Amy H. Kao

Amy Kao is the Global Head of the Research Unit Neuroscience & Immunology and Billerica R&D Campus Head at EMD Serono, the Healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. She leads discovery and development of novel targets into medicines for immune-mediated and neurological disorders, driving cross-functional R&D collaboration since joining in 2016 and moved from Clinical Development to Research in 2021. A rheumatologist with 25+ years in clinical and translational research, she previously worked in Immunology early development at Biogen. She is active in lupus scientific community, eg, co-chaired the Lupus Research Alliance Industry Council, serves on its executive committee, a working group member in the World Economic Forum Global Alliance for Women’s Health – Science and Innovation, and is an associate editor and a topic editor for Frontiers in Immunology.