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Dr. David J. Bearss, a serial entrepreneur and pharmaceutical innovator, has over two decades of experience spanning academic and industrial roles. His scientific expertise lies at the intersection of structure-based small-molecule drug discovery and the utilization of genetic model systems for drug discovery. Dave has discovered 17 compounds that have successfully navigated from discovery in the lab to IND into clinical development. His entrepreneurial experience is evident through his roles as the co-founder of eight biotechnology companies. 

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Dave serves as CEO of Halia Therapeutics, a company he co-founded in 2017. Prior to Halia, Dave served as the CEO of Tolero Pharmaceuticals, an organization later acquired by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. His tenure as chief scientific officer at Montigen Pharmaceuticals, followed by its acquisition by SuperGen Inc., demonstrates his dedication to driving early-stage drug discovery and development. At SuperGen, he continued to develop his expertise in these critical areas.

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Dave’s academic career includes the founding of the Center for Investigational Therapeutics Co-Director at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He also previously held academic positions as an Associate Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah and as an Associate Professor of Physiology and Developmental Biology at Brigham Young University.

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Dave earned a Ph.D. in cell biology from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, and did his post-doctoral fellowship at the Institute for Drug Development at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center also in Texas. He has won several awards for his entrepreneurial and scientific achievements, including the Utah Governor’s Medal of Science and BIO Utah Entrepreneur of the Year.