Our
Team
Our team comprises experts in glial cell biology and neurology, as well as experienced chemists, drug developers and biopharmaceutical professionals. We share a common purpose: to contribute to the well–being of millions of people by developing medicines that enhance neuronal resilience.
-
Leon
Bushara -
Prof. Pierre
J. Magistretti,
MD, PhD -
Dr. Sylvain
Lengacher, PhD -
Ambroise
Magistretti, MBA -
Dr. Charles
Finsterwald, PhD
Leon Bushara
Executive Chairman
Leon Bushara has worked in the biotechnology industry since 1993, when he joined Serono (Geneva, Switzerland), Europe’s largest biotechnology company until its acquisition by Merck in 2006. During more than twelve years at Serono, he held management positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately as Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate & Business Development and a member of Serono’s Executive Management Board. At Serono, Mr. Bushara and his team negotiated dozens of complex strategic transactions and established numerous R&D and commercial partnerships for technologies and products at every stage of development with partners ranging from the largest pharmaceutical companies to private start-ups.
In 2006, Mr. Bushara was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Astex Therapeutics (Cambridge, United Kingdom). Astex pioneered the field of fragment‐based drug discovery, a platform that has led to the discovery of a number of important medicines, including Kisqali® (ribociclib), Balversa™, (erdafitinib) and Truqap™ (capivasertib). Astex was acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. in 2013 for $886 million, following a prior merger between Astex and Supergen in 2011. During the last ten years, Mr. Bushara has been a board member and advisor to various companies, foundations and investors active in the life sciences. He holds an A.B. (Hons.) degree from Brown University with dual concentrations in Economics and English & American Literature, and is a U.S. national.
Prof. Pierre J. Magistretti, MD, PhD
Scientific Founder,
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board
Pierre Magistretti is Professor Emeritus at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the Brain and Mind Institute (BMI), of which he was director for a decade. He is also the Dean of Biological and Environment Science and Engineering at KAUST. Prof. Magistretti is an internationally-recognized neuroscientist who has made significant contributions in the field of brain metabolism and glial cells biology. He is the author of over 250 publications and recipient of numerous awards. Prof. Magistretti co-founded GliaPharm as a spinoff of three decades of research performed in his laboratory at EPFL with the objectives to clinically apply fundamental discoveries he has pioneered. He serves as GliaPharm’s Scientific Advisor and Board Member.
Prof. Magistretti is past president of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO). He has also been member of the Swiss National Science Foundation scientific council, President of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (2002-2004) and elected Professor at the International Chair of the Collège de France (2007-2008).
Dr. Sylvain Lengacher, PhD
Co-CEO,
Operating & Technology,
co-founder
Dr. Sylvain Lengacher is a molecular biologist and has over 20 years of experience in the field of neuroscience research, biotechnology management, and technology transfer. He is co-founder of GliaPharm where he serves as co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of operations and Chairman of the Board.
Before acting as GliaPharm’s co-CEO, Dr.Lengacher has been a research director at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland) for over 10 years. He has also been the Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) officer responsible for the processing and management of intellectual property of the National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR) program Synapsy of the Swiss National Science Foundation for 12 years. Dr. Lengacher holds a PhD in molecular biology and has also graduated from EPFL in the Management of Biotech, Medtech and Pharma Ventures.
Ambroise Magistretti
Co-CEO,
Finance & Business Development,
co-founder
Mr. Ambroise Magistretti is an entrepreneur in the healthcare sector. He is co-founder of GliaPharm where he serves as co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of business development and Board Member.
He has founded and managed The Healthcare Biotech Fund, a fund of funds investing in public healthcare companies in the US and Europe, and has experience in asset management and healthcare equity research. Mr. Magistretti also served as treasurer and Board Member to the Swiss NGO International Foundation for Population Development (IFPD).
Mr. Magistretti holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Honours from University College of London (UCL) and an MSc in Genomics and Experimental Biology from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Mr. Magistretti also holds a CAIA designation (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst).
He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland) in the Management of Biotech, Medtech and Pharma Ventures.
Dr. Charles Finsterwald, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer,
co-founder
Dr. Charles Finsterwald is a neuroscientist with expertise in molecular, cellular and cognitive neuroscience. He is co-founder of GliaPharm where he serves as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Board Member. Before acting as GliaPharm’s CSO, Dr. Finsterwald has been a post-doctoral researcher at New York University (NYU), and then Prof. Magistretti’s laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland). Dr. Finsterwald holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Biomedical Biology and Immunology from the University of Lausanne, and a PhD in neuroscience from the Lemanic Neuroscience Doctoral School, Switzerland. He also graduated in Project Management from NYU and has specialized in the management of start-up and biotechnology ventures at EPFL.
