Our name was inspired by the strength and determination of the Arctic tern, a small, fast, tenacious bird that migrates from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back every year, the longest migration of any animal on the planet. We resolve to go to the ends of the earth to fulfill our mission of speeding the development of transformative, one-time genetic treatments to unlock the full potential of children living with rare diseases.
Leadership Team
Alex M. Bailey, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Alex Bailey is Chief Executive Officer of Tern Therapeutics. Prior to cofounding Tern, Dr. Bailey served as Head of Early Program and Portfolio Development at REGENXBIO Inc., where he led and championed teams and programs in central nervous system (CNS) disorders & rare ocular disease, including MPS I, MPS II, CLN2 Disease, and several early-stage preclinical assets. He also brings 10+ years’ experience in global regulatory strategy supporting all phases of development, including strategic and leadership roles at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) within the US FDA. Dr. Bailey received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia and a B.S. from Tufts University.
Christina M. Ohnsman, MD
Dr. Christina Ohnsman is Chief Medical Officer of Tern Therapeutics. Prior to cofounding Tern, Dr. Ohnsman was Executive Director of Clinical Development at REGENXBIO Inc., where she led global clinical development for rare ocular and CNS diseases, including CLN2 disease. Previously, as the founder of a biopharma communications and consulting firm, Dr. Ohnsman provided strategic guidance in clinical development, medical affairs, business development, commercialization, post-marketing development, and health economics and outcomes for ophthalmic life sciences clients, including Alcon, Allergan, Clearside, Sun Ophthalmics, and Spark Therapeutics. Her work with Spark Therapeutics on Luxturna™, the first gene therapy approved in the US for a genetic disease, ignited her passion for the curative potential of genetic treatments for rare diseases. Dr. Ohnsman began her career as the founder of a pediatric ophthalmology practice while serving on the faculty of Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. She received her M.D. from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and a B.A. from Drew University.
Chief Medical Officer
Matthew Rosini
Chief Financial and Administration Officer
Matthew Rosini is Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Tern Therapeutics, overseeing financial, legal, HR and other administrative functions. Prior to cofounding Tern, Mr. Rosini was Head of Strategic Initiatives at REGENXBIO Inc., where he advised the executive team with regard to corporate strategy and strategic transactions, and was a Partner at FoxKiser LLP, where he provided strategic consulting and legal advice to life sciences clients. Mr. Rosini also spent nearly 20 years in private practice and as in-house counsel representing privately-held and publicly-traded companies through their entire life cycles, as well as representing private equity and venture capital investors. Mr. Rosini received a J.D. from Boston College Law School and a B.S. in Finance from Boston College.
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