Chris M. Storgard, M.D., is a seasoned hematologist-oncologist with over 25 years of experience in clinical development and drug discovery across oncology, immunology, and rare diseases. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, followed by residency in internal medicine and fellowship training in hematology and medical oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Early in his career, Dr. Storgard held roles at Amgen Inc., where he contributed to the development of novel biologics, and later advanced to leadership positions at emerging biotechs, honing his expertise in translational medicine and regulatory strategy. Dr. Storgard’s notable achievements include serving as Senior Vice President and Therapeutic Head of Hematology at Kite Pharma (a Gilead company), where he led the clinical development and global regulatory strategy for Yescarta® (axicabtagene ciloleucel), the first CAR T-cell therapy approved by the FDA for relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma. He subsequently served as Chief Medical Officer at Atara Biotherapeutics, overseeing clinical programs in oncology and immunotherapy. His track record encompasses advancing over a dozen programs from Phase 1 through approval, with a focus on innovative cell and gene therapies. As Chief Medical Officer at Design Therapeutics Inc., Dr. Storgard leads the company’s clinical development efforts for its GeneTAC™ (Gene Targeted Therapy Against CAG Expansions) platform, targeting neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases such as myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and FUS-ALS. Under his guidance, Design is advancing its lead program, DT-216, into clinical trials, leveraging his deep experience to accelerate the translation of genomic medicines from preclinical stages to patients in need.