SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — March 28, 2024 — Calico Life Sciences LLC (Calico), a biotechnology organization focused on the biology of aging and age-related diseases, and founded by Alphabet and Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D., today announced the appointment of Michael Lenardo, M.D., as its new Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Lenardo will join the company in August after completing his term as Co-Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Clinical Genomics Program at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Lenardo is an accomplished molecular immunologist and geneticist whose medical research career spans four decades. He has been recognized for his work on fundamental immunological mechanisms and is particularly known for discovering the genetic basis, pathogenesis, and treatment of several congenital disorders of the immune system.
“Securing someone of Mike’s caliber for the critical role of Chief Scientific Officer is a major achievement for Calico,” said Dr. Levinson, CEO of Calico. “His outstanding scientific background and collaborative nature, combined with a track record of innovation and leadership will serve Calico well as we accelerate into our second decade and continue to advance our mission of understanding the biology that controls human aging and developing interventions to allow people to lead longer and healthier lives.”
In addition to directing NIAID’s Clinical Genomics Program, Dr. Lenardo currently serves as an NIH Distinguished Investigator and the Institute’s Chief of Molecular Development of the Immune System section. He has worked at NIAID since 1989, when he established an independent research unit there. Dr. Lenardo has been recognized with numerous awards and designations such as membership into the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, and designated an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E), conferred by Queen Elizabeth II. He received his bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Lenardo completed his residency in internal medicine and research in biochemistry at the University of Iowa. He performed his postdoctoral training with Nobel laureates David Baltimore and Phillip Sharp at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“Working to answer the big scientific and medical questions about how we age is an incredibly important mission that has the potential to help all of us experience longer healthspans,” said Dr. Lenardo. “The commitment to scientific excellence and integrity at Calico, coupled with the highly talented team, is truly impressive and reflected in the impactful progress they are making. I am looking forward to being a part of this unique and highly collaborative organization.”
About Calico
Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. To learn more about Calico, visit www.calicolabs.com.
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