Genentech is my third company. I joined in 2004 to lead a team focused on antibody-drug conjugates for B-cell malignancies. Ever since I arrived, I have felt challenged and privileged to work with an elite group of research scientists, clinicians, and manufacturing colleagues.

Genentech does a terrific job of coupling research scientists with clinicians at the concept stage and throughout a project's evolution to ensure that new therapeutics meet a high bar. Success is never certain, but compelling data are their own reward, and the challenges of opening a new therapeutic platform around antibody-drug conjugates were also very satisfying. When I look at the proportion of our pipeline represented by these efforts and the enormous clinical potential, I feel it's more than I could have hoped for as a career opportunity.

For a couple years we also worked to evaluate the therapeutic potential of PI3K inhibition in hematologic malignancies and in 2007 we leveraged these knowledge and experience to initiate a project around the PIM kinases which share certain functions with the PI3K pathway. The project is quite advanced by now with a deep knowledge of mechanism particularly in multiple myeloma. We are excited, in particular, by the potential of our PIM inhibitors in cancer.

In 2011 we formalized a department of Cancer Immunology around a group already working in this area. We have an extraordinary diversity of approaches and technologies being applied to the problem. It's great to work in an organization with expertise and ability in so many different technology platforms: conventional antibodies, bi-specific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and small-molecule projects- they all have a place in our department's portfolio. This tool set, coupled with different approaches to stimulate the immune system and to overcome immunosuppression, provides an unparalleled opportunity for success.

• My Focus

  As an organization, we are very proud of the impact that we've had in the hematologic malignancies. One of my focus areas is to see that we continue to improve and extend progress in lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma by coordinating our research efforts with other functional areas and continuing to evaluate new opportunities and propose new targets and programs in these therapeutic areas.

  More recently, I've been immersed in Immunology. I'm humbled by the breadth and depth of the communities' knowledge of the immune system, and fortunate to have many excellent colleagues as teachers and advisors.

• Publications

  • Discovery of novel pyrazolo1,5-apyrimidines as potent pan-Pim inhibitors by structure- and property-based drug design

    Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2013, ISSN: 0960-894X

    Wang, Xiaojing; Magnuson, Steven; Pastor, Rich; Fan, Eric; Hu, Huiyong; Tsui, Vickie; Deng, Wei; Murray, Jeremy; Steffek, Micah; Wallweber, Heidi; Moffat, John; Drummond, Jason; Chan, Grace; Harstad, Eric; Ebens, Allen J

     View on PubMed

  • Development of a robust flow cytometry-based pharmacodynamic assay to detect phosphoprotein signals for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors in multiple myeloma

    Journal of Translational Medicine, 2013, ISSN: 1479-5876

    Li, Congfen; Takahashi, Chikara; Zhang, Liangxuan; Huseni, Mahrukh; Stankovich, Basha; Mashhedi, Haider; Lee, Joanna; French, Dorothy; Anderson, Jeff Eastham; Kim, Doris; Howell, Kathy; Brauer, Matthew J.; Kowanetz, Marcin; Yan, Yibing; Humke, Eric; Ebens, Allen; Hampton, Garret; Lackner, Mark R.; Hegde, Priti; Jia, Shidong

     View on PubMed

  • Conjugation site modulates the in vivo stability and therapeutic activity of antibody-drug conjugates

    Nature Biotechnology, 2012, ISSN: 1087-0156

    Shen, Ben-Quan; Xu, Keyang; Liu, Luna; Raab, Helga; Bhakta, Sunil; Kenrick, Margaret; Parsons-Reponte, Kathryn L; Tien, Janet; Yu, Shang-Fan; Mai, Elaine; Li, Dongwei; Tibbitts, Jay; Baudys, Jakub; Saad, Ola M; Scales, Suzie J; McDonald, Paul J; Hass, Philip E; Eigenbrot, Charles; Nguyen, Trung; Solis, Willy A; Fuji, Reina N; Flagella, Kelly M; Patel, Darshana; Spencer, Susan D; Khawli, Leslie A; Ebens, Allen; Wong, Wai Lee; Vandlen, Richard; Kaur, Surinder; Sliwkowski, Mark X; Scheller, Richard H; Polakis, Paul; Junutula, Jagath R

     View on PubMed

  • Anti-CD22-MCC-DM1: an antibody-drug conjugate with a stable linker for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

    Leukemia, 2010, ISSN: 1476-5551

    Polson, A.; Williams, M.; Gray, A.; Fuji, R.; Poon, K.; McBride, J.; Raab, H.; Januario, T.; Go, M.; Lau, J.; Yu, S.; Du, C.; Fuh, F.; Tan, C.; Wu, Y.; Liang, W.; Prabhu, S.; Stephan, J.; Hongo, J.; Dere, R.; Deng, R.; Cullen, M.; de Tute, R.; Bennett, F.; Rawstron, A.; Jack, A.; Ebens, A.

