Karl Doerner

Associate Director NonClinical Operations @ Septerna

About

I’m a passionate and collaborative scientific leader with over 20 years of experience in drug discovery and development, spanning early research through IND-enabling studies and clinical support. With a strong background in nonclinical operations, I’ve led cross-functional teams, managed complex study timelines, and partnered closely with CROs, consultants, and internal stakeholders to move programs forward efficiently and with scientific rigor. My experience spans multiple therapeutic areas—including oncology, immunology, inflammation, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases—and a range of modalities such as small molecules, biologics, protein degraders, CAR-T, and gene therapies. I’ve been fortunate to contribute to the advancement of breakthrough therapies and have played an active role in authoring regulatory documents, managing study operations, and building strong internal systems to support scientific excellence. Colleagues know me as someone who thrives at the intersection of science and operations—bridging teams, solving problems, and always keeping the mission of better patient outcomes at the center of my work. I'm energized by opportunities to collaborate, mentor, and contribute to organizations that value innovation, integrity, and impact.

Country

City

United States

Industry

Biotechnology

Skill

Overseeing Projects, Operations Management, Research Project Management, Project Management, Toxicology, Gene Therapy, Contract Management, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Animal Handling, Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Drug Development, Drug Metabolism, Cancer Research, Diabetes, Autoimmune Diseases, FACS, Animal Models, Oncology

Experience

Associate Director NonClinical Operations

Septerna

2025-5 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos

Associate Director of Non Clinical Operations

Tenaya Therapeutics

2022-1 - 2025-3 · 3 yrs 3 mos

• Managed toxicology studies for Tenaya Therapeutics, overseeing SOWs, contracts, and budgets for external studies. • Developed internal SOPs for nonclinical study management and facilitated communication within project teams. • Led protocol and draft report reviews, contributing to the success of sub team committees.

Senior Manager Nonclinical Operations

Tenaya Therapeutics

2022-1 - 2024-2 · 2 yrs 2 mos

South San Francisco, California, United States

Scientist

Nurix Therapeutics

2015-7 - 2022-1 · 6 yrs 7 mos

Mission Bay, San Francisco

• Led internal and external programs, compiling data for distribution and organizing meetings. • Managed project data on intranet and SharePoint drives. • Collaborated with CRO’s for animal model development and antibody generation, involving study design and protocol processing.

Scientist

Nurix Therapeutics

2015-7 - 2015-7 · 1 mo

Mission Bay, San Francisco

Nurix’s Protein Regulation Platform enables the discovery of selective inhibitors or activators of the ubiquitin proteasome system, enabling the discovery of new class of drugs that can restore normal cellular homeostasis.

Scientist

Rinat Neuroscience

2008-10 - 2015-7 · 6 yrs 10 mos

South San Francisco, CA.

• Characterized and evaluated antibodies for cancer therapies, optimizing assays for PD evaluation. • Developed animal models for diabetes, atherosclerosis, and oncology to test therapeutics. • Used bioluminescent imaging to increase throughput of xenograft models for candidate selection.