Kara Herlihy

Kara Herlihy is Senior Director of Biomolecular Discovery at Magnet Biomedicine and a seasoned drug hunter with deep expertise in preclinical discovery. She has led discovery biology, biochemistry, and biophysics teams across Frontier Medicines, New Equilibrium Biosciences, Syros Pharmaceuticals, and AstraZeneca, driving programs from hit identification through mechanism-of-action studies. Kara is known for designing high-impact assays, enabling fragment-based and antibody screening campaigns, and guiding multidisciplinary teams toward innovative solutions for complex targets. With a track record of strategic leadership and scientific creativity, she brings extensive experience in advancing novel therapeutic modalities and solving challenging discovery problems.