Jay Lichter is the Founder and Managing Partner, Avalon BioVentures and has been a Managing Director at Avalon Ventures since 2007. He is an entrepreneur and seasoned investor in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical arena with more than 25 years of expertise in management, scientific research, and business development. Jay has been either directly responsible for, or participated in, licensing or merger and acquisition deals valued in excess of US$5 billion. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Fortis Therapeutics, Enlaza Therapeutics, and Cullinan Mica. Jay is an inventor on more than 260 patents and patent applications. He held postdoctoral positions in Human Genetics at Yale University and pharmacogenetics at DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. Jay obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.