Quantitative Biosciences Institute Appoints Brad Schneider, Ph.D., as Chief Operating Officer

—Infectious disease scientist, global health strategist, and AI biosecurity expert joins QBI to lead operational excellence and institutional growth—

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) today announced the appointment of Brad Schneider, Ph.D., as Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Schneider brings more than two decades of experience in infectious disease research, global health operations, and AI biosecurity to his new role focused on advancing QBI's operational infrastructure and translating its science into real-world impact.

"Brad brings something rare to QBI, a scientist's instincts and an operator's discipline," said Nevan J. Krogan, Ph.D., Director, QBI. "He has spent his career building and leading diverse, high-performing teams across some of the world's most demanding scientific environments, always with an eye on the science and its translational impact on human health globally. We are delighted to welcome him to QBI as we enter this next important phase of our growth and impact."

Dr. Schneider joins QBI from Vaccines for Communities (V4C), a global biotechnology research initiative developing a new generation of pediatric mRNA vaccines targeting dengue fever, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. In that role, he led the development and execution of the company's strategic and operational framework, spearheading global partnerships and fundraising. Prior to that, he served in multiple senior leadership roles at San Francisco-based Pinpoint Science including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Research Officer, and Head of Infectious Disease and currently serves as Chairman of the Board. As CEO, he directed all scientific, operational, and regulatory activities and spearheaded the development and validation of a novel bioelectronic diagnostic device.

Earlier in his career, he held senior science and leadership roles including Chief Scientific Officer at Renegade Bio and Science Integration Lead at Metabiota (acquired by Baktus), where he managed scientific activities across eight international field teams spanning Southeast Asia and Africa, oversaw more than 150,000 diagnostic tests for 25+ pathogens, and provided strategic direction for USAID’s PREDICT program, a $100 million global effort for emerging pathogen detection and early warning. He also developed a global health threat detection and modeling platform leveraging natural language processing, epidemiological modeling, and risk analytics, a product later acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks. Dr. Schneider maintains an active independent consulting practice in global health, AI biosecurity, and emerging infectious diseases, advising major global nonprofits including PATH and GAVI, on strategic planning, health systems strengthening, and biosafety and biosecurity. He previously served as an infectious disease and outbreak response consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense and USAID, among other global organizations.

Dr. Schneider began his scientific career as an Emerging Infectious Disease Fellow at the CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Disease and conducted pre-doctoral research at the University of Texas Medical Branch's Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, where he attained FBI/DOJ clearance to work with highly pathogenic select agents. He served as a Visiting Scientist and Pasteur Foundation Fellow at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, where he worked in the Virus Pathogenesis Unit leading field surveillance projects across Southeast Asia on mosquito-borne diseases.

Dr. Schneider holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology and Virology from the University of Texas Medical Branch and a B.A. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is the author of more than 75 peer-reviewed publications spanning viruses, bacteria, and parasites across human and veterinary pathogens. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases and previously served as Academic Editor for PLOS ONE and was a Review Board Member for PLOS Currents: Outbreaks.

His numerous honors and awards include the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for excellence in scientific achievement from the CDC, the Florence Gould Scholar award for distinguished research in public health, and recognition as a Young Leader by the French American Foundation, a program whose alumni include President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and World Bank President Zoellick.

“QBI has built an extraordinary platform that connects fundamental protein interaction science to some of the most urgent challenges in human health, from cancer to neurodegeneration to pandemic preparedness,” stated Dr. Schneider. “It’s quite rare to find an institution with this combination of scientific depth and translational ambition. I am excited to join the team and to help build the operational infrastructure that will allow QBI’s science to reach its full potential.”

ABOUT THE QUANTITATIVE BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (QBI)

The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) is a University of California organized research unit reporting through the UCSF School of Pharmacy. QBI fosters collaborations across the biomedical and physical sciences to advance interdisciplinary approaches to human disease and therapeutic discovery. QBI’s disease-agnostic, uniquely integrated technological platforms have generated insights across cancer, neurodegeneration, and infectious diseases, leading to the formation of spinout companies, including Rezo Therapeutics. QBI incorporates the UCSF division of QB3, a multicampus UC institute that supports bioscience research and innovation in California. Learn more at qbi.ucsf.edu.