News & Media

Dario Gutierrez

Founder & Chief Scientific Officer

Dario Gutierrez, Ph.D., is a Founder of Merida Biosciences, and has served as Chief Scientific Officer since 2024. Dario has more than 15 years of experience in drug discovery and development in the immunology and oncology space.

Prior to Merida, Dario was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Third Rock Ventures where he was part of the team which launched Merida Biosciences, and contributed to the formation of numerous other Third Rock portfolio companies. Before his role at Third Rock, Dario was the Vice President of Discovery Research and Innovation at TCR2 Therapeutics, an immuno-oncology company which has since been acquired by Adaptimmune. In this role, he spearheaded the development and expansion of the company’s pipeline, driving the advancement of numerous therapeutic candidates from early-stage discovery through preclinical and clinical phases. Previously, he was Director and Head of Investigational Biology at the Merck Exploratory Science Center, where he led multiple drug discovery efforts in autoimmune diseases, immuno-oncology and vaccines. Earlier in his career, Dario served as Head of Immune Tolerance at Evelo Biosciences.

Dario received his Ph.D. in molecular physiology and biophysics from Vanderbilt University and completed postdoctoral training at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany.

Matthew Leoni

Chief Medical Officer

Matt Leoni, M.D., MBA, has served as Chief Medical Officer at Merida Biosciences since 2024. Matt is dedicated to advancing medical science and developing treatments that significantly enhance patients’ quality of life. Over his 17-year career in the industry, Matt’s work in early and late-stage clinical development has led to the advancement and approval of multiple innovative therapies in both the dermatology and CNS space. His commitment to patient-centric care drives his work, ensuring that every project he undertakes has a meaningful impact on those in need.

Prior to joining Merida, Matt served as Senior Vice President of Development and Biometrics at Cerevel Therapeutics, a company focused on the development of novel therapies for mental and neurological illnesses. Matt was a founding member of Cerevel in 2019, and helped build the company from the ground up, leading it through multiple successful milestone outcomes, capital formation, public debut and finally acquisition by AbbVie in August 2024. Previously, he served as Senior Director, CNS, Global Clinical Development at Otsuka. Earlier in his career, Matt held roles of increasing responsibility and leadership at Novartis, Galderma and Immunomedics.

Matt received his M.D. and medical training from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and his MBA in pharmaceutical management from Drexel University.

Michael Naill

SVP, Process & Product Development

Michael Naill, Ph.D., has served as Senior Vice President, Process and Product Development, since 2024. Michael has more than 20 years of experience in process and product development within the biotechnology industry, focusing on Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) activities.

Prior to Merida, Michael held roles of increasing responsibility at Dragonfly Therapeutics, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, CMC Technical Operations. As the first hire on the CMC team, Michael established and expanded the CMC team and developed the company’s quality systems. During his time at Dragonfly, the company advanced four novel molecules into the clinic, including both Fc-fusion and bispecific antibody formats. Previously, Michael led bluebird bio’s Manufacturing Sciences team and was the CMC product lead for the CAR-T program through Phase 3, overseeing BLA planning, technology transfer to commercial manufacturing sites and regulatory discussions. Earlier in his career, Michael held scientific operations roles at AbbVie and Alexion Pharmaceuticals.

Michael received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Tara Reagan

Interim Chief People Officer

Tara Reagan, MBA, has served as interim Chief People Officer at Merida Biosciences since 2024. Tara has more than 15 years of experience in human resources and organizational development, and is dedicated to celebrating and fostering the brilliance and dynamic perspectives that each person brings to the team. She currently serves as Vice President of Human Resources at Third Rock Ventures, one of the industry’s preeminent life sciences company creation firms. In this role, Tara provides leadership and operational expertise to drive the people, culture and experience at Third Rock Ventures.

Prior to Third Rock, Tara was Co-Founder of Agate Partners, where she consulted for start-ups in the biotechnology industry to help them build strategic people and operations functions. Previously, Tara led human resources and operations at Human Longevity, a genomics-based, health intelligence company. Earlier in her career, Tara held roles of increasing responsibility focused on operations and human resources at Editas Medicine and Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

Tara received a B.A. in business administration from University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA from Suffolk University.

Dodzie Sogah

Chief Operating Officer

Dodzie Sogah, Ph.D., has served as Chief Operating Officer at Merida Biosciences since 2024. Dodzie has more than 15 years of experience in corporate development and strategy within the biotechnology industry.

Prior to Merida, Dodzie was a Venture Partner at Third Rock Ventures, one of the industry’s preeminent life sciences venture firms, where he helped to build and launch multiple biopharma companies. Previously, Dodzie served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Scholar Rock, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing therapeutics for neuromuscular disease and other conditions. Previously, he served as Senior Director of Business Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in his career, Dodzie held roles of increasing responsibility at Vertex and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and began his career as a healthcare strategy consultant at Bain & Company.

Dodzie received his A.B. in biochemical sciences and A.M. in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard University. He completed his Ph.D. in cell biology at Harvard Medical School.

Adam Townsend

President & Chief Executive Officer

Adam Townsend has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Merida Biosciences since 2025. Adam has over 20 years of global biopharmaceutical experience in commercial operations and corporate development.

Prior to Merida, Adam was Chief Operating Officer at Apellis where he led U.S. and international commercial and medical affairs organizations. From January 2024 to February 2025, he built and led commercial organization as Apellis transitioned to a commercial-stage company with two approved products. Prior to joining Apellis, Adam worked at Biogen with progressive leadership roles in commercial and corporate development, leading the successful launch of multiple blockbuster products in neurology and rare disease. Adam has also held numerous leadership positions with increasing levels of responsibility in Europe at EUSA Pharma and Amgen. Adam began his career in sales at Novartis UK.

Adam received a BSc (Honors) degree in medical biochemistry from the University of London, UK.

Merida Biosciences Launches with $121M to Create Therapeutics for Multiple Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases