David Steensma

Chief Medical Officer at Ajax Therapeutics

David Steensma is the Chief Medical Officer at Ajax Therapeutics, a position he has held since August 2023. He is a distinguished expert in hematologic malignancies, boasting over 25 years of experience in oncology clinical practice and research. His appointment comes as Ajax Therapeutics advances its next-generation JAK2 inhibitor program aimed at treating myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) .1 3

Professional Background

Previous Roles:
- Global Head of Hematology at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (December 2020 - May 2023): Dr. Steensma led early-phase clinical development in both malignant and non-malignant hematology conditions, overseeing various therapies including small molecules and gene therapies .2 3
- Hematologist-Oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (September 2009 - December 2020): He directed the Edward P. Evans Myelodysplastic Syndromes Center and was involved in developing clinical trials for novel anti-cancer agents .2 3
- Faculty Member at Harvard Medical School: He taught hematology and supervised medical students while contributing to curriculum development .2 3

Contributions and Achievements

Dr. Steensma has published over 200 original research papers and has served on numerous committees for the American Society of Hematology. He was also a voting member of the Oncology Drug Advisory Committee for the FDA and has been involved with the MDS Foundation's Board of Directors .1 3 His educational background includes a medical degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine.

Current Focus

At Ajax Therapeutics, Dr. Steensma is dedicated to addressing significant unmet clinical needs in patients with MPNs, particularly through the development of more selective and potent JAK inhibitors .1 3

Experience

Chief Medical Officer at Ajax Therapeutics (August 2023 - Present)

Global Head of Hematology at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (December 2020 - May 2023); Edward P. Evans Chair in Myelodysplastic Syndromes at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (September 2019 - December 2020); Hematologist-Oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (September 2009 - December 2020); Editor In Chief at ASH Clinical News, American Society of Hematology (September 2014 - December 2020); Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (September 2009 - December 2020)

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Haematology at University of Oxford (2002 - 2004); Internal Medicine, Hematology, Oncology at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (1996 - 2002); M.D. in Medicine from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (1992 - 1996); B.S. in Physics and Astronomy from Calvin University (1988 - 1992)