Quantitative Biosciences Institute Appoints Andy Kilianski, Ph.D., as Chief Science and Technology Officer

—Former ARPA-H leader and global health expert brings billion-dollar R&D leadership experience to QBI’s technology strategy—

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) today announced the appointment of Andy Kilianski, Ph.D., as Chief Science and Technology Officer. Dr. Kilianski brings over a decade of distinguished experience spanning academic virology, national security, and translational research leadership, making him uniquely positioned to advance QBI’s mission of translating cutting-edge integrative science into transformative therapies and public health impact.

“Andy represents an extraordinary and rare combination of deep coronavirus science, pandemic response leadership, and translational research experience. He has operated at the highest levels of government, defense, and global health — from building ARPA-H as one of the first hires to leading vaccine programs for some of the world’s most dangerous pathogens,” stated Nevan J. Krogan, Ph.D., Director, QBI. “His ability to bridge the worlds of academic discovery, government policy, and industry partnership is exactly what QBI needs to take forward our programs. We are delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Dr. Kilianski joins QBI from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), the high-risk, high-reward research arm of the Department of Health and Human Services, where he served as Program Manager and Deputy Director of the Health Science Futures Mission Office. In this role, he led a team of 75 staff managing a portfolio of over $1 billion in R&D investments spanning biotechnology, biomedical research, and pharmaceutical development. He launched landmark programs including APECx, focused on transforming vaccine antigen discovery across entire viral families, and CATALYST, aimed at revolutionizing drug development through AI-enabled human-based safety prediction tools.

Prior to ARPA-H, Dr. Kilianski served as Senior Director for Emerging Infectious Diseases at IAVI, where he led strategy and execution of vaccine programs targeting Marburg and Sudan viruses, overseeing a combined budget of $170 million and a team of 35 interdisciplinary scientists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was appointed Chief Scientist of the Secretary of Defense’s COVID-19 Task Force, leading a team of over 40 pharmaceutical and biotechnology experts and serving as one of the founding members of Operation Warp Speed. His contributions spanned vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic development, as well as data science integration across the U.S. government’s pandemic response.

Before entering public service, Dr. Kilianski was a National Academy of Sciences Fellow with the U.S. Army, where he focused on field characterization of biological threat agents. He began his scientific career studying coronavirus pathogenesis specifically, the protein-protein interactions between coronaviruses and host cells required for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV disease work that aligns directly with QBI’s core platform areas, including proteomics, structural biology, CRISPR engineering, and AI/ML-driven target discovery.

Dr. Kilianski holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Loyola University Chicago and is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, the Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Medal, and multiple commendations from the health and national security communities. Dr. Kilianski also served as a faculty member at George Mason University’s Schar School of Government, where he has taught courses on biosurveillance, emerging infectious diseases, and pandemic preparedness.

“QBI sits at a unique intersection of world-class science, translational ambition, and amazing people,” stated Dr. Kilianski. “Having spent my career working to bridge the gap between discovery and impact, from the lab bench to the top of the U.S. Government and global health community, I understand how rare it is to find an institution with both the scientific depth and the strategic vision to make that translation happen. I am honored to join QBI at this pivotal moment and to help bring its biological system mapping platform to bear on the most urgent challenges in human health.”

In his role as Chief Science and Technology Officer, Dr. Kilianski will lead QBI’s technology strategy and industry engagement, working across QBI’s core platform. Drawing on his unique experience at the intersection of academic science, national security, and global health policy, he will also support the strategic development of QBI spinouts and play a key role in advancing QBI’s position as the leading academic hub for disease-agnostic drug discovery and pandemic preparedness.

ABOUT THE QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (QBI)

The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) is a University of California organized research unit reporting through the UCSF School of Pharmacy. QBI fosters collaborations across the biomedical and physical sciences to advance interdisciplinary approaches to human disease and therapeutic discovery. QBI’s disease-agnostic, uniquely integrated technological platforms have generated insights across cancer, neurodegeneration, and infectious diseases, leading to the formation of spinout companies, including Rezo Therapeutics. QBI incorporates the UCSF division of QB3, a multicampus UC institute that supports bioscience research and innovation in California. Learn more at qbi.ucsf.edu

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