Dr. René Goedkoop, MD
Clinical Development
René Goedkoop, MD, has been working in the biotechnology industry since 1991 with a focus on clinical product development strategy and implementation thereof in all its facets from late-stage pre-clinical to launch for biotechnology and at later stage for high-tech medical technology companies. Over the years he held positions with increasing responsibility and accountability from medical director to ultimately chief medical officer for biotechnology companies that were in early the early clinical product development phase over the past 14 years.
His industry-weathered experience covers, but is not limited to innovative medical product development in neurology (multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease, Charcot-Marie Tooth type 1a, ataxia telangiectasia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), (immune-)oncology, immunology and interventive and sports cardiology.
He worked on the first therapeutic monoclonal antibody ever approved for marketing, and subsequently on interventive therapeutic proteins, oncolytic virus, rational-design combinatorial products and finally antigen-specific enhanced T cell receptor transduced T cell therapies. In addition, was involved in tissue engineering, cell-based technologies and high-tech medical devices. In particular orphan designated conditions allowed him to work closely with patient advocacy groups.
Since 2017, he founded an independent consultancy company in conjuncture to his position as an employee. As such he was involved in the conduct of due diligences and creation of development strategy for biotechnology and medical device companies on behalf of venture capital companies (VC). The consultancy company also focused on marketing content creation for sponsors of extreme sports professionals and was spin off in 2025 to continue as Scott media House LLC.
He received his medical degree from the University of Amsterdam, where he did a 4.5-year residency in cardiopulmonary surgery at the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam.
Prof. Paul G. Wyatt, PhD
Chemistry
Professor Paul G. Wyatt, PhD, is an internationally recognized drug discoverer with a distinguished 40-year career in BioPharma and academia-based drug discovery. He has contributed to the development of 13 candidates that have entered pre-clinical and clinical stages, with one drug currently on the market. His work spans multiple disease areas, including cancer, infectious diseases, and oxytocin antagonists.
Paul's extensive experience covers the entire drug discovery process, from target validation and compound design to pre-clinical development and IND submissions. He has played a pivotal role in establishing and leading two major drug discovery organizations, building strong and effective teams.
In addition to his scientific achievements, Paul has successfully raised approximately £120M in investment, including around £70M as the lead applicant at Dundee, where he served as Head of the Drug Discovery Unit until [2022]. His leadership and expertise have been recognized through his service on several management and review boards, including Cancer Research UK, TB Drug Accelerator, and currently, Medicines for Malaria Ventures.
Dr. Margot Fournier, PhD
Project Leader
Dr. Margot Fournier is a senior neuroscientist and project manager at Gliapharm, managing the critical transition of projects from preclinical discovery to clinical execution. Her capability to manage this critical phase is built upon over 15+ year of preclinical research leadership in neurosciences (ICM, EPFL, CHUV), combined with extensive clinical research experience at CHUV. This hands-on experience is further reinforced by her specialized Master’s training in Drug Discovery at the University of Geneva.
At Gliapharm, Dr. Fournier leads pharmaceutical development programs. She coordinates IND-enabling GLP studies, CMC activities, regulatory submissions, and clinical trials, ensuring alignment with business goals and regulatory milestones.
Dr. Fournier holds a PhD in Neurosciences and advanced training in GCP and clinical trial management. This unique combination ensures that early scientific insights are effectively translated into clinical trials.
Dr. Elidie Beard, PhD
Senior Scientist
Dr. Élidie Béard is a Senior Scientist at GliaPharm SA, where she brings extensive expertise in neurobiology, project leadership, and innovative research methodologies. With a PhD in Neurosciences and a career spanning top institutions (UNIL, CHUV), she designs, manages, and executes complex scientific projects, ensuring cutting-edge advancements in cellular and metabolic research.
At GliaPharm, Dr. Béard specializes in evaluating proprietary molecules using in vitro and in vivo models, while developing novel techniques to assess molecular impacts on cellular metabolism. Her technical mastery includes organoid culture, stem cell manipulation, and advanced biostatistical analysis, making her a key driver of scientific progress.
A skilled mentor and collaborator, she trains teams in new methodologies and fosters a culture of innovation. Dr. Béard’s analytical rigor and publication record in peer-reviewed journals further highlight her role as a visionary scientist shaping GliaPharm’s research excellence.
