Press Releases

Founder of Pandion Therapeutics and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the STEM workforce joins the Kendall Square launchpad for high-potential biotech start-ups

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 7, 2021 – LabCentral, a network of premier laboratory and co-working facilities for high-potential biotech start-ups, today announced the appointment of Dr. Jo Viney to its Board of Directors. With extensive experience in biophysics, immunology, and molecular biology, Dr. Viney brings expertise in autoimmune research and development, biotech entrepreneurship as well as a commitment to providing more opportunities for women in leadership positions and greater diversity in the biotech industry.

Dr. Viney currently serves as the founder, president, and chief scientific officer at Pandion Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.

Prior to founding Pandion, Dr. Viney most recently served as Biogen’s Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery. Earlier in her career she was Amgen’s Executive Director for Inflammation Research and was the Director of Autoimmunity and Inflammation Research at Immunex prior to its acquisition by Amgen. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for Harpoon Therapeutics and Finch Therapeutics Group, as well as the Scientific Advisory Board at HotSpot Therapeutics. An advocate for diversity in the STEM field, Dr. Viney was also on the board and president of the non-profit, WEST (Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology), which aims to help women reach their full potential early in their career.

“While I’m extremely proud of the teams and companies I’ve helped build and advancing autoimmunity research and development, I feel a tremendous responsibility to use my experience and position to educate, support and develop the next generation of biotech and life sciences leaders,” said Dr. Viney. “As a LabCentral resident, I saw firsthand the power of its community to accelerate scientific breakthroughs and build a more inclusive and diverse workforce so I’m excited to take a more active role through its board to shape the future of biotech in Kendall Square and beyond.”

On LabCentral’s board, Dr. Viney joins Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, CEO of Biomedical Growth Strategies and former CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center; Dr. Steve Tregay, chair of the LabCentral board and founder and former CEO of Forma Therapeutics; John Harthorne, managing director at Two Lanterns Venture Partners and founder of MassChallenge; Peter Parker, co-founder of LabCentral; and Dr. Johannes Fruehauf, co-founder and president of LabCentral.

“As we continue to expand the LabCentral network – in terms of new facilities like LabCentral 238 and our LabCentral Ignite initiative to expand the talent base for biotech– our mission remains the same: to help create the next generation of powerhouse biotech companies with the space and resources they need to nurture breakthrough ideas,” said Johannes Fruehauf, co-founder and president of LabCentral. “Our board plays a key role in guiding and advising our growth, strategy and programs so we’re excited to welcome Jo back to LabCentral and tap her expertise in drug discovery, biotech entrepreneurship and creating more opportunities for women and minorities in biotech.”

Dr. Viney received her BSc in Biophysics at the University of East London and her PhD in Immunology at the University of London (St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School). She went on to conduct a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK), followed by a second Postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech.

About LabCentral

A private, non-profit institution, LabCentral was founded in 2013 as a launchpad for high-potential life sciences and biotech start-ups. Operating a total of 100,000 square-feet in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., LabCentral offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for as many as 70 start-ups comprising approximately 500 scientists and entrepreneurs.