Jonathan Hill
Vice President & Head, Research Synolo Therapeutics
Jonathan is a seasoned biotech leader and is currently the VP and Head of Research at Synolo Therapeutics. In this role he oversees pipeline programs across oncology and autoimmune indications. Prior to joining Synolo, Jonathan served as Vice President of Biology at Surface Oncology, where he led a diverse group of scientists in developing therapeutic antibodies to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. His team’s responsibilities spanned from target validation to IND-enabling studies and supported translational efforts to monitor these therapeutics’ biological activity in clinical trials. Prior to Surface Oncology, Jonathan held several positions of increasing responsibility at Tempero Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline within the Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area. His group’s efforts were focused on target identification/validation and high-throughput phenotypic screening aimed at modulating Treg and Th17 cells in autoimmune disease and cancer. Jonathan earned his PhD in Immunology at the University of Western Ontario and was a post-doctoral fellow in the lab of Christophe Benoist and Diane Mathis at Harvard Medical School.
Seminars
T-cell engagers have transformed the treatment of hematological malignancies, and growing interest is now directed toward applying these platforms to autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases. This transition to chronic, non-life-threatening conditions fundamentally alters the risk-benefit calculus and raises critical questions about safety expectations, preclinical development, and dose selection.
- Assessing which aspects of TCE design can be directly applied from oncology to autoimmune settings and which formats must be re-engineered to optimise potency and affinity
- Reframing safety expectations in autoimmune TCEs by evaluating why oncology-derived risk-benefit frameworks are insufficient, highlighting gaps in preclinical models and aligning with evolving regulatory expectations for safer development
- Translating oncology learnings to inform study design, dose selection, risk–benefit assessment and operational considerations for TCE development in autoimmune indications
