Serna Bio - Lecture Series #4
The Serna Bio lecture series will spotlight bold, creative operators and founders working across the spectrum of AI and biology, showcasing the many different paths shaping the future of this rapidly evolving field.
This lecture features Cyrus Harmon who is the CEO and President of Vilya, Inc., a pioneering biotechnology company specializing in developing a novel class of medicines that precisely target disease biology.
Prior to joining Vilya, Dr. Harmon was a co-founder of Olema Oncology, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing new medicines for the treatment of breast cancer, where he served as CEO, CTO then CRO. He currently serves as a member of Olema’s board of directors.
Dr. Harmon has worked at the intersection of drug discovery, molecular biology, and computational science for the past three decades. His expertise spans from executive leadership to deep scientific insight, underscoring his ability to drive innovation in complex fields. Dr. Harmon holds a Ph.D. and B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
The Serna Bio Discovery Platform integrates target discovery, generative chemical design, and in-cell screening to identify and optimize selective RNA-binding molecules.
Our foundation includes:
* The world’s largest atlas of experimentally validated RNA structures
* A generative chemistry engine that outperforms state-of-the-art methods such as NVIDIA MolMIMM.
This technology has enabled the creation of an entirely new class of small molecules—translational enhancers—that modulate RNA to restore or increase protein expression, offering novel therapeutic paths in neurodegeneration and cardiometabolic disease.