  • CD40 Pathway Activation Status Predicts Response to CD40 Targeted Therapy in Diffuse Large b-Cell Lymphoma.

    Blood, 2009, ISSN: 0006-4971

    Dornan, D.; Burington, B.; Yue, P.; Shi, X.; Advani, R.; Yu, N.; Lau, J.T.; Yu, S.F.; De Vos, S.; Ansell, S.M.; Forero-Torres, A.; Modrusan, Z.; Koeppen, H.; Yang, T.; Du, C.; Elkins, K.; Polson, A.G.; Offringa, R.; Whiting, N.; Ebens, A.J.

  • FcRL5 as a Target of Antibody-Drug Conjugates for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma.

    Blood, 2009, ISSN: 0006-4971

    Polson, A.G.; Zheng, B.; Elkins, K.; Lau, J.; Go, M.A.; Scales, S.J.; Yu, S.F.; Chesi, M.; Bergsagel, P.L.; Ebens, A.J.

  • The PI3K Inhibitor GDC-0941 Induces Growth Arrest and Apoptosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells.

    Blood, 2009, ISSN: 0006-4971

    Sun-Laura; Berry-Leanne, Du-Changchun, Ma-Xiaoju-Max, Shi-Lily, Medeiros-Bruno-C, Ebens-Allen-J.;

  • The PI3K Inhibitor GDC-0941 Synergizes with Standard of Care Therapies to Induce Growth Inhibition and Apoptosis of Multiple Myeloma Cells.

    Blood, 2009, ISSN: 0006-4971

    Munugalavadla, V.; Berry, L.; Du, C.; Mariathasan, S.; Slaga, D.; Sun, L.; Chesi, M.; Bergsagel, P.L.; Ebens, A.J.

  • In vivo effects of targeting CD79b with antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.

    Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 2009, ISSN: 1538-8514

    Zheng, B.; Fuji, R.N.; Elkins, K.; Yu, S.F.; Fuh, F.K.; Chuh, J.; Tan, C.; Hongo, J.A.; Raab, H.; Kozak, K.R.; Williams, M.; McDorman, E.; Eaton, D.; Ebens, A.; Polson, A.G.

  • Therapeutic potential of an anti-CD79b antibody-drug conjugate, anti-CD79b-vc-MMAE, for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

    Blood, 2009, ISSN: 1528-0020

    Dornan, D.; Bennett, F.; Chen, Y.; Dennis, M.; Eaton D.; Elkins, K.; French, D.; Go, M.A.T.; Jack, A.; Junutula, J.R.; Koeppen, H.; Lau, J.; McBride, J.; Rawstron, A.; Shi, X.; Yu, N.; Yu, S.-F.; Yue, P.; Zheng, B.; Ebens, A.; Polson, A.G.

  • Antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: target and linker-drug selection.

    Cancer Research, 2009, ISSN: 1538-7445

    Polson, A.G.; Calemine-Fenaux, J.; Chan, P.; Chang. W.; Christensen, E.; Clark, S.; de Sauvage, F.J.; Eaton, D.; Elkins, K.; Elliott, M.; Frantz, G.; Fuji, R.N.; Gray, A.; Harden, K.; Ingle, G.S.; Kljavin, N.M.; Koeppen, H.; Nelson, C.; Prabhu, S.; Raab, H.; Ross, S.; Stephan, J.-P.; Scales, S.J.; Spencer, S.D.; Vandlen, R.; Wranik, B.; Yu, S.-F.; Zheng, B.; Ebens, A.

• Education
  • University of California, San Francisco, Postdoctral Fellow – 1997
  • University of California, Los Angeles, Molecular Biology, Ph.d – 1995
  • University of Washington, Chemistry, B.Sc. – 1989
• Awards & Honors
  • American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship – 1995-1997
  • Neurobiology Scholarship – 1993
  • NIH Predoctoral National Research Service Award – 1993-1995