Leo Kelly, Ph.D., joined COUR in 2024 as Executive Director of Strategic Alliances, overseeing partnership development and contributing to portfolio strategy initiatives and supporting cross-functional program execution to advance COUR’s emerging pipeline.
With over 10 years of experience across early-stage biotechnology, consulting, and corporate strategy, Leo has built a broad skill set spanning alliance management, portfolio prioritization, project and program management, fundraising, and corporate development. He has worked across all facets of biotech operations, helping early-stage companies translate scientific innovation into strategic growth opportunities.
Before joining COUR, Leo served as Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Operations at Syntax Bio, a platform cell therapy startup, where he played a key role in securing a Series A term sheet and established a strategic partnership with a major pharmaceutical company while managing portfolio initiatives and alliances. Prior to Syntax, Leo spent seven years at Exicure, advancing from Program Manager to Senior Director of R&D Program Management, supporting the company’s growth from a seed-stage private biotech to a publicly traded organization. Earlier in his career, Leo gained consulting experience at Beghou Consulting and co-founded a healthcare startup after earning his doctorate.
Leo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University and a PhD in Pharmacology from Rush University.