About
Ms. Thornberry joined our board in 2023. She founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Kallyope, a clinical stage biotechnology company, from its launch in 2015 until 2021, and remains on Kallyope’s board of directors and is Chair of Research and Development. Prior to joining Kallyope, Ms. Thornberry spent more than 30 years at Merck & Co., Inc., most recently as Senior Vice President and Global Franchise Head, Diabetes and Endocrinology, with responsibility for discovery and clinical research in diabetes, obesity and women’s health. Among her many notable scientific accomplishments, Ms. Thornberry initiated and led Merck’s dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) project, which resulted in the discovery and commercialization of JANUVIA® for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. She also identified the first caspase, interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE/caspase-1). For her scientific contributions she has received numerous awards, including the Merck Presidential Fellowship, Merck Directors Award, Heroes of Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society, and in 2011, the Pharmaceuticals Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Discoverers Award, which honors research scientists whose work has been of special benefit to humankind. In addition to her role at Kallyope, she serves on the board of directors of Schrödinger, Inc., Denali Therapeutics Inc. and the New York Genome Center. She serves as an advisor to GV (Google Ventures) and is a member of NYC’s Mayor’s Life Sciences (LifeSciNYC) Advisory Council. Ms. Thornberry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology from Muhlenberg College.
Personal Details
Qualifications & Experience
Other directorships (state)
(only entities turnover at least $5m p/a)
Working history
Committee/s
| Company | Committee | Role | Appointment Date | Resignation Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals | Board | Member | 01/01/2023 |