Dean joined the Raymond A. Wood Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2020 and is Chair of the Research Committee. He is currently a Business Unit Head at atai Life Sciences serving as CEO of two portfolio companies where he leads matrix teams of industry experts in the development of novel treatments for high-risk psychiatric conditions.
Previously, Dean was Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Saniona, a Copenhagen headquartered biotech company focused on the development of ion-channel targeting compounds for rare neurological and metabolic diseases. He was a key member of the financing team responsible for raising significant funds to build out Saniona’s Boston office and was a senior member of the clinical development team successfully shepherding multiple compounds through early to mid-stage clinical trials.
Prior to that he was founder and CEO of Katana Pharmaceuticals, a San Francisco based biotech focused developing novel treatments for neglected neonatal and pediatric conditions until the company’s assets were successfully acquired. He has held several other senior management positions, including as Vice President of US Operations for the Australian neurotech company Anatomics and Director of Translational Medicine at the Stanford spin-off biotech Trigemina. He was also a member of Janssen’s medical affairs team responsible for pre-commercial launch activities for SPROVATO® (esketamine). As a biotech consultant he has supported multiple European companies to build a US presence through financing and BD activities, clinical development strategy, and medical affairs.
He is a neuroscientist and psychopharmacologist by training with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and behavioral neuroscience from the University of New South Wales (Sydney), a PhD in neuropharmacology from the University of Sydney, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University. He has over 30 scientific publications and multiple issued and pending patents.
