EpiVax, Inc., a leader in preclinical immunogenicity assessment for biologic therapeutics and vaccines, has appointed Vibha Jawa, PhD, FAAPS as Chief Scientific Officer. The appointment represents a significant leadership transition as Dr. Jawa succeeds EpiVax founder and Executive Chairwoman Annie De Groot, MD, who has moved from CSO to Chief Medical Officer.
Extensive Industry Experience
Dr. Jawa brings over two decades of leadership experience in biologics, vaccine, and gene therapy development to her new role. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Translational Medicine at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she led bioanalytical strategy and supported pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity-related preclinical and clinical assessments across the development pipeline.
Her career includes senior positions at Merck and Amgen, where she led immunogenicity assessment efforts supporting discovery through development phases. Dr. Jawa has contributed to more than 20 successful IND, BLA, and MAA filings across multiple therapeutic modalities and was part of the team at the Institute of Human Gene Therapy (UPENN) that supported the first approved gene therapy product.
Scientific Leadership and Recognition
As a recognized thought leader in bioanalysis and immunogenicity from discovery through commercialization, Dr. Jawa has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications. She holds prominent roles in various renowned scientific societies and consortiums, including AAPS, IQ, SC, and EIP. In 2022, she was named an AAPS fellow in recognition of her significant contributions to the field.
Strategic Vision for EpiVax 2.0
"We're thrilled to welcome Vibha to the team," said Dr. Rich-Henry Schabowsky, CEO of EpiVax. "Her depth of experience in biologics, especially novel modalities, combined with her expertise in evaluating and mitigating immunogenic risk will be instrumental as we continue evolving our methods to meet the complex needs of the industry."
Dr. Annie De Groot, EpiVax co-founder and CMO, emphasized the strategic importance of the appointment: "Dr. Jawa is the perfect scientific leader for EpiVax 2.0: the transformation of our company that began in 2024. She brings the exact energy that EpiVax needs at this juncture. I'm thrilled to be handing the baton to Dr. Jawa, who will ensure that EpiVax remains at the cutting edge of immunogenicity science— pushing boundaries, validating new ideas, building bridges between in vitro data, immunoinformatics and AI, and setting higher standards for translational immunology."
Expanding Therapeutic Reach
In her role as CSO, Dr. Jawa will have both outward and inward facing responsibilities. She will represent EpiVax at key meetings while leading internal research and validation efforts. Her leadership is expected to help expand the company's reach into new therapeutic areas and reinforce EpiVax as a trusted partner in biologic and vaccine development.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the EpiVax team," said Dr. Jawa. "This is an extraordinary company with a long history of scientific leadership in immunogenicity assessment. I look forward to building on that legacy and continuing to refine the team's approaches, ensuring that we deliver the most accurate, insightful support."
EpiVax specializes in preclinical immunogenicity assessment and sequence optimization for peptide therapeutics, biologic therapeutics, gene/cell therapies, and vaccines, partnering with a global roster of companies, agencies, and academics to accelerate immunogenicity risk assessment, immune modulation, and rapid vaccine design.
