Dr. Olson has more than 35 years of experience in the biopharma industry, and since 2013 has been the Chief Scientific Officer at Syros Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge-based biotech company focused on developing medicines that work through controlling the expression of genes. Prior to joining Syros he held several senior positions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in research, development and commercialization of cystic fibrosis drugs that target the underlying genetic defect causing the disease. During this time he led development teams for Kalydeco and Orkambi and served as the CF franchise head.
In addition to his work at Vertex, Dr. Olson has held positions in infectious diseases and gene expression at Upjohn and Warner-Lambert/Pfizer. He serves on the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Brain Tumor Society. He earned his B.S. in Microbiology from the University Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan.
- Primary/Complementary Interactive Styles: Warrior/Mastermind (even score)
- Interactive Combination: The Adventurer/The Power Broker
- In a film, he’d be played by: Sean Connery
- Common Leadership Characteristic: May prefer to work alone rather than with a team
