Wendell Wierenga, Ph.D., age 59, has been a member of our board of directors since 2001. He is executive vice president of research and development at Ambit Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of small-molecule kinase inhibitors. Prior to joining Ambit in January 2007, Dr. Wierenga served as executive vice president of research and development at Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for neuropsychiatric, neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, since September 2003. From 2000 to 2003, Dr. Wierenga was chief executive officer of Syrrx, Inc., a company focused on small-molecule drug compounds. Prior to joining Syrrx, from 1990 to 2000, he was senior vice president of worldwide pharmaceutical sciences, technologies and development at Parke-Davis, a division of Warner Lambert Co., a pharmaceutical company. Pfizer Inc, a research-based pharmaceutical company, acquired Warner Lambert in 2000. Prior to Parke-Davis, Dr. Wierenga worked at Upjohn Co., later Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc., a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, for 16 years in various positions, most recently as executive director of discovery research. Pfizer acquired Pharmacia & Upjohn, then named Pharmacia Corp., in 2002. Dr. Wierenga received a B.S. from Hope College and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford University. Dr. Wierenga is a member of the board of directors of Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company. |