Richard Siegel

Global Head of Immunology
Novartis Biomedical Research

Richard Siegel, MD, PhD is Global Head of Immunology at Novartis Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. In this position, Richard oversees the discovery of new immune-modulating therapeutics for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases across the priority areas of Novartis. Richard joined Novartis in 2018 after a long career in academic medicine and research. After training as a Rheumatologist and Immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Richard did his post-doctoral training and was on the faculty of the NIH intramural research program, in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was most recently Chief of the Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) conducting basic and translational research in cytokine biology. He was also Clinical Director of the NIAMS, overseeing the clinical research program encompassing interventional and natural history studies of genetic autoimmune and inflammatory syndromes and more common rheumatologic and dermatologic diseases, and contributed to the understanding of multiple genetic immune dysregulation syndromes. He has received numerous honors, including election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and American Association of Physicians, and has authored more than 150 publications.

As the head of Translational Medicine for Immunology at Novartis from 2018 to 2023, Richard oversaw the transition of new molecular entities from the laboratory through early clinical trials to treat a broad spectrum of autoimmune conditions in Rheumatology, Dermatology and adjacent disease areas. Richard led a collaborative effort within Novartis to initiate clinical trials with the next-generation rapidly manufactured CD19-CART therapy YTB323 for autoimmune diseases. He also co-led the integrated Translational Research group in Immunology. He has worked with external translational research consortia, including IMI/IHI initiatives and the NIH-AMP-AIM program. In 2023, Richard was appointed as the Immunology Research Disease Area Head, where he oversees a pre-clinical portfolio of immunomodulatory molecules being developed for immunology, as well as neuroscience, cardiovascular and renal indications. He also has had an active role in in-licensing or acquiring early-stage drug candidates from biotechnology companies, including STING inhibitors, VAV1 molecular glue degraders and anti-IL15 antibodies. As research head, Richard continues to follow his long-term passion to bridge the gap between laboratory and clinical research and discover new treatments to.