Virobay

Robert Booth PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Virobay

Robert Booth was the driving force behind the creation of Virobay in 2006. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Celera Genomics, responsible for integrating and leading Celera's therapeutic discovery and development activities.

Robert also served in a series of executive positions at Roche for over 13 years, including Senior Vice President responsible for research and early development of inflammatory, viral, respiratory, and bone disease products.

Robert is a member of the Science Advisory Board of ShangPharma ChemPartner, serves as a consultant to a number of biotech and venture capital groups, and is a board observer with Galleon Pharmaceuticals.  

Robert obtained his PhD in biochemistry from the University of London.

Jeffrey Latts MD
Chief Medical Advisor

Jeff Latts has been working with Virobay since 2010 using his extensive knowledge of clinical and preclinical development to guide Virobay’s development strategies.  Jeff has been a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry since January 2007.

Previously, Jeff served as Executive Vice President of Exelixis, Inc., a biotechnology company, from January 2006 to January 2007, and as Senior Vice President of Exelixis, Inc. from July 2001 to December 2005.  he also served as Chief Medical Officer of Exelixis, Inc. from July 2001 to September 2006.

Prior to that, Jeff held key management positions with Berlex Laboratories, a pharmaceutical healthcare company, where he served as Chief medical Officer from 1995 to 2001, and Vice President, Clinical Research and Development from 1990 to 2001.  Prior to that, Jeff served as Vice President, Clinical Research at Wyeth Ayerst Research, a division of Wyeth Laboratories.  He began his career in the pharmaceutical industry with the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Divisioni of Warner Lambert.

Jeff received a B.S. in medicine and an M.D. from the University of Minnesota.

Leslie Holsinger PhD
Vice President, Biology

Leslie Holsinger is responsible for biology and translational medicine at Virobay having joined the company from Celera Genomics where she served as Head of Cell Biology.

At Virobay, Leslie is responsible for all of the biology studies associated with our programs, including compound screening, cell biology, and pharmacology studies in preclinical and clinical studies.

Previously, Leslie was a Group Leader in biology at Sugen, where she was involved in drug discovery programs focused on kinase and phosphatase biology in multiple therapeutic areas.

She completed her post-doctoral studies at the Stanford Medical School having earned her PhD in virology from Northwestern University.

Jeff Dener PhD
Senior Director, Chemical Development

Jeff Dener manages many of the strategic partnerships that Virobay has established with leading contract manufacturers around the world, including suppliers in Europe, Asia and North America.  He is an expert in the outsourcing of medicinal and process chemistry for therapeutic areas including inflammation, pain, cardiovascular, oncology, and virology.

Before joining Virobay, Jeff was Scientific Fellow at Celera Genomics where he held an active role in both the development of process chemistry for, and management of, contract manufacturing activities for two molecules, which subsequently entered clinical trials. Prior to Celera, he was a key contributor to drug discovery and development programs at Axys Pharmaceuticals, Shaman Pharmaceuticals and Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, now part of Sanofi-Aventis.

Jeff received a BS in Chemistry from Bucknell University and obtained his PhD in Organic Chemistry from The Ohio State University under the direction of Professor David J. Hart. Subsequently, he was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the research group of Professor Henry Rapoport at the University of California, Berkeley.