Mark Lackner

Mark is the Chief Translational Officer and Head of Biomarker Strategy. He has over 20 years of experience in oncology drug development with broad experience ranging from target identification through biomarker development in registrational clinical trials. Prior to joining Zentalis, Mark served as SVP and Head of Biology and Translational Sciences at Ideaya Biosciences from 2018 to October 2022. At Ideaya Mark’s group led clinical translational efforts for the PKC inhibitor darovasertib and the MAT2A inhibitor IDE397 and contributed to three development candidate nominations and one IND. Prior to joining IDEAYA, Mark worked at Genentech for 14 years in positions of increasing responsibility in the Oncology Biomarker Development group, most recently as a Director and Principal Scientist. At Genentech, his group was accountable for predictive and pharmacodynamic strategies for candidate therapeutics spanning cancer signaling through immuno-oncology and was accountable for clinical biomarker strategies for over 20 development-stage small molecule and antibody agents. His group developed clinical biomarker strategies for immune doublet combinations with the anti-PDL1 antibody Tecentriq, as well as phase III companion diagnostic strategies for the AKT inhibitor Ipatasertib and the MEK and BRAF inhibitors Cobimetinib and Vemurafenib. Mark also provided strategic leadership for the overall breast cancer biomarker strategy within the broader Roche organization. Prior to joining Genentech, Mark worked at Exelixis from 1999 through 2004 in oncology target identification and validation, including the identification of synthetic lethal interactions with the tumor suppressor gene p53. Mark received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1997 for studies on genetic analysis of RAS/MAP kinase signaling. He completed postdoctoral studies at UC Berkeley in the laboratory of Joshua Kaplan. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts in journals including Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Cell, and Clinical Cancer Research.