Henry Skinner, PhD, MBE, MJur

As a microbiologist, venture investor, and executive, Henry Skinner, PhD, CEO of the AMR Action Fund, has spent his career working to overcome the scientific and economic challenges associated with antimicrobial drug development. His cross-disciplinary expertise has been essential to shaping the AMR Action Fund’s investment portfolio and policy priorities, with an emphasis on issues pertaining to R&D, innovative financing, and equitable access.

Dr. Skinner is regularly sought out for high-level speaking engagements to discuss the global threat of AMR and is frequently featured in the media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and the Financial Times. He has written widely on the topic in scholarly publications and the popular press, including Nature Medicine, Harvard Public Health Review, The Boston Globe, and Stat.

Prior to joining the AMR Action Fund, Dr. Skinner held leadership positions across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and venture capital sectors, having served as Senior Vice President, Venture at Tekla Capital Management and as Deputy Head and Managing Director of the Novartis Venture Fund. In addition, he was CEO of SelectX Pharmaceuticals, which focused on developing small-molecule antimicrobials, and NeoGenesis Pharmaceuticals, which developed a platform for identifying and optimizing drug candidates including antimicrobials. Over his career, Dr. Skinner held Business Development positions at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Pfizer, Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and Lexicon Genetics.

Dr. Skinner was a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine in the department of Human and Molecular Genetics. He earned a PhD in Microbiology and an MS in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois; an MS in Bioethics from Harvard Medical School; an MJur in Health Law, Policy, and Management from Texas A&M; and an MS and BS in Biology/Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.