James Balkovec

James Balkovec is an experienced leader in the field of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, currently serving as the Principal and Owner of ChemTract Consulting since January 2012, where expertise focuses on anti-infectives and medicinal chemistry. In addition, Balkovec holds the position of Vice President of Chemistry at Kathera Bioscience Inc. and serves as the Director of the Medicinal Chemistry Core at the Center for Discovery and Innovation. Balkovec has a notable history with companies such as Cidara Therapeutics, where roles included Senior Research Advisor and Senior Vice President of Research, contributing significantly to the development of novel anti-infective therapies. With previous leadership at Merck and advisory roles in various biotech firms, Balkovec brings extensive knowledge gained from an educational foundation that includes a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and post-doctoral work at Columbia University.