Zachary J. Roberts, M.D., Ph.D., is Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Allogene Therapeutics Inc., a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic CAR T cell therapies to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. In this pivotal role, which he assumed in 2021, Dr. Roberts leads the company’s global clinical development, regulatory strategy, and R&D operations. He oversees the advancement of Allogene’s robust pipeline, including investigational therapies like cemacabtagene ansegedleucel (cema-cel) for multiple myeloma and ALLO-316 for renal cell carcinoma, with a focus on delivering scalable, off-the-shelf treatments that address unmet needs in oncology and beyond. Dr. Roberts brings over two decades of experience in oncology drug development, with a proven track record in cell therapy innovation. Prior to Allogene, he served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at Kite Pharma (a Gilead Sciences company), where he spearheaded the development and regulatory approvals of Yescarta® (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and Tecartus® (brexucabtagene autoleucel), transformative CAR T therapies that have treated thousands of patients with lymphoma and leukemia. Earlier, he was Vice President of Clinical Development in Hematology/Oncology at Genentech, contributing to numerous clinical programs, and held leadership roles at Pfizer Oncology and in academic medicine. A board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist, Dr. Roberts earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in hematology/oncology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he also served as faculty. His expertise in immuno-oncology and CAR T cell therapies has positioned him as a key thought leader, with numerous publications and presentations advancing the field.