Solid Biosciences Strengthens Leadership Team To Advance Programs For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solid Biosciences announced today changes to its senior management team intended to support the company’s efforts to develop meaningful treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Jennifer Ziolkowski, CPA, has joined Solid as Chief Financial Officer and will lead all financial and fiscal planning operations for the company. In addition, Carl Morris, Ph.D., has been promoted to Chief Scientific Officer, responsible for overseeing the company’s preclinical development efforts. Joel Schneider, Ph.D., has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer, Head of Exploratory Research and Development, responsible for identifying and validating novel scientific modalities to build the company’s pipeline.

“As Solid grows, our leadership team reflects the combination of passion, expertise and experience to efficiently advance our programs, as well as continue our efforts to identify and develop the next generation of high-potential approaches for DMD,” said Ilan Ganot, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Biosciences. “I am excited to welcome Jennifer and congratulate Joel and Carl on their new positions. Together with our Chief Operating Officer Alvaro Amorrortu and Chief Medical Officer Jorge Quiroz, I am confident that we have in place the right leadership team to deliver on our promise to bring truly meaningful therapies to patients with this devastating disease.”

Ms. Ziolkowski joins Solid with more than 20 years of experience in various finance and operational leadership roles. Most recently, she served as the Head of Sales Operations, North America for Phillips Healthcare after holding various roles in finance across several of the company’s businesses. Prior to Phillips Healthcare, Ms. Ziolkowski was Senior Director of Finance and Corporate Controller at TransMedics, Inc., where she played a critical role in building the company’s financial operations. Jennifer established her career within the healthcare industry at Cytyc Corporation, a leading life science company focused on Women’s Health, which was subsequently acquired by Hologic, Inc. During her tenure, she oversaw all aspects of finance, ultimately leading the Financial Planning and Analysis team and completing several strategic acquisitions as part of the Corporate Development team. Ms. Ziolkowski began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Boston College. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

In his role as Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Morris will lead Solid’s drug discovery and preclinical development efforts. Dr. Morris joined Solid in 2015 and has played a primary role in the preclinical development of the company’s lead gene therapy candidate, SGT-001, as well as its pipeline of disease modifying therapies. Prior to joining Solid, Dr. Morris was a Senior Director for Pfizer’s Rare Disease Research Unit, leading its biologics and neuromuscular disease area programs. He was an Assistant Professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and a founding member of the Muscle and Aging Research Unit, investigating strategies for improving muscle function during aging or disease. Dr. Morris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Franklin Pierce College and a Ph.D. in Physiology from UCLA.

As Solid’s first employee in 2014, Dr. Schneider was instrumental in discovering and executing proof-of-concept studies for SGT-001, as well as building the company’s unique disease-focused business model. As Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Schneider will be responsible for sourcing and validating novel scientific approaches, ultimately advancing the most promising assets through proof-of-concept. Dr. Schneider previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University in the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, characterizing and developing small molecules that enhance skeletal muscle regeneration. He holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University and an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University. Dr. Schneider is the author of numerous peer-reviewed articles related to DMD and stem cell biology.

About Solid Biosciences
Solid Biosciences is a life science company focused solely on finding meaningful therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Founded by those directly impacted by the disease, Solid is a center of excellence for DMD, bringing together experts in science, technology and care to drive forward a portfolio of candidates that have life-changing potential. Currently, Solid is progressing programs across four scientific platforms: Corrective Therapies, Disease Modifying Therapies, Disease Understanding and Assistive Devices. The company’s lead candidate, SGT-001, is an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated gene therapy for which clinical trials are anticipated to begin in the second half of 2017. For more information, please visit www.solidbio.com.