Jayant Aphale, Ph.D., has been our Vice President, Technical Operations since August 2024. Dr. Aphale has more than 30 years of experience encompassing several senior level roles in process development, manufacturing, technical operations and project management functions at both large pharmaceutical and clinical and commercial stage biotechnology companies as well as participation in several successful commercial product launches across multiple modalities. Prior to joining aTyr, from 2019 to 2024, Dr. Aphale was Vice President, RNA Manufacturing & Process Development for Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., where he designed the manufacturing processes and supply chains used to launch and commercialize the rare disease-related novel therapies AMONDYSTM and VYONDYSTM. From 2018 to 2019, he was Executive Vice President, Technical Operations for Gritstone Oncology, where he set up the long-term commercial immune-therapy manufacturing and individualized supply chain infrastructure. From 2011 to 2018, Dr. Aphale served as Senior Vice President, Technical Operations and Vice President, Global Technical Operations for Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., where he developed and implemented the strategy for EXONDYSTM, among other rare disease and cell and gene therapy products. Dr. Aphale has also previously worked at GSK Vaccines, Enobia Pharma, Acambis, Wyeth Vaccines, Diosynth RTP and Roche Diagnostics, among other companies. Dr. Aphale earned a Ph.D. in Microbiology from The Ohio State University and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Leadership Team
Sanjay S. Shukla, M.D., M.S.
President and CEO, Director
Sanjay S. Shukla, M.D., M.S., has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director since November 2017. Dr. Shukla served as our Chief Medical Officer from March 2016 to November 2017. From April 2015 to March 2016, Dr. Shukla worked in an advisory capacity for a number of companies, including as a consultant to aTyr from January 2016 to March 2016. Prior to that, from October 2012 to April 2015, Dr. Shukla served as Vice President and Global Head of Integrated Medical Services for Novartis, a biopharmaceutical company, where he led global medical affairs operations, with oversight for all pharma general medicines therapies, both inline and in development. Dr. Shukla served as Chief Executive Officer of RXMD, a clinical development consultancy that assisted in advancing proof of concept for early stage drug candidates, from April 2009 to September 2012. Prior to that, Dr. Shukla served in a variety of clinical development, data analytics and drug safety roles at Vifor Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company, and Aspreva Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Vifor Pharma). Dr. Shukla received his M.D. from Howard University College of Medicine and his Bachelors of Science in Microbiology and Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of Maryland.
Jill M. Broadfoot
Chief Financial Officer
Jill M. Broadfoot has served as our Chief Financial Officer since July 2018. From January 2017 to July 2018, Ms. Broadfoot served as Chief Financial Officer of Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Emerald Health Bioceuticals Inc., where she was responsible for establishing operations for the U.S.-based pharmaceutical and bioceutical entities as well as the establishment of operations, corporate governance, finance and accounting, information technology and investor relations functions, among others. Prior to Emerald Health, Ms. Broadfoot served as Vice President, U.S. Corporate Controller at GW Pharmaceuticals, from May 2016 to January 2017. While at GW Pharmaceuticals, her responsibilities included establishing U.S. commercial operations, overseeing information technology, and implementing U.S. public company financial and accounting standards in connection with the transfer of corporate operations from the U.K. to the U.S. Prior to joining GW Pharmaceuticals, Ms. Broadfoot served as Chief Financial Officer of Vical Inc., from October 2004 to March 2013, where she had oversight of finance, investor relations, manufacturing, information technology, human resources, and business development. Prior to that, Ms. Broadfoot held various positions at DJO Global, Inc., most recently as Vice President of Finance, and served as an audit manager at Ernst & Young LLP. Ms. Broadfoot serves on the board of directors of Talphera, Inc. and Angiocrine Biosciences, Inc., both biotechnology companies. She previously served on the board of directors of Otonomy, Inc., a biotechnology company. Ms. Broadfoot holds a B.S. in business administration and accounting from San Diego State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Nancy E. Denyes
General Counsel
Nancy E. Denyes has served as our General Counsel since February 2019 and as our Corporate Secretary since January 2015. Ms. Denyes served as our Vice President, Legal Affairs from October 2014 to February 2019, and provided consulting services to us from 2013 to 2014. Ms. Denyes practiced law in the corporate department at Cooley LLP and was named partner in 2000. Her practice at Cooley was focused on securities and corporate matters, including private financings, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance and disclosure issues. Ms. Denyes holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a B.A. in Economics and Business from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Andrea Cubitt, Ph.D.
VP, External Scientific Alliances & Intellectual Property
Andrea Cubitt, Ph.D. has served as our Vice President, External Scientific Alliances and Intellectual Property since February 2018 and served as our Vice President, Product Protection from September 2011 to February 2018. Dr. Cubitt worked as a consultant for us from January 2011 to September 2011. Prior to that, from 2009 to 2011, she worked as a senior patent agent for the Global Patent Group LLC, a patent consulting firm. She co-founded Anaptys Biosciences, a therapeutic antibody company, in 2005 and served as Executive Director of Corporate Development until 2009. She also served as Senior Manager, Technology and Intellectual Property at Aurora Bioscience Corporation, a biotechnology company. Dr. Cubitt did her postdoctoral training at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, and at the University of California San Diego, where she was part of team that initiated development of the green fluorescent protein (“GFP”) with Roger Tsien, Ph.D. Dr. Cubitt holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Sheffield and a first class honors degree (B.Sc) in medical biochemistry from the University of Birmingham in the UK. Dr. Cubitt is a co-inventor or co-author of 18 issued US patents and 20 publications.
