Helen Thackray

Director

Dr. Thackray brings more than 25 years of leadership experience at three biotechnology companies, ranging from preclinical start-up to a mature public company with $2B market cap and three approved products. Most recently, she served as the Chief Research and Development Officer at BioCryst Pharmaceuticals where she oversaw R&D, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, and portfolio strategy.

Prior to BioCryst, she held senior leadership positions at GlycoMimetics Inc. from 2006-2021 including Senior Vice President of Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer. In addition, she has served on two public company boards (BioCryst and ImmunoGen) each spanning the period from pivotal trials through commercial transition and initial market launch. She is a board-certified pediatrician, serving on the faculty of the Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences from 2000-2025.

Dr. Thackray holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Stanford University, an M.D. from George Washington University, and has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and presentations. She completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at Children’s National Medical Center, trained in medical genetics at the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP).