Biography
Kara is responsible for setting the strategic direction and overseeing all pipeline activities for sourcing, selection, screening, onboarding, optimizing and tracking the portfolio across JLABS globally. Kara joined the JLABS team in 2012, shortly after the flagship JLABS site opened at Janssen R&D in San Diego. In her previous role, Kara executed on external engagement, sourcing innovation, portfolio management, operational excellence, educational programming, and P&L for the JLABS in San Diego site. Kara also serves as an Instructor for the I-Corps at NIH program, a program aimed at commercializing biomedical technologies, where she serves as Domain Expert in Therapeutics for NIH SBIR recipient companies. Kara came to JLABS from Galapagos NV in Belgium, where she had various roles of increasing responsibility, including business development, marketing, investor relations and medical communications at a time when the company grew from 60 to more than 800 employees and completed its initial public offering on Euronext. Kara holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.

Academic & Commercial Accelerators Showcase:
Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS
Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS (JLABS) is a global network of open innovation ecosystems, enabling and empowering innovators across a broad healthcare spectrum including pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and health tech sectors to create and accelerate the delivery of life-saving, life-enhancing health and wellness solutions to patients around the world.