Peter Villiger
VP, Corporate Development
Peter Villiger has served as our Vice President, Corporate Development since January 2020. From May 2016 to December 2019, he served as our Sr. Director, Corporate Development. Prior to joining aTyr, Mr. Villiger worked at The Medicines Company from 2008 to 2016, in business development and program management. Mr. Villiger completed a range of deals while at The Medicines Company, including the divestment of six marketed products, regional outlicensing deals in China and Japan, and two company acquisitions. During his time as a program manager, he oversaw programs across all stages of development, including the regulatory filings and FDA and EMA approvals for oritavancin, an anti-infective for complicated skin infections. Mr. Villiger has degrees in Finance from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Sydney in Australia.
Leslie Nangle, Ph.D.
VP, Research
Leslie Nangle, Ph.D., has served as our Vice President, Research since January 2021. Dr. Nangle has served in scientific research roles at aTyr since joining the company in 2007, including most recently as Sr. Director and Head of Research. Dr. Nangle has over 20 years of experience in research dedicated to extracellular tRNA synthetases. Throughout her tenure at aTyr, she has co-developed and implemented the company’s discovery platform to generate an intellectual property estate of over 300 potential therapeutically relevant proteins and has overseen research leading to the discovery of a splice variant of histidyl-tRNA synthetase that has been shown to modulate the immune system, providing the basis of aTyr’s lead program, ATYR1923. Prior to joining aTyr, Dr. Nangle received a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Cellular Structure and Chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, studying the emerging linkage between mutations in tRNA synthetases and inherited neuropathies under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Schimmel, who co-founded aTyr in 2005. Dr. Nangle received a bachelor of science in biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She is co-author or co-inventor of over 75 publications and issued or pending U.S. patents.
Robert W. Ashworth, Ph.D.
VP, Regulatory Affairs
Robert W. Ashworth, Ph.D. has served as our Vice President, Regulatory Affairs since October 2021. Prior to joining aTyr, from July 2018 to September 2021, Dr. Ashworth was Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Quality and CMC at OncoSec Medical, Inc., where he developed and executed the regulatory strategy for novel immunotherapy products for cancer. From 2015 to 2018, he was Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Quality and Compliance for Advaxis, Inc., where he developed and executed the global regulatory strategy for the company’s immunotherapy platform. Prior to that, he was Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs at NPS Pharmaceuticals. There he was instrumental in negotiating the approval of NATPARA (PTH) for hypoparathyroidism. When he was Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development, Inc., he executed the regulatory strategy for ABILIFY®, the company’s flagship product. He has also held positions with Biovail Corporation, Forest Laboratories, Inc., and Knoll Pharmaceuticals Company, among other companies. Dr. Ashworth earned a B.S. in Chemistry from St. John’s University and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Danielle Campbell
VP, Human Resources
Danielle Campbell has served as our Vice President, Human Resources since December 2021. Prior to joining aTyr, Ms. Campbell worked at Poseida Therapeutics, Inc., from 2016-2018 in roles related to human resources and facilities management. From 2019-2021, she was Senior Director, Facilities Operations, where she directed all facility operations including site development, maintenance, planning and environmental health and safety. From 2016-2018, she held roles in human resources at Poseida, including Director, Human Resources from 2018-2019 and Senior Manager, Human Resources from 2016-2018, where she managed daily human resources functions to support rapid growth, development and retention of team members. Prior to joining Poseida, Ms. Campbell was Human Resources Manager for aTyr Pharma, Inc., from 2015-2016, where she managed and supported daily human resources functions. Ms. Campbell began her career in human resources with earlier positions including Manager, Human Resources for Celladon Corporation from 2014-2015 and Manager, Human Resources & Equity Plans for Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. Ms. Campbell received a B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology.
Lisa Carey
VP, Clinical Operations
Lisa Carey has served as our Vice President, Clinical Operations since May 2023. Ms. Carey has
over 30 years of clinical operations experience. From June 2015 to December 2023, she served as
our Sr. Director, Clinical Operations, overseeing the company’s clinical programs, including
efzofitimod. Prior to joining aTyr, from 2006 to 2015, Ms. Carey worked at Vertex Pharmaceuticals as
a Clinical Operations Consultant in the Global Trial Activation Group, where she facilitated global
Phase 3 trials for Kalydeco® for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, Incivek® for hepatitis C and
lumacaftor for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. From 1997 to 2003, Ms. Carey was as an Associate
Director, Global Study Management, Experimental Medicine in the areas of oncology and infectious
disease at the Genetics Institute/Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and from 1995 to 1997, she served as a
Project Manager in asthma at Muro Pharmaceutical, Inc. Prior to entering into clinical operations
research, Ms. Carey was a critical care nurse. Ms. Carey has a B.S. in Nursing from Saint Joseph’s
College.