Nurix Executives | Leadership Team & Company Leadership

Date August 22, 2025
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Nurix

COMPANY INFO

Nurix Therapeutics is a public biopharmaceutical company founded in 2009 by Arthur Weiss, John Kuriyan, and Michael Rape. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and has approximately 284 employees. The company focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule therapies designed to modulate cellular protein levels as novel treatments for cancer and immune disorders. Nurix leverages its proprietary DNA-encoded libraries and expertise in E3 ligases to develop targeted protein degradation drugs. Their official website is www.nurixtx.com.

10 Key Nurix Therapeutics Inc Executives

Nurix Therapeutics Inc is a leading biopharmaceutical company that develops small molecule therapies to modulate cellular protein levels in the treatment of cancer and immune disorders. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, Nurix leverages innovative technology platforms, such as DNA-encoded libraries and expertise in E3 ligases, to advance novel medicines in targeted protein degradation.

The Nurix Therapeutics Inc leadership team draws from deep scientific, medical, legal, financial, and operational expertise. Nurix's management team is comprised of industry veterans and academic leaders who drive innovation, support robust R&D pipelines, and ensure strong corporate governance and operational excellence. Their collective experience and strategic direction have been instrumental in positioning Nurix as a key player in the emerging drug discovery and biotechnology sectors.

Key Executives

Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D. - CEO

As President and CEO since 2014, Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D. has been the architect of Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s strategic vision, overseeing the development of the DELigase platform and advancing multiple targeted protein degradation and elevation therapies into clinical development. Dr. Sands has secured pivotal partnerships with global pharmaceutical leaders and steered Nurix through its successful IPO in 2020, significantly boosting the company’s market capitalization and advancing its prominence in the biopharma sector.

Dr. Sands previously co-founded Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, serving as President and CEO for nearly two decades. He completed an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Sands holds a B.A. from Yale University and earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Baylor College of Medicine. His career reflects deep expertise in drug discovery, oncology, and biotech leadership, making him highly regarded among Nurix Therapeutics Inc founders and executives.

Hans van Houte - CFO

Since June 2020, Hans van Houte has led Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s financial strategy, instituting rigorous financial controls for public company reporting and spearheading capital raises exceeding $500 million. Mr. van Houte has optimized budgeting processes and provided financial support for the expansion of R&D and commercialization efforts, playing a pivotal role in Nurix's rapid growth.

Prior to joining Nurix, he held senior finance positions at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, helping scale finance post-IPO. He served as VP Finance and Operations at Trubion Pharmaceuticals during its own IPO and was a managing partner at Bionation LLC. Mr. van Houte earned his B.S. in Business Administration, Finance and Accounting from Babson College, bringing a wealth of experience to Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s management team.

Gwenn M. Hansen, Ph.D. - CSO

As Chief Scientific Officer since June 2020, Gwenn M. Hansen, Ph.D. leads Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s discovery efforts, driving the establishment of the company’s DNA-encoded library technology and advancing multiple lead degrader programs. Dr. Hansen is at the forefront of integrating AI into target discovery, which has resulted in a robust and diversified pipeline for oncology and inflammation applications.

Dr. Hansen joined Nurix in 2015, previously serving as an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Drug Discovery and holding senior discovery roles at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Gustavus Adolphus College and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Her background in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology strengthens Nurix Therapeutics Inc leadership.

Christine Ring, Ph.D., J.D. - CLO and Corporate Secretary

Appointed Chief Legal Officer in 2019, Christine Ring, Ph.D., J.D. is responsible for all aspects of Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s legal strategy, including corporate governance and compliance. Dr. Ring successfully expanded the company’s intellectual property portfolio, securing foundational patents for E3 ligase modulators and managing legal aspects of the 2020 IPO and related strategic agreements.

Dr. Ring was previously General Counsel at Oncoceutics and held legal leadership roles at Cohera Medical and Amylin Pharmaceuticals. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, offering unmatched expertise in biotech patent law and regulatory compliance to Nurix Therapeutics Inc executives.

Jason Kantor, Ph.D. - Head of R&D

As Head of Research and Development since 2021, Jason Kantor, Ph.D. manages the translational development of targeted degrader and ligase inhibitor programs. Dr. Kantor has instituted cross-functional portfolio review practices that have expedited candidate selection and advanced multiple therapeutic programs to the clinic.

Dr. Kantor joined Nurix in 2019 as VP of Research, following leadership of discovery teams at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. He earned a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His expertise spans pharmacology, drug metabolism, and innovative R&D leadership.

Paula G. O’Connor, M.D. - CMO

Joining Nurix Therapeutics Inc in May 2024, Paula G. O’Connor, M.D. leads clinical strategy and the execution of early-phase clinical trials for drug candidates NX-5948 and NX-2127. Dr. O’Connor has successfully obtained FDA IND clearance for NX-0479 and built a global network of investigator collaborations to accelerate clinical development.

Dr. O’Connor previously served as Global Head of Clinical Development at BioMarin and held senior clinical roles at Genentech. She earned her M.D. from Harvard Medical School and completed residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, bringing world-class clinical trial and hematology-oncology expertise to Nurix Therapeutics Inc management team.

Pasit Phiasivongsa, Ph.D. - CTO

Appointed Chief Technical Officer in May 2024, Pasit Phiasivongsa, Ph.D. leads technical operations, including small molecule manufacturing process development and scale-up efforts. Dr. Phiasivongsa implemented streamlined and cost-effective synthetic routes, reducing the company’s manufacturing costs by 30%.

Dr. Phiasivongsa was previously VP of Technical Operations at Kymera Therapeutics and held chemistry leadership positions at Takeda. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and his B.S. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, with expertise in process chemistry and biomanufacturing.

John Northcott - SVP, Business Development

As Senior Vice President of Business Development since 2022, John Northcott has spearheaded Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s business development strategy, leading partnership negotiations resulting in over $200 million in milestone agreements. Mr. Northcott developed the company’s in-licensing framework, broadening Nurix’s reach into epigenetics and new therapeutic modalities.

Previously, Mr. Northcott was VP of Global Licensing at Roche and held business development roles at Merck. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Oxford. His strengths lie in large-scale biopharma alliances and global business expansion.

Anna Garcia - CHRO

Since 2021, Anna Garcia has transformed human resources at Nurix Therapeutics Inc, driving talent management programs that reduced employee turnover by 25% and launching DEI initiatives increasing underrepresented group hires by 15%. Her leadership has fostered a culture of development, engagement, and inclusion.

Before joining Nurix, Ms. Garcia served as Head of Talent at Genzyme and had HR leadership roles at Gilead Sciences. She holds an M.S. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA, offering deep expertise in organizational development and HR operations.

Michael Lee - CIO

Since 2023, Michael Lee has directed Nurix Therapeutics Inc’s IT strategy, implementing a unified, cloud-based informatics platform that streamlines discovery and clinical data integration, boosting analytics turnaround time by 40%. Mr. Lee oversees digital transformation efforts that support laboratory, clinical, and enterprise workflows.

Previously, Mr. Lee served as VP of IT at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and led major digital initiatives at Alnylam. He received his M.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT, specializing in bioinformatics and digital health systems.

Company Leadership

The Nurix Therapeutics Inc leadership team represents an exceptional blend of scientific acumen, strategic business insight, financial discipline, and operational rigor. With a structure that encompasses executive expertise across R&D, clinical, technical, business development, legal, HR, and IT functions, Nurix maintains a dynamic, innovation-driven environment. The breadth of leadership backgrounds – from established biotech CEOs and academic luminaries to experienced enterprise managers – underpins the company’s ability to advance novel therapies and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving biotech landscape.

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