Dr. Frances Rena Bahjat serves as Vice President, Discovery Research for Apexigen. She has nearly 20 years of experience encompassing target discovery and preclinical and clinical development of biologics and small molecules for cancer, as well as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. She studied Biomedical Sciences and Immunology at the University of Florida College of Medicine where she earned her Doctorate in Immunology. She also served in scientific roles at BMS Biologics Discovery and Rigel Pharmaceuticals and in between was an Assistant Professor at Oregon Health & Sciences University. As Associate Director of Pharmacology at Rigel Pharmaceuticals she contributed to the preclinical and clinical development of kinase inhibitors for cancer, allergy, and autoimmune diseases, including recently approved Tavalisse™ for Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia.