
Spyros Papapetropoulos MD, PhD
Spyros is an experienced biopharmaceutical executive, a recognized researcher, a clinician, and a change agent. He has held positions of increasing responsibility at small, medium, and large CNS-focused biopharma companies.
Prior to joining Vigil Neurosciences he served at Acadia Pharmaceuticals as CDO, and SVP, Head of Development, at SwanBio Therapeutics (a gene therapy company) as CEO and at Cavion as Head of Research and Development and CMO. Before Cavion he held senior/executive positions at Biogen, Allergan, Pfizer, and TEVA. Has filed multiple INDs and has overseen a broad spectrum of biopharmaceutical development programs (small molecules, biologics, gene therapy) leading to successful regulatory filings (>20 INDs/3 NDAs/2 sBLAs) and new product launches worldwide.
For the past 17 years, he has led efforts in academic research, digital medicine, biopharmaceutical innovation and machine learning developing standards and novel technology-based tools and pioneering decentralized clinical trials. Spyros has a track record on building focused, innovative, fast-paced teams with an emphasis on science and culture.
Spyros is a board-certified Neurologist and Neuroscientist trained at the University of Patras, Greece and Queen’s Square/UCL, London, UK and holds appointments as Consultant with Massachusetts General Hospital and Voluntary Professor of Neurology with the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.
He has authored more than 165 peer-reviewed publications, several patents, book chapters, presented and chaired meetings since 1998. Spyros has received awards and has served as a member of various US government and nonprofit committees on healthcare and biomedical research innovation.
Positions and Employment
2000 - 2001 Clinical Fellow, National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery - Queen Square, London
2003 - 2007 Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
2007 - 2008 Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA, University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
2008 - 2010 Medical Director, Experimental Neurology, Biogen, Cambridge, MA
2010 - 2012 Sr Medical Director, Therapeutic Area Head, Neurosciences, Allergan Inc, Irvine, CA
2012 - 2015 Sr Medical Director, Neurosciences Research Unit, Pfizer Inc, Cambridge, MA
2015 - 2017 Vice President, Neurodegeneration Therapeutic Area Head, TEVA Pharmaceuticals, Malvern, PA
2017 - 2019 Executive Vice President, Head of R&D and CMO, Cavion Inc, Cambridge, MA
2019 Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, SwanBio Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA
2019 - present Founder and President, Encephalos Life Sciences LLC – A Neurosciences Consulting Company
2019 – present Chief Business Officer, OccamzRazor Inc, An Artificial Intelligence-powered biotech company
2019 - 2020 Executive R&D Advisor (Chief Development Officer), Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Princeton NJ
2020 - present Chief Medical Officer, Vigil Neurosciences, Cambridge MA
2020 - present Independent Board Director, Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Emeryville CA
Selected List of Collaborators (full or part time):
Pharma/Biotech Companies:
Biogen, Allergan, Teva, Pfizer, Acadia, SwanBio Therapeutics, Cavion Pharma, Auspex, MAP Pharmaceuticals, Vernalis
Venture Capital firms:
Sofinnova Partners, Syncona, Partner Innovation Fund, Novartis Venture Fund, Lilly Ventures
Tech/Digital Health/AI Companies:
Intel, IBM Watson, Apptomics, AiCure, OccamzRazor, GreatLakesNeurotechnology, Empatica
Non-Profit Organizations:
MJFF, Parkinson’s disease Foundation, CHDI, Huntington’s disease Society of America, Tuberous Sclerosis Association, International Essential Tremor Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Alzheimer’s Foundation, National Institute of Mental Health
Academic Institutions:
Massachusetts General Hospital, Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery/UCL/Queen Square London, University of Miami, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) Paris