Biotechnology
10 VPs of research
These ten VPs of research have each held a Vice President of Research title or a close variant, some current and some former, at the organizations shown on their rows. Readers can learn how research leaders choose which programs to pursue, build and run research teams, and move early findings toward products or the clinic.
Professionals to explore
01—10Alan Russell
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Research. Large Molecule Discovery & Research Data Science · Amgen
Vice President, Research. Large Molecule Discovery & Research Data Science at Amgen since 2020, and Head, R&D Technology & Innovation at Amgen since 2023. Former roles include Co-Founder at BioHybrid Solutions, LLC (2016–2023), Highmark Distinguished Career Professor at Carnegie Mellon University (2012–2020) and Chief Innovation Officer & Executive Vice President at Allegheny Health Network (2013–2016).
Brian Garrison
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Research · Senti Biosciences
Vice President of Research at Senti Biosciences since 2024. Former Senti Biosciences roles include Senior Director of Research (2022–2024), Director of Research (2021–2022) and Associate Director of Research (2019–2021). His profile says the role includes Head of Discovery Research, encompassing three teams including bioinformatics and gene circuit research, and Head of Translational Science.
David Palmer
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Research, Advanced Technology Group · HP Autonomy
Former Vice President of Research, Advanced Technology Group at HP Autonomy (2002–2016), and former Senior Artificial Intelligence Engineer Lead Scientist at MITRE (1995–2002). His profile says that at HP Autonomy he directed the corporate research program in audio and video analytics and led the development and integration of trainable natural language, audio and video processing.
Jackson Egen
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President, Research Oncology · Gilead Sciences
Senior Vice President, Research Oncology at Gilead Sciences since 2025, and former Vice President, Research Oncology (2022–2025) and Executive Director (2021–2022) at Gilead Sciences. Former roles at Amgen include Director, Inflammation and Oncology (2019–2021) and Principal Scientist (2014–2019).
Matt Henderson
LinkedInExperience: VP of Research · PolyAI
VP of Research at PolyAI since 2024, a title he also held there from 2018 to 2021. Other former roles include Member of Technical Staff - Research at Reka AI (2023–2024) and Principal Machine Learning Researcher Siri at Apple (2021–2023). His profile says he leads a research team applying generative AI to customer support agents, with projects including training an in-house LLM.
Paul Shughrue
LinkedInExperience: VP of Research and Strategy · Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
VP of Research and Strategy at Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since 2024. Former roles include Global Head of Search and Evaluation (2023–2024) and Head of Business Development, North America Asia (2022–2023) at Rallybio, and Senior Director, External Science and Innovation at Allergan (2017–2022). His profile describes leading research and development from early drug discovery to teams that advanced small and large molecules to clinical trials, and a move into search and evaluation.
Peter Lynch
LinkedInExperience: VP of Research · AgReliant Genetics, LLC
VP of Research at AgReliant Genetics, LLC since 2017, and Board Member at Genective since 2019. Former roles include Research Leader at Monsanto Company (2006–2017) and Corn Breeder & Research Manager at Dow AgroSciences (1996–2005). His profile describes a career in research within the agriculture industry, translating ag research, technology and innovations into commercially profitable product pipelines.
Stacey Dillon
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Research · Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Former Vice President, Research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (2024–2026) in Seattle; her profile headline says she is retired. Other former roles include Vice President, Translational Medicine (2021–2024) and Senior Director, Translational Sciences (2016–2021) at Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc., and Director, Immuno-Oncology Discovery at Bristol Myers Squibb (2011–2016).
Stephen Dewhurst
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Research · University of Rochester
Vice President of Research at University of Rochester since 2023. He has also been Vice Dean for Research at University of Rochester Medicine since 2013 and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Rochester since 1990, and his profile headline gives his current title as VP for Research at University of Rochester.
Xuan J.
LinkedInExperience: VP of Research · Perosphere Technologies Inc.
VP of Research at Perosphere Technologies Inc. since 2019. Former roles at Perosphere Inc. include VP of Preclinical Devolpment (2015–2019), Director of Preclinical Development (2013–2015) and Senior Research Scientist (2012–2013). The profile describes experience in the R&D of in vitro diagnostic devices and pharmaceuticals, including IVD verification, validation and design control, and the ability to lead an R&D team.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's research setting, such as a drug discovery company, a technology firm or a university, to the decision you face, since priorities and timelines differ widely between them. Also consider whether you need someone close to lab or model-building work or someone who has managed research portfolios and partnerships.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you decide which research programs to fund and which to stop?
- 02What does a strong handoff from research to development look like?
- 03How should a research organization be structured as it grows from a few groups to many?
Reaching VPs of research
How can I contact one of these VPs of research?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 10 companies, including Amgen, Senti Biosciences and HP Autonomy, based on profile data retrieved on September 29, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach VPs of research?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. It includes Instant Expert's 20% fee, so an offer that pays the person $100 costs you $125. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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