Christopher Austin

Christopher Austin is the Senior Vice President of Research Technologies at GSK, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company that unites science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease. Prior to GSK, Dr. Austin served as the CEO and Partner at Flagship Pioneering, a firm that creates and fosters innovative biotech companies. Concurrently, he held the position of CEO at Vesalius Therapeutics, a franchise company under the Flagship Pioneering umbrella. This dual role allowed him to stay at the forefront of biotechnology advancements and to lead their application in novel, groundbreaking ways.

Prior to joining Flagship, Dr. Austin held the esteemed position of founding director at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It was here that his leadership and dedication to translational science enabled the development, demonstration, and dissemination of significant scientific and operational advances in the field. His time at the NIH further solidified his standing as an authority in the biotechnology industry.

Dr. Austin's academic background is rooted in the field of biology and medicine. He earned his A.B. in biology from Princeton and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. His research and medical practice have largely centered around the genome-based discovery of novel targets and drugs, particularly those pertaining to common neuropsychiatric diseases. This specific expertise adds another dimension to his overall value as a leader in biotechnology and medicine.