Andrew C. Chan Senior Vice President: Immunology and Antibody Engineering Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I decided to pursue a career at Genentech because it allowed me to combine my interests in basic immunology discovery research with my translational interests in understanding and altering the underlying pathogenesis of human autoimmune disorders. I was drawn particularly to Genentech because of its grassroots investigator-initiated scientific environment where scientific rigor, innovation and creativity and its collaborative environment intertwining basic research and translational discovery are the underpinnings of success. Finally, I was drawn to its employees who live the Genentech mission of meeting unmet medical need."

Current Projects "The research depth and scope have greatly grown since my arrival in 2001. Our present programs span: (a) discovering new biological pathways pertinent in human autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, asthma, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis, (b) defining optimal ways to restore normal immunity to prevent organ transplant rejection, (c) uncovering new pathways to safely augment the immune system to combat chronic viral diseases and cancer, and (d) harnessing antibody technologies to develop biotherapeutics to target infectious diseases. These efforts require broad collaborations amongst the various Departments within Research as well as collaborations with our Development colleagues in Immunology Diagnostic and Medical Affairs. These collaborations permit an integrated approach to human biology utilizing cutting edge basic biological approaches in the laboratory complemented with immunological and clinical studies of human diseases utilizing our commercialized therapeutics (including B-cell depletion using Rituxan® and decreasing free serum IgE with Xolair®) that, in turn, provide insights into the underlying pathogenesis of human disease and inform development of new therapeutic agents. These interactions provide the basis for bidirectional integration of basic science and medicine that enable us to develop a fully integrative understanding of human disease and novel drug discovery."

Collaborations "In addition to our internal collaborations on scientific projects, our scientists have a multitude of collaborations with numerous academic colleagues and industry partners around the world. These strategic alliances permit us to share as well as to access cutting edge technologies and science in synergistic interactions to advance our scientific and drug discovery mission."

Inspiration/Vision "What continually feeds us in Research is our desire to discover the unknown, understanding the underpinnings of human disease and, ultimately, discovery of new therapeutics that will help patients."