Thomas F. Bumol, Ph.D., was the Senior Vice President of the Biotechnology and Immunology Research components at Lilly Research Laboratories, and the Site Head & President of Lilly’s Biotechnology Center of San Diego, which included the former Applied Molecular Evolution subsidiary of Lilly Research Laboratories and the Immunology therapeutic area until his retirement on December 31st, 2017. Subsequently, Dr. Bumol was the Executive Vice President of the Allen Institute and founding Director of the Allen Institute for Immunology in Seattle, a position he assumed on March 1st, 2018, to set up a new research institute focused on human immunology in both health and disease. Dr. Bumol recruited and led a 64-person team there until his retirement in August of 2022. Together his career spanned forty years of research management/executive leadership in innovative drug discovery and development from novel target discovery, biotherapeutic discovery and engineering and human trials in multiple therapeutic areas.
A native of Detroit Michigan, he attended the University of Michigan where he studied microbiology. He later earned his doctorate in microbiology and immunology from the University of Minnesota in 1980. After postdoctoral studies at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, Dr. Bumol joined Lilly as a Senior Immunologist in 1982 where he remained for his career of over 35 years until his retirement. He has over 50 publications, 8 issued U.S. patents and his former Lilly team and collaborators have discovered and nominated over 100 molecules into clinical development including drotecogin alfa (launched as Xigris) dulaglutide (launched as Trulicity™), ixekizumab (launched as Taltz™), galcanezumab (launched as Emgality™), mirikizumab(an IL23 p19 antibody in phase III development in autoimmunity),LY, tirzepatide-a dual GIP GLP-1 receptor agonist launched as Mounjaro™, and donanemab -an antibody currently in development for Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, through strategic alliances his teams helped develop and launch/support abciximab (launched as ReoPro™) with Centocor and baricitinib (launched as Olumiant™) with Incyte.
Dr. Bumol is a member of the board of directors of three biotechnology companies and is on the scientific advisory board of two more start-up companies involved in novel technology platforms to help advance new therapeutic candidates into successful clinical development.
