Dr. J. Jean Cui

Dr. J. Jean Cui is a renowned oncology drug designer who is the lead inventor of 3 FDA approved medicines and multiple clinical compounds. Prior to BlossomHill, Dr. Cui is the scientific founder of Turning Point Therapeutics, Inc., a San Diego based biotech company focusing on turning point medicines for cancer patients. Turning Point went public on NASDAQ in April 2019. In June 2022, Bristol Myers Squibb announced the acquisition of Turning Point for $4.1 billion. Dr. Cui served as Turning Point’s Chief Scientific Officer (October 2013-January 2020) and a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to that, she was Senior Principal Scientist and then Associate Research Fellow at Pfizer (2003-2013). Prior to that, Dr. Cui served as Project Leader and Group Leader at SUGEN, Inc., a Pharmacia Corporation (1999-2003).

Dr. Cui has made significant contributions in oncology drug discovery and development. As scientific founder of Turning Point, she focused on solving drug resistance issues in targeted therapies and invented a unique macrocyclic platform to systematically address resistance issues. This novel strategy and approach led to the creation of one FDA approved drug and two clinical compounds: Repotrectinib, TPX-0022, and TPX-0046 within 6 years since founding the company. Repotrectinib received 3 FDA Breakthrough Dr. J. Jean Cui Co-founder, President and CEO,  BlossomHill Therapeutics, Inc. Therapy Designations, 3 FDA Fast-Track designations, and 1 FDA Orphan Drug Designation. On November 15, 2023, FDA approves Repotrectinib (AUGTYROTM) for locally advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC. At Pfizer, Dr. Cui was the lead inventor of Crizotinib (XALKORITM) and Lorlatinib (LORBRENATM), and worked on several other oncology projects, including SUTENTTM.

Dr. Cui is an elected Member of the National Academy of Engineering (2024). Dr. Cui and her Crizotinib chemistry team at Pfizer were selected for the 38th National Inventor of the Year Award in 2011. She received 2 Pfizer Worldwide R&D Achievement Awards (2006 and 2012) and Pfizer innovation award in 2011. Dr. Cui was an honoree for the 2013 American Chemical Society (ACS)’s Heroes of Chemistry Program for the discovery and development of Crizotinib. Dr. Cui received her 2nd Heroes of Chemistry Award from ACS in 2021 for the discovery and development of Lorlatinib. Dr. Cui received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from her Ph.D. alma mater. She received 2022 San Diego BioPharma Achievement Award from SABPA. Dr. Cui is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Scientist Award by ACS San Diego Section. She was an honoree for the Committee of 100 Circle of Excellence Award in Humanity in Science & Technology in 2023.

Dr. Cui received her Ph.D. from Ohio State University, and her M.S. and B.S. from University of Science and Technology of China. She obtained her postdoctoral training at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California Berkeley.