Ning Li
Vice President, Discovery Versatope Therapeutics
Ning Li, Ph.D. is a biotechnology leader with over 15 years of experience in therapeutic protein discovery, engineering, and translational development. His work has spanned enzymes, antibodies, fusion proteins, engineered living medicines, and other next-generation biologic modalities, leading programs from early discovery through IND-enabling development.
His expertise lies at the intersection of protein engineering, disease biology, and discovery strategy, with a focus on integrating target product profiles, experimental design, developability, and Design–Build–Test–Learn workflows into efficient decision-making. He is particularly interested in building discovery frameworks that accelerate the translation of innovative molecular designs into therapeutic candidates while balancing scientific rigor, program risk, and development timelines.
Ning received his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University, where he trained in enzymology and protein biochemistry.
Seminars
- Begin with purpose: Define the therapeutic objective and target product profile before optimizing the molecule
- Design for learning: Build experimental strategies that reduce uncertainty and guide the next discovery decision
- Optimize the whole candidate: Balance molecular performance, developability, manufacturability, and timelines to advance therapeutics with the greatest chance of success
