Veteran immunologist and former Pfizer R&D leader joins Circurna to advance its circular RNA therapeutic platform
HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, January 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Circurna, a biotechnology company redefining RNA therapeutics through its proprietary circular RNA (ciRNA™) platform, today announced the appointment of Robert Rickert, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer.
Dr. Rickert is a visionary immunologist and oncology R&D leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning academia and industry. Most recently, he served as Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President at Pfizer, where he led global immuno-oncology discovery efforts and advanced more than a dozen immunotherapeutic programs into the clinic, including CAR-T therapies, bispecific antibodies, and novel cytokine-based approaches.
“We are thrilled to welcome Robert as Circurna’s Chief Scientific Officer,” said Peter Weinstein, CEO of Circurna. “Robert brings a rare combination of deep scientific rigor, translational expertise, and global leadership experience. His track record of advancing breakthrough immunotherapies into the clinic and building high-performing R&D organizations makes him an exceptional addition to our team. His appointment marks a significant milestone as we continue to scale our circular RNA platform and work toward becoming one of the world’s leading circular RNA therapeutics companies.”
Before joining Circurna, Dr. Rickert held senior academic and administrative leadership roles at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the University of California, San Diego. In these positions, he led translational research programs, secured sustained NIH funding, and fostered industry-academic collaborations across immunology and oncology. His expertise spans cancer biology, antibody engineering, tumor microenvironment dynamics, and preclinical drug discovery strategy.
“I’m excited to be joining Circurna at such a pivotal moment in its growth,” said Dr. Rickert. “Circurna’s differentiated circular RNA platform has the potential to fundamentally expand what RNA therapeutics can achieve, enabling sustained protein expression and novel in vivo cell therapy and in situ protein production approaches. I look forward to working with the team to advance programs that could deliver meaningful benefits for patients across cancer, fibrosis, and autoimmune diseases.”
About Circurna
Circurna is a biotechnology and RNA therapeutics company developing next-generation circular RNA medicines designed to unlock superior stability, potency, and duration of action. The company was founded to address fundamental limitations of linear mRNA technologies, including short-lived protein expression, systemic reactogenicity, reliance on ultra-cold-chain logistics, and restricted delivery formats.
Through its proprietary ciRNA™ circular RNA platform, Circurna engineers a new class of programmable RNA therapies enabled by advanced RNA engineering and circularization technologies. By redesigning the RNA molecule itself, optimizing lipid nanoparticle formulations, and introducing patch-based delivery approaches, Circurna is building a versatile platform capable of supporting multiple therapeutic modalities across oncology, immunology, and other serious diseases with high unmet need.
To learn more, visit https://circurna.com.
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Putnam Insights LLC
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