Dr. Brigitte Happ, PhD
Regulatory Affairs
Dr. Brigitte Happ is a regulatory affairs expert with more than 30 years experience in the biotechnology and pharma environment. In 1993, Dr. Happ joined Serono, Europe’s largest biotechnology company until its acquisition by Merck in 2006 and held various management positions with increasing responsibilities at Serono and Merck Serono. In 2014, Dr Happ has set up her own regulatory consultancy offering strategic and operational regulatory expertise to small and medium enterprises including holding the role of Head of Regulatory Affairs.
Graduated as a PhD in biology at the Institute of Genetics of the University of Cologne, Germany, in the lab of Prof Dr Walter Doerfler, Brigitte joined the research group of Prof Dr. Bernd Groner at the Friedrich-Miescher Institute, Basel as a postdoctoral fellow. Dr Happ has a strong scientific background being able to bridge the gap between research and development.
Dr Happ is a Member of the Scientific Committee of the Master of Adanced Studies (MAS) in Drug Discovery and Clinical Development of the HUG and University of Geneva and co-organiser with Dr. Enrica Alteri (ex EMA) of the MAS Module11 on Regulatory Strategy in Product Development.
Pierre Azoulay
Quality Assurance
Pierre Azoulay is a Quality Assurance Consultant with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, specializing in GxP compliance, quality management systems (QMS), and oversight of contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). His career includes pivotal roles at AMAL Therapeutics, Incyte Biosciences, and Stragen Pharma, where he support the implementation of QMS implementation, conducted external audits, and ensured compliance with GMP, GLP, and GDP standards throughout product lifecycles. Pierre has led quality agreements, batch record reviews, deviation management, CAPA, and change control processes, while supporting product launches and regulatory inspections in Europe. His expertise also extends to process validation, risk assessments, and supply chain compliance, making him a strategic asset for companies navigating complex regulatory environments. With a Master’s in Industrial Biology, Pierre combines technical rigor with a hands-on approach to quality assurance, driving operational excellence and regulatory success for innovative therapies.
Dr. Francois Jenck, PhD
Molecules Development
François Jenck is a Neuropharmacologist with 25+y R&D leadership experience in Translational Neuropharmacology at Idorsia (startup), Actelion (biotech), Organon-AKZOnobel (mid pharma) and Roche (big pharma); since 2018 at Axl.neuro as independent R&D advisor for accelerating Neuroscience applications in 2020-Healthcare Biotechs.
His areas of expertise include industrial Neuroscience Research and realistic translation to medical applications in Neurology, Psychiatry and Anesthesiology. He has initiated discovery programs with Medicinal Chemists and Preclinical Development Specialists in multiple areas of Neuroscience. 15+ compounds entered human testing with Clinical Development teams; large phase 3 programs lately started with daridorexant (Idorsia/Actelion, or almorexant with Actelion/GSK) in the orexin field, one of the rare recent innovations in Neuropharmacology. Dr. Jenck was involved in filing multiple international patents and in publishing 120+ research papers with co-authors in diverse peer-reviewed international journals.
Scientific Advisory Board
-
Prof. Pierre
J. Magistretti,
MD, PhD -
Dr. David
Lowe, PhD -
Prof. Cristina
M. Alberini, PhD -
Prof. Yves
Agid, MD, PhD -
Prof. Andrea
Volterra, PhD -
Dr. Gilles
Bonvento, PhD
Prof. Pierre J. Magistretti, MD, PhD
Scientific Founder,
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board
Pierre Magistretti is Professor Emeritus at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the Brain and Mind Institute (BMI), of which he was director for a decade. He is also the Dean of Biological and Environment Science and Engineering at KAUST. Prof. Magistretti is an internationally-recognized neuroscientist who has made significant contributions in the field of brain metabolism and glial cells biology. He is the author of over 250 publications and recipient of numerous awards. Prof. Magistretti co-founded GliaPharm as a spinoff of three decades of research performed in his laboratory at EPFL with the objectives to clinically apply fundamental discoveries he has pioneered. He serves as GliaPharm’s Scientific Advisor and Board Member.
Prof. Magistretti is past president of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO). He has also been member of the Swiss National Science Foundation scientific council, President of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (2002-2004) and elected Professor at the International Chair of the Collège de France (2007-2008).
