Lesley Pickford has extensive experience in both the biotech and pharmaceutical industries and in academic research. During the 21 years she has worked in research and development (R&D), she held various leadership positions with responsibilities from discovery through to commercial release. She had key management roles in the discovery, preclinical phases and clinical development of several candidates, leading to marketing approvals. Before joining Synosia, Lesley was with ALZA Corporation, working on the global approval and product release for a new product for chronic pain. Previously, she held senior management positions at Calyx Therapeutics, Corixa Corporation and Connectics Corporation, including establishing pharmacology and toxicology departments. Lesley holds numerous patents and has extensive publications to her credit. She earned her doctorate in medical biochemistry from Flinders University of South Australia and was a postdoctoral fellow in pathology and psychiatry at Stanford University. Her bachelor's degree is in biochemistry and physiology with first class honors from Adelaide University, and she received her master's of business administration from the Executive Program at Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University