J.C Lopez and the NEA

Before joining the NEA, J.C. Lopez served in several roles at Roche/Genentech, including Global Search and Evaluation for Neuroscience and Rare Diseases and Ophthalmology. Before joining Roche/Genentech, he held various positions at Militia Hill Ventures and the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior roles: Global Search and Evaluation for Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases

Prior roles: In the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Abbadie held roles in pharmacology and marketing. Prior to joining Eli Lilly, she worked at UCSD, where she was a postdoctoral fellow. She also worked as a consultant at Brain Cells Inc.

Prior to Roche/Genentech

Initially, the proposed merger between Genentech and Roche created an atmosphere of hostility. Shareholders of the companies rejected the new offer, and analysts questioned whether Roche would be able to collect enough shares to acquire the entire company. Many also feared that the argumentative nature of the negotiations would alienate Genentech’s management and scientists, and possibly lead them to leave the company.

Prior to joining Genentech, J.C. held a variety of roles at the venture capital firm Militia Hill, where he helped establish biotech companies. He also served as a Tech Transfer Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a BS in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, an MD from The Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from The Wharton School where he was a Joseph Wharton Fellow.

In 1978, Genentech relocated its headquarters to South San Francisco, where it thrived after the steel industry declined in the city. Since then, the Genentech site has added two million square feet to the master plan that was approved in 2007. In the last five years, Roche has expanded its campus to Mississauga, Ontario, with plans to add up to nine million square feet of new office space.