Alexander Casdin
Chief Executive Officer
Alex is Epirium’s Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the board of directors. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Operating/Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. Alex has broad operational and financial expertise, with more than 25 years of experience as a successful healthcare executive and institutional investor. Before joining Epirium, Alex was the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and portfolio manager of Reneo Capital Management LP, a successful healthcare investment fund. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Sophiris Bio, Inc. and Vice President of Finance for Amylin Pharmaceuticals.
Alex was a founder and senior advisor at Casdin Advisors, LLC, Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager at Cooper Hill Partners, LLC, a healthcare investment fund, and portfolio manager of Pequot Capital Management’s healthcare fund. Earlier, he worked at the Dreyfus Corporation as a senior managing analyst covering pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.
Alex serves on the Board of Directors of Erasca, Inc., and is Chair of the Audit Committee. Alex has also served on the Boards of Directors for multiple life science companies, including Ignyta Inc. (acquired by Roche) and Dusa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Sun Pharma). He also served as an Investor Board Observer of 454 Life Sciences (acquired by Roche).
Alex is a member on Brown University’s Advisory Council on Biology and Medicine. He is also Treasurer, Executive Committee member, and Board member of The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Conquer Cancer Foundation. Alex received an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, Beta Gamma Sigma, and a B.A. in political science from Brown University.
Eric Miller, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Eric currently serves as our Chief Financial Officer and leads our accounting and finance functions. He joined Epirium as Vice President, Finance Operations and Chief Accounting Officer in January 2021, bringing over 20 years of finance experience, including over a decade in the life science industry at both commercial and clinical-stage companies. Prior to joining Epirium, Eric was the acting San Diego Site Head of Finance at Synthorx, Inc. after its acquisition by Sanofi. Previously, Eric held various roles with increasing responsibilities at Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., including Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer. During his time at Acadia, Eric supported its first commercial launch and oversaw accounting, SEC reporting, treasury, and financial planning functions, as well as supported fundraising initiatives of over $1B in follow-on public offerings for the company. He also held roles with increasing responsibility at Cadence Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals).
Eric is a Certified Public Accountant with the State of California and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.
Micah Webster, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Translational Sciences
Micah currently serves as our Senior Director, Translational Sciences and leads our Discovery Biology and Biomarker Development Programs. He joined Epirium as Director, Translational Sciences in September 2023, bringing over 7 years of experience in biotech drug discovery and development. Prior to joining Epirium, Micah was Associate Director, Translational Sciences at Scholar Rock where he supported Discovery Biology programs for myostatin inhibitors in neuromuscular and metabolic disease as well as new target validation in fibrosis. While at Scholar Rock, he led clinical biomarker strategy and contributed to preclinical development of apitegromab. Prior to starting a career in biotech, Micah received the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health for his postdoctoral research fellowship on skeletal muscle stem cells and muscle regeneration in the lab of Chen-Ming Fan, Ph.D., at the Carnegie Institution for Science.
Micah received a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University.
Russell J. Cox
Executive Chairman
Russell is currently the Executive Chairman at Epirium Bio. Previously he served as President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to Epirium, Russell served as Chief Executive Officer at Vital Therapies, Inc and successfully transacted a reverse merger. He previously served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc. He was responsible for global commercial activities, R&D, manufacturing/technical operations, new product planning and global molecule leadership at Jazz during a meaningful period of scale and success for the company. Russ has created value leading to acquisition of several companies. Russ was the Vice President of Marketing at Tercica, Inc. prior to its acquisition by the Ipsen Group where he later served as Chief Commercial Officer. He also served as Vice President, Marketing at Scios Inc., which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Russell was at Genentech, Inc. for 12 years where he held the coveted position of Product Team Leader and was responsible for the Endocrine franchise and led several successful product launches as a Group Product Manager.
Russell serves on the board of directors of Gossamer Bio. He also served on the Board of Spyre Therapeutics as Chairman of the Board. Russell received a B.S. degree in biomedical science from Texas A&M University.
Paul Berns
Member
Paul L. Berns is a Managing director with ARCH Venture Partners and is the founder and Executive Chairman of Neumora Therapeutics. Mr. Berns has been a member of ARCH Venture Partners since August 2018 and became a Managing Director in 2021. Mr. Berns previously served as a co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors for HI-Bio, which was acquired by Biogen in July 2024. Mr. Berns currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the privately held company Happy AI and NICO Therapeutics. Additionally, Mr. Berns is a member of the Board of Directors of Mirador Therapeutics, Areteia Therapeutics, Metsera Therapeutics, EnCarda, Epirium, Ollin Biosciences and Unity Biotechnology (UBX).
