Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer
Dr. Velleca heads LLS's Office of Public Policy in Washington DC. In this position, he oversees the strategy and implementation of LLS's legislative and regulatory policy initiatives. Dr. Velleca is also responsible for patient access and advocacy, as well as patient and professional programs at LLS.
A scientist and board-certified physician, Dr. Velleca has experience in both academic research and clinical medicine as well as executive management in the private sector. He was the Founder and SVP of CGI Pharmaceuticals, guiding CGI from its inception through its establishment as a drug discovery company that brought multiple drug candidates from research into clinical trials. Gilead Sciences acquired CGI in 2010, whereupon Dr. Velleca served as a Senior Advisor at Gilead until joining LLS in 2012. He has also served on the Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Boards of several other biotech companies.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Velleca was an Attending Physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital and on the clinical faculty at Yale Medical School. He earned a B.S. Cum Laude from Yale University and an M.D. and a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Velleca's broad experience base in science, medicine, and drug development have provided important insights into the challenges that patients can face in gaining access to high quality, affordable health care.
