, Nycomed, and Takeda. He holds a PhD from the University of Tübingen, Germany.