Dr. Karen ChandrossHead of North America R&D External Innovation, Sanofi
Dr. Chandross is Head of North America R&D External Innovation at Sanofi, where she leads strategic partnerships with academia, clinical research centers, startups, and consortia to accelerate novel solutions into the drug development pipeline through borderless collaboration.
With over 20 years of R&D leadership, she has advanced innovative therapeutic strategies—particularly in CNS disease-modifying therapies—and built high-impact, cross-functional alliances.
Her recent accomplishments include launching Sanofi’s seed-funding programs (iAwards, iDEA-TECH, iNEXT), establishing large-scale strategic partnerships that integrate cutting-edge science and technology, and opening the Open Innovation Lab at Cambridge Crossing—a unique model that invites external innovators to collaborate directly with Sanofi scientists within active R&D laboratories.
Dr. Chandross earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and
completed postdoctoral training and a Senior Staff Fellowship at NIH/NINDS. She is a dedicated
mentor and active contributor to the scientific community, including as Industry Advisor to multiple universities, and incoming Board Chair for UIDP.
