Chris Yarnold is Director of Medicinal Chemistry, where he oversees scientific operations and project management within the organization.

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With over 20 years of experience in integrated drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and project leadership, Chris brings a wealth of expertise to his role, previously honed at Dalriada Drug Discovery and Evotec (UK) Ltd.
Before joining us, Chris was the Director of Discovery Chemistry at Dalriada, leading numerous drug discovery projects across diverse therapeutic areas and contributing to business development efforts. Prior to that, he held the position of Group Leader, Discovery
Chemistry, at Evotec, where he led initiatives in key disease areas including Cardiovascular, CNS, Oncology, and Metabolic diseases, as well as projects targeting anti-infectives, iron overload, and anti-thrombotic therapies.

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Chris’s expertise spans all phases of drug discovery, from hit finding and Hit-to-Lead through Lead Optimization, where he has contributed to the identification of three clinical candidates. His work has focused on targeting enzymes, GPCRs, and transporters with small molecules. A skilled team leader, Chris is dedicated to fostering the growth and development of his team, helping chemists reach their full potential while advancing Concept Life Sciences mission in innovative drug discovery.
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Chris holds a BSc (Joint Hons) in Chemistry and Biology and a Ph.D. from King’s College London. He also completed postdoctoral research with Professor Walter Szarek at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada, and with Professor Chris McGuigan at the Welsh School of
Pharmacy, Cardiff.