Dr. Shelley Chu leads Lightspeed’s healthcare investment team which invests across both biotech and healthtech. She brings more than two decades of investing and operating experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Her passion is working closely with entrepreneurs to navigate scientific, clinical, regulatory, business development, and commercial hurdles to bring innovative new medicines to market that address significant unmet medical needs.
To date, her investments across all stages, from seed to growth, have led to seven New Drug Approvals (NDAs) by the FDA, nine drug candidates in active clinical development, and 16 exits through M&As, IPOs, or partnerships, exemplifying her personal mission of Doing Well by Doing Good. During her time at Gilead, where Shelley led R&D strategy across all therapeutic areas and business development in immuno-oncology and HBV, three NDAs were approved and launched.
Since joining Lightspeed, Shelley has led the firm’s biotech investments in multiple Seed, Series A, and Crossover companies including Pheon Therapeutics, Xaira Therapeutics, and Olema (OLMA). She is a current or former member of the Board of Directors at Scorpion Therapeutics, Seismic Therapeutics, Zag Bio, Diagonal Therapeutics, Triana Biomedicines, Hillevax (HLVX), Enlaza Therapeutics, Abata Therapeutics, 3T Biosciences, Protego, Tizona Therapeutics (acquired by Gilead Sciences), Trishula Therapeutics (partnered with AbbVie), SFJ Pharmaceuticals, Phathom Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: PHAT), IFM Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb), IFM Tre (acquired by Novartis), IFM Due (partnered with Novartis), IFM Quattro, Q32, and Venatorx Pharmaceuticals.
Other previous investments where Shelley worked closely with the senior management team and Board include Stromedix (acquired by Biogen), Rempex (acquired by The Medicines Company), Tobira (NASDAQ: TBRA; acquired by Allergan), Anaptys (NASDAQ: ANAB), Marcadia (acquired by Roche), Calixa (acquired by Cubist Pharmaceuticals), and Cerexa (acquired by Forest Laboratories).
Shelley holds an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, where she serves as Co-Chair for Princeton ASC. She is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for BioCentury and the Advisory Committee for BIO Investor Forum.
