atai Life Sciences

Srinivas Rao is Co-Founder and CEO of AtaiBeckley and previously co-founded atai Life Sciences, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer for five years before becoming Co-Chief Executive in 2023. He has over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, holding scientific, medical, and executive roles at companies ranging from venture-backed startups to publicly traded firms. He earned his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and holds a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Yale.

Amir Kalali is a physician-scientist working at the intersection of life sciences and technology, serving as a board director and advisor to private and public companies, universities, and investment groups. He is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego, Editor of Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, and Lead Editor of Essential CNS Drug Development, with over 250 peer-reviewed publications. He previously led the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at Quintiles (now IQVIA) for nearly 20 years and co-chairs the Decentralized Trials and Research Alliance while chairing the CNS Summit.

Andrea Heslin Smiley is a life sciences executive with about 28 years of experience in commercialization and general management. She is President and CEO of VMS BioMarketing, a healthcare services company, which she joined in 2008 and led as CEO from 2011; she previously spent 18 years at Eli Lilly and Company in finance, business development, corporate affairs, and brand management roles. She holds a BA in economics from DePauw University.

Anne Johnson is Chief Accounting Officer at atai Life Sciences, a position she assumed in 2026 after serving as CFO of AtaiBeckley and earlier as Chief Accounting Officer, Vice President of Finance, and Global Controller at atai. She oversees accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, and treasury, and has more than three decades of corporate finance experience largely in the life sciences sector, including involvement in four IPOs. She is a CPA and CGMA and holds a B.Sc in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Gerd Kochendoerfer is Chief Operating Officer at AtaiBeckley and previously held the same role at atai Life Sciences, overseeing development, business operations, and quality infrastructure. He joined in 2024 with more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, focusing on drug development, corporate development, and team leadership. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, is named on multiple patents, and has published over 25 peer-reviewed papers.

Glenn Short is Chief Scientific Officer at atai Life Sciences, a role he took in 2025 after serving as Senior Vice President of Early Development from 2022. He leads internal innovation and early-stage product development, integrating translational medicine into development and clinical strategies, and has over 20 years of industry and research experience across venture-backed and public companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Virginia and completed postdoctoral training in molecular biology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

John Hoffman has served as Chief Operating Officer of Northern Data AG since February 2025 and has close to 20 years of experience in investment banking and capital markets advisory. He previously worked as a Managing Director in equity capital markets at RBC Capital Markets (2023–2025) and at Credit Suisse (2012–2023), advising boards and management teams on over 200 growth-capital IPOs and other strategic transactions. He holds a degree from the University of Richmond and is a CFA charterholder.

Kevin Craig became Chief Medical Officer of atai Life Sciences in 2025, having joined in 2021 as Vice President and later Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, where he oversees clinical development, regulatory affairs, drug safety, biostatistics, and global clinical operations. He has more than 20 years of clinical experience with a focus on neuroscience pipelines, and previously held a faculty appointment at the University of Cambridge's Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and worked at P1vital on imaging and cognitive biomarkers for early-phase psychiatry trials. He earned his medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand and an MPhil in Medical Science from the University of Cambridge, and is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists with accreditation in addiction and adult psychiatry.

Laurent Fischer is CEO and President of Adverum Biotechnologies and sits on the boards of Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Lycia Therapeutics, and Teal. He previously chaired CTI Biopharma, led Tobira Therapeutics as CEO (later acquired by Allergan), and held leadership positions at Jennerex, RXCentric, MedVantx, Dupont Pharmaceuticals, Dupont-Merck, and F. Hoffmann-La Roche. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Geneva and a medical degree from the Geneva Medical School in Switzerland.

Michael Faerm is Chief Financial Officer at AtaiBeckley, which he joined in 2026, overseeing financial strategy, capital markets activities, and financial operations. He has more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience across executive roles, equity research, and investment banking, with a track record of strategic and financing transactions. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MS in civil engineering from Stanford University, and a BS in civil engineering from Columbia University.

Robert Conley is Chief Research and Development Officer of AtaiBeckley, a role he took in 2025 after serving as Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at Beckley Psytech. His earlier industry roles include Senior Vice President at Eleusis and Chief Science Officer, Neuroscience at Eli Lilly and Co. He previously held academic positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he remains an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology, and holds an MD from Maryland and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.

Rob Hershberg is Co-Founder, President, CEO and board chairman of HilleVax, and a Venture Partner with Frazier Healthcare Partners, where he has worked with the firm and its portfolio companies for 14 years. He previously co-founded and led VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, and held senior roles at Celgene (including Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Business Development & Global Alliances), Dendreon, and Corixa. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at UCLA and a Ph.D. from the Salk Institute, and previously served as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

Ryan Barrett is Chief Legal and Business Officer at atai Life Sciences, a role he assumed in 2025 after serving as General Counsel since joining in 2020. He has spent over a decade on the executive teams of public and private biotechnology companies, overseeing legal, corporate development, and intellectual property functions. He holds a JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and B.S. in biochemistry and B.A. in Italian from Trinity College, and is admitted to the Massachusetts bar.

Sabrina Martucci Johnson is a life sciences executive and the Founder and CEO of DARÉ Bioscience. She previously served as President of WomanCare Global Trading, CFO/CAO of the California Institute for Biomedical Research, and CFO/COO of Cypress Bioscience, and earlier held roles at Advanced Tissue Sciences and Baxter Healthcare. She holds a Master of International Management from Thunderbird, an MSc in Biochemical Engineering from University College London, and a BSc in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University.

Scott Braunstein is an operating partner at Aisling Capital and serves on the boards of Caribou Biosciences and Trevena. He previously led Marinus Pharmaceuticals as CEO and Chairman, was COO at Pacira Pharmaceuticals, and managed the JP Morgan Global Healthcare Fund. He started his career as a practicing physician at Summit Medical Group, holds a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University.