Susanne Swalley, PhD
Trained as a chemist, with postdoctoral training in biophysics and structural biology, I have a 19+ years track-record in industry leading project teams, phenotypic screening, target deconvolution, protein and oligonucleotide biophysics, and statistical design of experiment (DoE) for assay development.
Skills
About
After 18 years in the Pharma industry, I formed my own consulting company, Aspen Point Consulting, LLC, in 2022. I specialize in small molecule drug discovery, phenotypic screening, target deconvolution, chemical biology, and biophysics. My clients range from companies performing phenotypic screens and requiring expertise on screening and subsequent target deconvolution, to companies with a putative target but with a need to validate target engagement, to companies looking to generate specific small molecule binders to RNA and verify specificity and cellular MoA.
Work experience
Senior Investigator I (Lab Head)
I co-led the efforts to determine the mechanism of action (MoA) of branaplam, a sequence-specific SMN2 splicing modulator, resulting in a publication in Nature Chemical Biology as a corresponding author. Other activities involved other MoA projects, the generation of DNA aptamers to high-interest targets, and validating target binding through a number of biophysical techniques and impacting projects by delivering sensitive detection assays. I used statistical DoE approaches extensively, resulting in rapid assay optimization.
Principal Scientist (Lab Head)
I led a Chemical Biology team focused on target deconvolution of small molecule hits from phenotypic screens, particularly chemoproteomics, genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screening and CETSA. Additionally, I was the project lead for two small molecule drug discovery programs: one in collaboration with an external partner through the lead optimization stage, one an internal phenotypic screen using patient-derived iPSC cells through the hit identification stage. My teams spanned medicinal chemistry, biology, screening, DMPK, preclinical safety and commercial functions.
Vice President
As a member of the Leadership Team responsible for the research portfolio, I provided strategic vision on early drug discovery and target deconvolution. At various times I wasdirectly responsible for the High-throughput Screening, In Vitro Pharmacology, Chemical Biology, Cell Engineering, and Condensate Mapping teams, delivering high quality assays and screens for hit identification and hit-to-lead as well as identifying molecular targets of condensate modulating small molecules.
