The Health Care Initiative at Harvard Business School sponsors this inspiring conversation with Dr. Timothy Springer, world-renowned scientist, entrepreneur, and investor, whose groundbreaking discoveries have shaped modern immunology and biotechnology.
Dr. Springer, Latham Family Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, is best known for his pioneering work on adhesion molecules—discoveries that laid the foundation for multiple FDA-approved therapeutics, including Raptiva, Amevive, Entyvio, Lemtrada, and Velcade. His insights into how immune cells communicate and migrate transformed our understanding of inflammation and autoimmune disease.
Beyond academia, Dr. Springer has been a driving force in translating science into impact. He founded LeukoSite, which helped launch several blockbuster drugs and was later acquired by Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and he was a founding investor in Moderna, Editas Medicine, Morphic Therapeutic and Scholar Rock, and a lead angel in Ab Initio Biotherapeutics. Dr. Springer is a Resident Professor at Pfizer.
Dr. Springer has over 500 publications, a Hirsch index of 147, and over 30 patents. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and his honors include the Crafoord Prize, the American Association of Immunologists Meritorious Career Award, and the Stratton Medal from the American Society of Hematology. As a philanthropist, Springer has endowed Chairs at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, and is on the Children’s Hospital Boston Board of Trust.
Today, his work bridges fundamental science, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, advancing innovation in protein therapeutics and next-generation vaccines. His current projects include a non-profit to advance entrepreneurship and innovation in protein therapeutics and open-source antibodies and small molecules.
This session will explore Dr. Springer’s journey from bench to biotech, his philosophy on scientific discovery and company building, and his vision for the future of translational research and open innovation in the life sciences.
Students interested in biotechnology, life sciences entrepreneurship, venture creation, and the translation of academic research into real-world therapies are encouraged to attend.
