James B. Summers

Dr. Summers has more than three decades of drug discovery and pharmaceutical research management experience spanning multiple therapeutic areas. Under his leadership, teams have advanced more than twenty compounds into clinical development. He established new research sites in Cambridge Massachusetts and Shanghai China, was an architect of strategies that defined the future direction of global research organizations, and championed multiple successful outlicensing deals, biotech collaborations and venture investments. He currently serves as an advisor to multiple biotechnology companies.

During more than 30 years with Abbott and AbbVie, Dr. Summers held various senior R&D leadership position including Vice President of Neuroscience Research where he led efforts located in Ludwigshafen Germany, Lake County, IL and Cambridge, MA focused on the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, pain, and psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Summers also served as Divisional Vice President, Advanced Technology with Abbott where he was responsible for an organization engaged in a broad range of technologies and core services that enabled and accelerated drug discovery research across all of Abbott’s therapeutic areas and sites.

Dr. Summers began his career with Abbott within the immunologic disease and cancer research areas, including as Director of Inflammation research. He participated in or led programs that resulted in several drug development candidates, including the anti-asthma drug Zyflo.

Dr. Summers earned a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in chemistry from Denison University and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Harvard University.