Meet the Visionaries
Behind the Science

Leadership Team

Saurabh Johri

Chief Business Officer

Saurabh Johri is a pharmaceutical brand marketing and strategy expert with 15 years of experience. He holds a degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, and his extensive background includes corporate and brand strategy in both US and global roles. With a focus on oncology, Mr. Johri has led successful product launches and in-line marketing efforts. His expertise spans field sales, team leadership, and the development of commercial and corporate strategies, particularly in the US oncology market. With his strong educational foundation and industry experience, Mr. Johri plays a pivotal role in driving growth and success at CatenaBio.

Rick Kendall, PhD

Chief Science Officer

Dr. Kendall was most recently president and CEO of ImmPACT BIO, a cell therapy company developing engineered T cells for the treatment of cancer. Prior, he was vice president of research at Kite Pharma, where he was responsible for the company’s research pipeline and development of CAR-T technologies. Dr. Kendall was also an executive director and head of oncology research at Amgen, where he directed a group of more than 90 scientists and was responsible for the development of the company’s oncology therapeutic strategy aligning research with other functions, including chemistry, protein sciences, medical translational sciences, development, and commercial. Among his many accomplishments at Amgen, Dr. Kendall initiated efforts that led to the development of the first true KRAS inhibitor, LUMAKRAS. Additionally, he led the research diligence and integration team for the Micromet acquisition integrating the Bi-Specific T-cell Engager (BiTE) platform into Amgen’s repertoire of therapeutic modalities, which became a cornerstone in the company’s immune-oncology efforts. He holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a PhD from the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine.

Marco Lobba, PhD

CEO and Co-founder

Marco Lobba obtained a PhD from the University of California Berkeley and was a former student in the labs of Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna and Matthew Francis, Emeritus Chair of the Berkeley Department of Chemistry. In addition, he holds a bachelor’s degree in from Pomona College. With his educational foundation rooted at the intersection of chemistry and molecular biology and gene editing, Dr. Lobba cofounded CatenaBio to address the pressing challenge of delivering targeted protein therapeutics. His expertise in protein conjugation has helped advance innovative treatments, such as CRISPR-based editors and cell-based therapies. Dr. Lobba’s academic background and experience at UC Berkeley have shaped his vision for revolutionizing precision medicine and developing therapies that were previously unimaginable.