Sandeep Kumar
Google Scholar

Sandeep Kumar

Highly Accomplished Industrial Scientist and Biotechnology Advisor

skumar

About Me

I am a scientist with extensive experience in discovery and development of novel biotherapeutics that benefit the patients with unmet medical needs. I am passionate about using science and technology to mitigate challenges towards bringing biotherapeutics to market faster, more often, and at affordable costs.

I am using my expertise in computational biology, bioinformatics, computational biophysics, and data science to promote Biopharmaceutical Informatics, in silico developability assessments, and digital transformation in the biopharmaceutical industry. I have come up with a strategic vision, Biopharmaceutical Informatics.

I have so far contributed 118 research papers, reviews and book chapters. These publications have received more than 12,500 citations (h-index = 53; i10-index = 94; 29 cited 100 or more times, and 1 with more than 1200 citations). I have also edited two books entitled “Developability of Biotherapeutics: Computational Approaches”, and “Biopharmaceutical Informatics: Learning How to Discover Developable Biotherapeutics”. Both books have been published by Taylor and Francis. I have received numerous awards over my career including the 2014 Ebert Prize from American Pharmacists Association.

I have mentored numerous graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and colleagues in the industry. I am also experienced at recruiting, supervising, and nurturing talent. I am particularly adept at leading cross-functional and international teams and forging academic-industry collaborations.

I also serve as an editor for mAbs, a Taylor & Francis Journal.

Overall, my professional experience spans 27 years in Government, Academia and Industry after completing doctorate in 1998.

Core Competencies:

  • Design and engineering of antibody- and TCR-based molecular formats
  • Biotherapeutic developability; AI- and ML-driven drug discovery and development
  • Molecular modeling and simulations; computational biology and biophysics
  • Biopharmaceutical informatics
  • Scientific teaching and mentoring, team development, and cross-functional leadership
  • Cross-functional program management
  • Digital transformation and platform development
  • Academic and industrial scientific collaborations as well as consultancy
  • Scientific communication and thought leadership with strong publication record (118 peer-reviewed research articles with over 12,500 citations (h-index = 53), two edited books, one e-book, and five patents). 

Work Experience

04/2025 – Present

A stealth mode company, Bridgewater, MA

Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer

• A seed stage startup in stealth mode dedicated to discovering inherently developable biotherapeutics.
• C-suite experience.

06/2023 – 04/2025

Moderna Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA

Distinguished Fellow and Head, Molecule Design and Modeling

• Built and led a 13-person multidisciplinary team driving innovation in computational DNA, RNA, and protein design; AI-enabled in silico discovery; mRNA optimization; gene editing; and quantum computing.
• Spearheaded development of DAbI (discovery of antibodies in-silico) platform, enabling discovery of developable antibodies via generative AI.
• Directed experimental validation of de novo AI-generated antibodies and benchmarked with marketed molecules and NIST mAb.
• Guided development of novel methodologies, including critical sites, for individualized and off-the-shelf anti-cancer vaccine design now being applied in pipeline programs to improve immunogenic coverage and durability.
• Co-authored several high-impact publications and strategic external white papers; advanced Moderna’s scientific reputation and thought leadership in the biopharma AI and ML space.
• Acted as internal consultant and mentor across discovery teams, fostering computational literacy and elevating digital drug discovery capabilities across the organization.
• Collaborated to establish AI and ML partnerships aligned with therapeutic portfolio strategy, driving innovation that supports scalable, revenue-generating drug candidates.

01/2018 – 06/2023

Böhringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ridgefield, CT

Distinguished Research Fellow, Head, Computational Biochemistry and Bioinformatics (04/2021 – 06/2023)

Senior Research Fellow, Head of Computational Biochemistry and Bioinformatics (01/2018 – 03/2021)

• Founded and scaled CBB group (five to ten team members) supporting antibody discovery, lead candidate optimization of monoclonal and multi-specific biologics.
• Pioneered digital transformation of antibody drug discovery and development and proposed de novo antibody discovery via AIML. • Drove development of several digital products, including Developability Navigator and MASPA, improving early-stage candidate success rates.
• Directed global, cross-functional in silico team of 15 scientists across the US and Germany and oversaw an international postdoctoral program spanning three countries (US, Germany, and Austria).
• Mentored over 100 scientists, fostering future leaders in computational biopharma, and served as head of Ridgefield postdoc program.
• Supported advancement of several biologic candidates across oncology, inflammation, and retinopathy. Three of them advanced to clinical stages, including a fast-tracked COVID-19 antibody.
• Engineered strategic research informatics decisions as a key member of the research informatics team, guiding investments to align with long-term scientific and digital priorities.
• Authored several collaborative research publications and edited a book on biopharmaceutical informatics, strengthening scientific visibility and knowledge dissemination.
• Pioneered digital transformation of antibody drug discovery and development and proposed de novo antibody discovery via AIML.

05/2007 – 12/2017

Pfizer, Inc., St. Louis, MO

Senior Principal Scientist and Head, Molecular Modeling Center of Emphasis

•Managed computational support for more than 120 biologics, including mAbs, ADCs, biosimilars, and vaccines.
• Developed antibody informatics platform BioPAD and methodologies for solubility, aggregation, viscosity, and immunogenicity prediction.
• Supported 12 approved products with structure-based design and regulatory dossiers.
• Built molecular modeling group from ground up; supported portfolio that produced multiple marketed biologics and enabled design of novel high-concentration formulations.
• Pioneered postdoctoral research initiatives; mentored several postdocs, graduate students, and early-career scientists at Pfizer and through external academic collaborations.
• Championed concept of developability in biopharmaceutical R&D; authored numerous collaborative publications and edited a foundational book on developability of biotherapeutics, shaping industry best practices.

01/2005 - 04/2007

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Associate Research Scientist and Research Assistant Professor

01/2004 - 09/2004

Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Assistant Professor​

01/2003 - 12/2003

Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC

Assistant Professor (Research Track)

01/1998 - 12/2002

 National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD

Fogarty Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow​

Education & Certifications

Exposure: Global Leadership Program Certification

Institution: IESE, Barcelona, Spain

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Discipline: Computational Molecular Biophysics

Institution: Indian Institute Of Science, Bangalore, India

Master of Science (M. Sc.)

Discipline:  Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Institution: G.B. Pant University Of Agriculture And Technology, Pant Nagar, India

Bachelor of Science with Honors (B. Sc. (Hons.))

Discipline: Physics

Institution: University Of Delhi, Delhi, India

Awards & Affiliations

  • Ebert Prize, AMERICAN PHARMACIST ASSOCIATION (2014)
  • Multiple Internal Leadership and Innovation Awards, PFIZER, BI, and MODERNA
  • Fogarty Postdoctoral Visiting Fellowship, NIH; Junior and Senior Research Fellowships, CSIR, Delhi, India
  • Member, ANTIBODY SOCIETY; Former Member, ACS, PROTEIN SOCIETY, and BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY
  • Assistant Editor, MABS
  • Editorial Board Member, PDA JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY
CONTACT
CONTACT