Umoja Biopharma, a biotechnology company pioneering an integrated, in vivo immunotherapy platform, today announced the appointment of Rob Glassman, M.D., to its Board of Directors.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Glassman to Umoja’s Board of Directors. Rob is an accomplished and highly regarded leader in the healthcare space, and he brings exceptional leadership and valuable perspectives to the Board with deep expertise in finance and oncology,” said Andy Scharenberg, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Umoja. “We are thrilled to have him on board during this critical time for the company, as this year represents a foundational period for the advancement of our fully integrated, scalable, in vivo-based approach to engineered immunotherapies.”
Dr. Glassman has served as a senior investment banker for 17 years at Merrill Lynch and has been a Vice Chairman at Credit Suisse since 2015. He has since returned to OrbiMed Advisors as the only venture partner in public equity, having served as a private equity partner from 2009 to 2010. Earlier in his career, Dr. Glassman was part of the Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity group, where he oversaw a very successful healthcare portfolio. He also consulted for a wide range of clients within McKinsey & Company’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Products practice. Dr. Glassman was also a board-certified hematologist-oncologist and holds a faculty appointment at Weill Cornell as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Glassman received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He also spent several years as a basic science investigator at Rockefeller University in the laboratory of Hidesaburo Hanafusa, where he received Howard Hughes Medical Institute and American Cancer Society awards.
“I am excited to be a part of the Umoja team and apply my medical and finance backgrounds in support of the company’s key milestones,” said Dr. Glassman. “Umoja is tackling cancer in an entirely new way – directing a patient’s own immune system to attack and destroy tumors. I believe Umoja’s unique technologies represent the future of cancer treatment and will ultimately provide accessible, lower cost treatment options for people living with cancer.”
