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Karen Lackey

Non-Executive Director

About Karen

Karen Lackey is the chief executive officer of X-Chem, a company dedicated to deliver on the promise of a leading small molecule drug discovery partner with unmatched excellence in DNA-encoded library technology, discovery chemistry with advanced computational platforms, and ArtemisAI. Karen's career of over 30 years encompasses international leadership roles within pharma (GSK, Roche), academia (MUSC, UA), biotech (including PyramidBio, BlinkBio, Centauri, Aurobac), and most recently as head of Integrated Drug Discovery at Evotec. She is a passionate drug hunter, playing a pivotal role in the discovery of Tykerb, and contributing to the advancement of numerous clinical candidates and launched drugs. Throughout her distinguished career, Karen has been at the forefront of integrated drug discovery, spanning diverse areas such as medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, discovery biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and the application and integration of new technologies.