Stephen Gould Senior Scientist: Cancer Signaling & Translational Oncology Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I joined Genentech in 2006 after seven years in the Boston biotech sector, four of which were spent in a productive collaboration with scientists here at Genentech. The decision to become an East Coast transplant was driven by my passion to take small molecule drugs from concept to patients, and to do so in an environment driven by science and the desire to have a dramatic impact on patient outcome. As a transition point between the bench and the clinic, the translational oncology group is focused on providing data that determines the relative efficacy of new agents and correlates efficacy with target inhibition and drug exposures to help inform the clinical strategy."

Current Projects "Currently I am working on several projects within the BioOncology pipeline including those aimed at targeting hedgehog, PARP, and IAP. While the goals for these programs are similar, the distinct mechanism of action of each target dictates that we approach them with differing strategies. Therapies designed to act as chemosensitizers will be used in conjunction with chemotherapeutics, and therefore we need to understand drug-drug interactions; effects of sequencing and timing of drug administration; and potential unexpected toxicities when designing preclinical models. Other agents designed to act alone require a full understanding of the key drivers of efficacy and the identification of predictive biomarkers to better match drug to patient."

Collaborations "By virtue of our role at the interface between basic science and clinical science, we are a highly collaborative department. I interact heavily with medicinal chemists who work to continually improve the drugs we investigate, pharmacologists who determine exposure levels of these drugs in animals, and scientists in molecular diagnostics who help define biomarkers that are used to guide dosing and eventual patient selection."

Inspiration/Vision "I am passionate about my work and believe that the ability to successfully bring drugs from paper to pill requires two basic principles: hard work and an environment that demands that the difficult questions be asked at each step of the process. Genentech provides an atmosphere where this approach can lead to amazing advances in the treatment of unmet medical needs."