About Karen
Karen Lackey is the Chief Executive Officer of X-Chem, a company dedicated to innovative small molecule discovery. She has served on the Scientific Advisory Board at Cancer Research Horizons since 2024.
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 as Global 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.