Robert Pierce, MD

Bio:

Dr. Robert H. Pierce is an anatomic pathologist who brings more than two decades of scientific leadership and experience managing large teams dedicated to drug development in both academia and industry, with particular emphasis on immunology and oncology.  His research has focused on the mechanisms of tumor-induced immune tolerance and he has longstanding expertise in the development of biomarkers to predict responses to immuno-oncology treatments. While at Merck, Dr. Pierce led a team focused on the development of tissue-based biomarker approaches for Merck’s anti-PD1 therapeutic antibody (pembrolizumab; KEYTRUDA®) to define response and non-response phenotypes to anti-PD1 blockade, including the 22C3 PD-L1 companion diagnostic IHC assay. He was also the medical lead responsible for the early clinical development of pembrolizumab in Merkel cell carcinoma and cutaneous T cell lymphoma. He also previously served as the CMO and, later, CSO of OncoSec Medical, Director of Immunopathology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Chief R&D Officer at Sensei Biotherapeutics. Dr. Pierce has a B.A. from Yale University, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study philosophy at the Albert-Ludwig University in Freiburg, Germany and went on to receive an M.D. from Brown University School of Medicine, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor.  Following graduation from medical school, he completed a residency program in Anatomic Pathology and a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle.