Lecture: Adventures in Drug Hunting
Wendy Young, Ph.D. is a widely recognized and distinguished biotech executive with more than 30 years of experience in the discovery and development of innovative medicines. She currently serves as a board member and scientific advisor to multiple biotechnology companies and is an advisor to GV (Google Ventures).
Previously, Wendy was Senior Vice President of Small Molecule Drug Discovery at Genentech, where she built and led the organization responsible for advancing more than 25 clinical candidates across oncology, immunology, antibacterial, and neuroscience programs. She was the research leader and co-inventor of fenebrutinib, which has demonstrated positive Phase 3 results in multiple sclerosis.
Beyond her industry impact, Wendy has made significant contributions to the broader scientific community. She has served as elected Chair of the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry and as an editor for the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. She is an author or inventor on more than 80 scientific publications and patents.
Her leadership and scientific achievements have been widely recognized. She was inducted as an ACS Fellow in 2018, named one of Endpoint News’ Top 20 Women in Biopharma in 2019, awarded the Earle B. Barnes Award for Chemical Leadership in 2020, and inducted into the MEDI Hall of Fame in 2024.
Wendy earned her PhD in Chemistry from Princeton University and completed postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
