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Kirk W. Johnson is vice president preclinical development. Prior to joining Avigen in early 2004 he was senior director pharmacology and preclinical development and a member of the executive management team of Genesoft Pharmaceuticals. From 1991 through 2001 Dr. Johnson was employed in both protein and small molecule therapeutic R&D at Chiron Corporation and eventually served as director pharmacology and preclinical research. Dr. Johnson was involved in creating IND-enabling programs and contributing to successful IND and NDA filings at Chiron and Genesoft. Aside from general pharmacology and other preclinical development responsibilities he has led research and clinical development projects for diverse indications including neuropathic pain hemophilia antibacterials diabetes obesity acute inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Johnson earned a BS in toxicology from the University of California Davis and a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia. He did postdoctoral fellowships studying the mechanism of action of IL-2 from 1986 to1989 with Dr. Kendall Smith at Dartmouth and from 1990 to 1991 with Dr. Marian Koshland at the University of California Berkeley. He has published nearly 50 manuscripts and four U.S. patents. | 