EpiVax Appoints Dr. Vibha Jawa to Lead Scientific Strategy as CSO

PROVIDENCE, R.I., May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- EpiVax, Inc., a leader in preclinical immunogenicity assessment for biologic therapeutics and vaccines, is pleased to announce the appointment of Vibha Jawa, PhD, FAAPS as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Jawa succeeds EpiVax founder and Executive Chairwoman Annie De Groot, MD, who has transitioned from CSO to Chief Medical Officer. 

Dr. Jawa brings over two decades of leadership in biologics, vaccine, and gene therapy development and immunogenicity strategy to EpiVax. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of Translational Medicine at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she led bioanalytical strategy, supporting PK- and immunogenicity-related preclinical and clinical assessments across the development pipeline. She has held senior roles at Merck and Amgen where she led immunogenicity assessment efforts, supporting discovery to development. Dr. Jawa has contributed to more than 20 successful IND, BLA, and MAA filings across many therapeutic modalities, and was part of the team at the Institute of Human Gene Therapy (UPENN) that supported the first approved gene therapy product.

A recognized thought leader in bioanalysis and immunogenicity from discovery through commercialization, Dr. Jawa has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and holds prominent roles in various renowned scientific societies and consortiums, including AAPS, IQ, SC, and EIP. She was named an AAPS fellow in 2022 for her significant contributions. 

"We're thrilled to welcome Vibha to the team," said Dr. Rich-Henry Schabowsky, CEO of EpiVax. "Her depth of experience in biologics, especially novel modalities, combined with her expertise in evaluating and mitigating immunogenic risk will be instrumental as we continue evolving our methods to meet the complex needs of the industry."

Dr. Annie De Groot, EpiVax co-founder and CMO, added: "Dr. Jawa is the perfect scientific leader for EpiVax 2.0: the transformation of our company that began in 2024. She brings the exact energy that EpiVax needs at this juncture. I'm thrilled to be handing the baton to Dr. Jawa, who will ensure that EpiVax remains at the cutting edge of immunogenicity science— pushing boundaries, validating new ideas, building bridges between in vitro data, immunoinformatics and AI, and setting higher standards for translational immunology."

Dr. Jawa will have outward and inward facing responsibilities as CSO. She will represent EpiVax at key meetings, while leading internal research and validation efforts. Her leadership will help expand the company's reach into new therapeutic areas and reinforce EpiVax as a trusted partner in biologic and vaccine development.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the EpiVax team," said Dr. Jawa. "This is an extraordinary company with a long history of scientific leadership in immunogenicity assessment. I look forward to building on that legacy and continuing to refine the team's approaches, ensuring that we deliver the most accurate, insightful support."

About EpiVax: EpiVax is a leader in preclinical immunogenicity assessment and sequence optimization for peptide therapeutics, biologic therapeutics, gene/cell therapies, and vaccines. EpiVax partners with a global roster of companies, agencies, and academics to accelerate immunogenicity risk assessment, immune modulation, and rapid vaccine design. EpiVax.com

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SOURCE EpiVax, Inc.