Mr. Berns was the founder and served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the Board of Directors of Neumora Therapeutics from 2020 to 2023. From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Berns served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Anacor Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company which was acquired by Pfizer in 2016. Previously Mr. Berns served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Allos Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company from 2006 to 2012, when it was acquired by Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Berns was President and Chief Executive Officer of Bone Care International, a specialty pharmaceutical company from 2002 to 2005 when it was acquired by Genzyme Corporation.
Prior to that, Mr. Berns was Vice President and Manager of the Immunology, Oncology, and Pain Therapeutics business unit of Abbott Laboratories from 2001 to 2002, and from 2000 to 2001, he served as Vice President, Marking of BASF Pharmaceuticals/Knoll, when it was acquired by Abbott Laboratories in 2001. Earlier in his career, Mr. Berns held various positions, including senior management roles, at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) from 1999 to 2000.
Mr. Berns previously served on the Board of Directors of EQRX (2020 to 2023), Jazz Pharmaceuticals, PLC (2010 to 2021), MC2 Therapeutics (2017 to 2020), Menlo Therapeutics (2017 to 2020), Anacor Pharmaceutics (2012 to 2016), XenoPort (2005 to 2016), Allos Therapeutics (2006 to 2012), and Bone Care International (2002 to 2005). Mr. Berns holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin.
Patrick Enright
Member
Mr. Enright is a Managing Director and Founder of Longitude Capital. Prior to Longitude Capital, Mr. Enright was a Managing Director of Pequot Ventures, where he co-led the life sciences investment practice. Prior to Pequot, he was a Managing Member of the Delta Opportunity Fund, and he began his investment career at PaineWebber Development Corporation.
Mr. Enright also has significant life sciences operations experience, including senior executive positions at Valentis (VLTS), Hoffman – La Roche, and Novartis. Mr. Enright currently serves on the boards of BioAge Labs (BIOA), CuraSen Therapeutics, Endeavor Biomedicines, Epirium Bio, Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ), Opna Bio, Orbus Therapeutics, Vera Therapeutics (VERA), Veradermics, and Zenas BioPharma (ZBIO).
Selected prior board memberships include Aimmune (AIMT, acquired by Nestlé), Codexis (CDXS), Corcept Therapeutics (CORT), Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR), Horizon Pharmaceuticals (HZNP, acquired by Amgen), InfaCare Pharmaceutical (acquired by Mallinckrodt), MAP Pharmaceuticals (MAPP, acquired by Allergan), Prestwick Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Lundbeck), Sequenom (SQNM, acquired by LabCorp), Rivus Pharmaceuticals, Threshold Pharmaceuticals (THLD), Vaxcyte (PCVX), as well as the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Mr. Enright holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University.
Jeffrey Bird, M.D., Ph.D.
Member
Jeffrey Bird, M.D., Ph.D., is the founder of Bluebird Ventures, an early-stage life sciences venture capital firm. Formerly he was a Managing Director at Sutter Hill Ventures, where he focused on healthcare, including biotechnology and genomic technologies.
Dr. Bird has been a board member of numerous public and many private biotechnology companies over an almost 20 year investing career. He has also held various leadership roles at biotech companies including CEO of Verinata Health and Senior Vice President and COO at Gilead Sciences. Dr. Bird received a B.S. in Biological Sciences, an M.D., and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford University.
Alexander Casdin
Member
Alex is Epirium’s Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the board of directors. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Operating/Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. Alex has broad operational and financial expertise, with more than 25 years of experience as a successful healthcare executive and institutional investor. Before joining Epirium, Alex was the founder, Chief Executive Officer, and portfolio manager of Reneo Capital Management LP, a successful healthcare investment fund. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Sophiris Bio, Inc. and Vice President of Finance for Amylin Pharmaceuticals.
Alex was a founder and senior advisor at Casdin Advisors, LLC, Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager at Cooper Hill Partners, LLC, a healthcare investment fund, and portfolio manager of Pequot Capital Management’s healthcare fund. Earlier, he worked at the Dreyfus Corporation as a senior managing analyst covering pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.
Alex serves on the Board of Directors of Erasca, Inc., and is Chair of the Audit Committee. Alex has also served on the Boards of Directors for multiple life science companies, including Ignyta Inc. (acquired by Roche) and Dusa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Sun Pharma). He also served as an Investor Board Observer of 454 Life Sciences (acquired by Roche).
Alex is a member on Brown University’s Advisory Council on Biology and Medicine. He is also Treasurer, Executive Committee member, and Board member of The American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Conquer Cancer Foundation. Alex received an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, Beta Gamma Sigma, and a B.A. in political science from Brown University.