Dr. David Lowe, PhD
Senior Development Advisor
President NeuroAssets Sàrl and Adjunct Professor Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Dr Lowe has broad experience in CNS drug discovery, translational medicine and product development, generating diverse clinical candidates in psychiatry, neurology and pain that moved into clinical trials and the market. He currently consults with Biotech on strategic, R&D and financing aspects of their projects. David’s experience includes US and Swiss private and public companies, as well as venture capital. Previously he was CSO and EVP PsychoGenics Inc, CSO Memory Pharmaceuticals Inc (acquired by Hoffman-La Roche Inc), EVP, President and CEO EnVivo Pharmaceuticals Inc and Founding CSO of the Fidelity BioSciences Group. Earlier in his career David headed large CNS R&D groups at Sandoz (now Novartis), Bayer and Roche. He is Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York.
Prof. Cristina M. Alberini, PhD
Specialist in memory and cognition
Prof. Cristina M. Alberini, PhD, is an internationally-recognized expert in the fields of learning, memory and their molecular underpinnings.
Prof. Alberini is a Professor of Neural Sciences at University of New York (NYU). Her studies, utilizing invertebrate (Aplysia californica) and mammalian (rat and mouse) systems, have explored the mechanisms of long-term memory formation, stabilization, persistence and strengthening. The identification of the mechanisms underlying the disruption or enhancement of memories is important for understanding memory in physiological conditions but also for characterizing memory disorders. Dr. Alberini has previously held faculty positions at Brown University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
Prof. Yves Agid, MD, PhD
Clinical Advisor on Neurodegenerative Diseases
Prof. Yves Agid, MD, PhD, is a recognized neurologist and a specialist in neurodegenerative diseases, of which he studied the causes, mechanisms, and clinical implications, while proposing new therapies. After leading the neurology department of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris from 1993 to 2007 and having a career as a researcher at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Yves Agid was elected in 2008 as a member of the French Academy of Sciences in the human biology and medical sciences section. Since 2009, he has been a member of the National Ethics Advisory Committee of France. He is also founder and scientific director of the Brain and Spine Institute. With 600+ publications, Prof. Agid is one of the most cited scientists of the past 20 years.
Prof. Andrea Volterra, PhD
Thought leader in Glial Biology
Andrea Volterra is Full Professor at the Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Switzerland since 2001, which he directed from 2004 to 2012. He obtained a PhD in Pharmacology from Univ Milan, Italy (1985), joined the labs of Steven Siegelbaum and the Nobel Prize Eric Kandel at Columbia University, New York, as Research Scientist (1986-89) and then started his independent career as Assistant and then Associate Professor at the Dept. Pharmacology, Univ Milan (1990-2000).
He is member of Academia Europea and Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS), and of Swiss, European and American Societies of Neuroscience, and won several prices, including the Theodore Ott price 2017 from SAMS. His research field is astrocyte-neuron communication and its contribution to synaptic integration and the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, to which he contributed some of the seminal work in the last twenty years. His most recent work, using a multidisciplinary approach and novel imaging technologies, is engaged in decoding the language of astrocytes in cognitive function and dysfunction.
Dr. Gilles Bonvento, PhD
Gilles Bonvento is Senior Research Director at INSERM and was until recently head of the Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory (CNRS, University Paris-Saclay and CEA) in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France. He now leads a research group and serves as Deputy Director of the Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience (NeuroPSI). His main areas of expertise are astrocyte-neurons interactions, in vivo mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases, neuroimaging, therapeutic evaluation, energy metabolism and gene transfer in the CNS. Trained as a physiologist in the cerebrovascular field, he took a keen interest in how external factors, such as blood perfusion, can affect neuronal activity. He has been studying the role of astrocytes in the CNS for over 25 years. He developed research projects focused on the novel hypothesis that the mechanisms leading to neuronal degeneration in most neurodegenerative diseases involve glial cells (a phenomenon called now “non-cell autonomous”). His recent work has positioned metabolism as a direct regulator of synaptic activity, plasticity and memory. He has identified L-serine as a key amino acid produced by glycolysis in astrocytes, playing an important role in glutamatergic transmission.
History
GliaPharm was created in 2016 as a company built on three decades of research, performed in the laboratory of Prof. Pierre Magistretti at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, a leading research laboratory in the fields of brain metabolism and glial cell biology.
2017 saw us establish our laboratory at Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland. Providing the necessary platform to develop clinical applications by targeting glial cells, our laboratory and selected partners are on a mission to improve the lives of patients with challenging brain disorders, so they can live happier, healthier lives.
