2024 Speakers

Seth Lederman is a physician, scientist, drug-hunter, biopharmaceutical executive, and a co-founder of Tonix Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Tonix, Dr. Lederman founded Targent Pharmaceuticals, which developed late-stage oncology drugs, including levoleucovorin. After Spectrum Pharmaceuticals acquired Targent’s assets, levoleucovorin was marketed as Fusilev® for advanced colorectal cancer, gaining significant market acceptance. Prior to becoming a biopharma executive, Dr. Lederman served as an Associate Professor at Columbia University and directed basic science research in molecular immunology, infectious disease and the development of therapeutics for autoimmune diseases. His fundamental work on the CD40-Ligand (CD154) elucidated the molecular basis of T cell helper function and has led to the development of therapeutic candidates for autoimmune diseases and organ transplant rejection. In collaboration with Prof. David Baltimore (then at Rockefeller University and later MIT), Dr. Lederman identified and functionally characterized the CD40 signaling molecule, TRAF-3. In addition to his research, Dr. Lederman served as attending physician in the Edward Daniels Arthritis and Autoimmunity Clinic on the Medical Service at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for several years. Dr. Lederman earned his MD from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and an AB from Princeton in Chemistry cum laude.