Fundraising Fox

John McKearn

Investor

Ph.D. at RiverVest Venture Partners

St. Louis, Missouri

Writes $100K – $10M checks · typically $1M

About

John McKearn is a Ph.D. immunologist who has spent his career translating scientific research into therapeutics across academia, large pharma, venture-backed biotechs, and early-stage company formation. He spent 16 years at Searle/Pharmacia (now Pfizer), rising to Global Head of Research and helping bring more than a dozen pharmaceuticals to market, before becoming president and CEO of San Diego biotech Kalypsys. He joined RiverVest in 2008 as a managing director, developing the firm's biopharma strategy, and transitioned to senior advisor in 2026. His work centers on assessing biological mechanisms, development risk, and clinical feasibility of early-stage drug candidates, and he has served on the boards of numerous portfolio companies including Allakos, Good Therapeutics, and ZS Pharma.

LinkedIn ↗X / Twitter ↗Website ↗

Beyond investing

Education
Holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Chicago. Holds a B.S. in Biology from Northern Illinois University.

From John's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Experience

  1. RiverVest Venture PartnersBiotechnology Consultantcurrent2026 — present
  2. RiverVest Venture PartnersManaging Director2008 — 2025
  3. IDM PharmaBoard Member2000 — 2009
  4. KalypsysCSO, President & CEO2003 — 2006
  5. PharmaciaSr VP of Discovery Research2000 — 2003
  6. SearleResearch1987 — 2000

Education

  1. University of ChicagoPhD, Immunology1975 — 1979
  2. Northern Illinois UniversityBachelor of Science (B.S.), Biology1971 — 1975

Skills & more

Biotechnology46Life Sciences25Pharmaceuticals3Drug Discovery47Immunology18Drug Development39Lifesciences43Medicinal Chemistry3Clinical Development15Genomics9Oncology14Technology Transfer14
+3 moreBiopharmaceuticalsPatentsPharmaceutical Industry

From John's professional profile.

Same school

Also attended University of Chicago241

Mark SusterManaging Partner at Upfront VenturesShardul ShahInvestor at Index VenturesSam BlackmanEntrepreneur in Residence at GV (Google Ventures)Clay FisherInvestor at Spark CapitalJonas CiplickasPrincipal at Scale Venture PartnersJulia Gonzalez SandersPartner and General Counsel at Crosslink Capital

+ 235 more

Also attended Northern Illinois University17

Kristin BeachCFO at Theory VenturesHenry HarrisInvestor at Castle Island VenturesMichael KilberryChief Product and Technology Officer at Red Cell IncubationIvaldo BassoChief Operating Officer at Permanent Capital VenturesDiana NarváezPrincipal at Flourish VenturesNick RosaInvestor at Sandbox Industries

+ 11 more

Shared employers

Also worked at RiverVest Venture Partners7

Derek RappInvestor at RiverVest Venture PartnersAndrew KleiboekerAssociate at RiverVest Venture PartnersPascal KroteeSenior Associate at RiverVest VentureNiall O’DonnellManaging Director at RiverVest VentureJay SchmelterManaging Director at RiverVest Venturekaren spilizewskiVice President at RiverVest Venture

+ 1 more

Also worked at Pharmacia118

Jigar RaythathaInvestor at Third Rock VenturesAbbie CelnikerInvestor at Third Rock VenturesErin MooreInvestor at Third Rock VenturesJeb KeiperInvestor at Third Rock VenturesRichard ChesworthInvestor at Third Rock VenturesBridget Martell MA, MDSenior Biopharmaceutical Advisor at Two Bear Capital

+ 112 more

Deals · 2

Bonum TherapeuticsBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed Apr 2026 · $32.3M raise

OncoResponseBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed May 2025

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Colleagues at RiverVest Venture Partners

Alessandro Sette
Scientific Advisor; Professor and Member, La Jolla Institute for Immunology at RiverVest Venture Partners
Andrew Kleiboeker
Associate at RiverVest Venture Partners
Andy Craig
Co-founder at RiverVest Venture Partners
Corrin Short
Executive Assistant at RiverVest Venture Partners
Courtney Harris
Controller at RiverVest Venture Partners
Derek Rapp
Investor at RiverVest Venture Partners
Gary DeCrescenzo
Scientific Advisor; Independent Consultant, Pharmaceutical Research and Development at RiverVest Venture Partners
Isaac Zike
Managing Director, Ph.D. at RiverVest Venture Partners

Network1

Farah Champsi
Managing Partner at Alta Partners

Investors connected to John in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.