BOSTON, Mass. — Manifold Bio, a platform therapeutics company developing AI-guided drug discovery combined with massively multiplexed in vivo measurement, has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointment of Paula Cobb as chief operating officer.
Ms. Cobb joins Manifold Bio as the company scales its proprietary drug discovery engine, which integrates large-scale in vivo data generation with artificial intelligence–guided protein design to develop tissue-targeted biologics. The company said the leadership expansion comes at a pivotal stage as it advances internal programs and broadens its platform across multiple therapeutic areas.
“We have built a first-of-its-kind engine that combines the power of AI-guided antibody design with the physiological relevance of in vivo data, and we’re expanding the team to drive our internal programs and advance a platform poised to address multiple therapeutic areas,” said Gleb Kuznetsov, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Manifold Bio. “Paula’s operational expertise further catalyzes our evolution into an industry-leading platform therapeutics company.”
Ms. Cobb most recently served on the board of directors of Prothena Corporation, a role she is stepping down from to focus on her responsibilities at Manifold Bio. During her time at Prothena, she contributed global development and business strategy expertise. She has also held senior strategy and operations roles at Affinia Therapeutics, Decibel Therapeutics, and Biogen.
“I’m thrilled to join Manifold Bio at a moment when the industry is just beginning to realize what it means to truly unlock the full potential of AI with translationally relevant data generation,” said Ms. Cobb. “The team has already built a powerful engine for discovering tissue-targeted protein therapeutics and secured a fantastic first deal with Roche. My focus will be on further scaling that engine into a durable, high-impact business—developing our internal pipeline, advancing partnerships, and building the operational foundation to translate this powerful platform into medicines for patients across multiple disease areas.”
Manifold Bio’s leadership team is anchored by co-founders Gleb Kuznetsov, Ph.D., chief executive officer; Pierce Ogden, chief technology officer; and Shane Lofgren, head of strategy. Earlier this year, Kimberly Scearce-Levie, Ph.D., joined the company as chief scientific officer, alongside Steve Holtzman as executive chair and Doug Williams, Ph.D., as chair of the strategic advisory board.
The company said the expanded leadership team brings complementary expertise across operations, platform strategy, and translational science. Ms. Cobb will oversee operational scaling and business strategy, while Holtzman focuses on corporate strategy and platform expansion. Dr. Scearce-Levie leads translational application of the platform, and Dr. Williams provides guidance on long-term scientific direction and partnerships.
Manifold Bio said its integrated “AI x Bio” platform is designed to overcome limitations of traditional discovery approaches, enabling precision protein engineering and the development of biologics across diverse therapeutic areas.
