Doug Kerr

Doug served as global development team lead and vice president for neurology at Shire from 2015–2017 where he was responsible for the development of the rare neuroscience programs including the lysosomal storage disorders, neurodegeneration, and gene therapy candidates. Doug served as senior director of corporate strategy and portfolio management at Biogen, where he led the development effort for Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Doug led the development of Spinraza™, now approved for SMA. Doug was on the faculty of The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as associate professor of neurology with joint appointments in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and ran a lab that investigated fundamental aspects of motor neuron/axon biology, provided direct patient care and ran clinical trials, mainly spinal cord and neuromuscular disorders. Doug has participated on the boards and scientific advisory boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Transverse Myelitis Association, CureSMA and the ALS Association. Doug received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, as well as his doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology. Doug obtained his Master of Business Administration, with a specialization in entrepreneurship and finance, as well as his Bachelor of Arts degree in biochemistry from Princeton University.