PP
Pieter Peeters
Janssen
Senior Director and Head, High Dimensional Biology & Drug Discovery Data Sciences
Description
As head of the High Dimensional and Computational Biology team within Discovery Sciences, Pieter
Peeters, Ph.D. leads a global team of data scientists and cell biology experimentalists focused on utilizing
high dimensional biological and chemical data combined with artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning
(ML) algorithms to probe how a molecule impacts efficacy, safety & developability end-points – ultimately
transforming our ability to invent the best NME, fastest.
Based out of Beerse, Belgium, Pieter reports to Litao Zhang, Global Head, Discovery Technologies and
Molecular Pharmacology in the Discovery Sciences organization and is a member of the DS Leadership
Team.
In addition to passion and enthusiasm, Pieter brings 20+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical
industry to his leadership role. Most recently, he led the EU-based Computational Sciences (CS) team
within Discovery Sciences. Under his leadership, the team led Janssen’s efforts in using AI and ML to
translate high dimensional biological and chemical data to guide target discovery and mode of actions
studies across all therapeutic areas. His team has successfully implemented several novel platforms such
as the single cell immune profiling capability. In collaboration with partners across Jansssen R&D, the
immune profiling platform has been successfully applied in unravelling the mode of action of
DARZALEX® (daratumumab) as well as the discovery of T-cell receptors directed towards neo-antigens of
relevance for treating prostate cancer.
Pieter has been the Janssen lead for the ExaScience life lab, and the Innovative Medicine Initiative
project on the application of induced pluripotent stem cells in drug discovery and drug safety testing
(StemBANCC). In addition, Pieter was the recipient of the Philip B. Hofmann Research Scientist Award for
leading work on liver-specific knockdown using SNALP-formulated siRNAs to study pathways in
lipoprotein secretion and steatosis.
He has authored or co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed research publications and book chapters.
Pieter was trained as a bio-engineer and obtained his Ph.D. in Applied Biological Sciences (medical
molecular biology) at the Center for Human Genetics from the Catholic University Leuven, Belgium.
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