Robert Valdes, MS '06 has over 20 years of biotechnology experience and currently serves as the Director, Large-Scale Manufacturing at Human Genome Sciences, Inc (2000-Present) where he oversees the manufacture of Human Genome’s first commercial product Benlysta, the first lupus drug to make it through US regulators in more than half a century. Prior, he was employed by Lonza Biologics (Portsmouth, NH and Slough, UK) from 1994 to 2000 in various positions in biologics manufacturing and engineering and by charm Sciences Inc. (Alden, MA) from 1990 to 1994 as a production microbiologist.
Since 1995, Mr. Valdes has founded 3 companies – one of which is a nonprofit (501c3) benefitting the Multiple Sclerosis community in over 20 states. From 2001 to 2003, he also served on the Board of Directors for UsAgainstMS, a peer nonprofit located in Timonium, MD.
Mr. Valdes holds Masters Degrees from the University of Massachusetts (MSc) and Johns Hopkins University (MBA) and a BA in microbiology from the University of New Hampshire. In 2006, shortly after completing his MBA, he served as co-founder and valuation/due-diligence lead for Grantlogy, Inc.
Mr. Valdes lives in Gaithersburg, MD with his wife Susie and enjoys cycling and hockey. Originally from the northeast, Mr. Valdes and his wife have lived in Maryland for 11 years.
