Hongjun Zhang

Hongjun (David) Zhang is a highly experienced medicinal chemist currently serving as Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Kymera Therapeutics since January 2025. Previously, Hongjun held the position of Senior Director & Head of Medicinal Chemistry at Cellarity from October 2023 to December 2024 and served as Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Cerevel Therapeutics from September 2019 to October 2023. During their tenure at Cerevel, key contributions included discovering novel therapies for neurodegenerative, psychiatric, and neurological disorders. Hongjun’s extensive background in medicinal chemistry began at Merck, where roles included Interim Head of Chemistry and Principal Scientist from May 2009 to September 2019, leading various programs across oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Earlier positions included Associate Principal Scientist, Senior Scientist, and a postdoctoral research role at The Scripps Research Institute focused on natural product synthesis, following a Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Chemistry from Emory University. Hongjun holds both a BSc and MSc in Chemistry from Fudan University.