CEO & Co-Founder, Abalone Bio
Richard Yu, Ph.D., is the co-founder, CEO, and board director of Abalone Bio, where he leads the development of functional antibody drugs to access challenging targets. Richard began his scientific journey at UC Berkeley, studying Physics, Biophysics, and Computer Science, and conducting early research in protein structure prediction. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biochemistry & Biophysics at Yale University, focusing on protein structural biology. After Yale, Richard worked alongside pioneers of systems and synthetic biology, including Roger Brent and Sydney Brenner, exploring how cells process information through signaling pathways by combining large experimental datasets and modeling. Richard’s desire to translate great science into real-world impact led him to co-found GPB, a cell engineering-driven sustainable biofuels company, and to direct scientific operations at qb3@953 (now MBC Biolabs), a leading biotech incubator. Today, at Abalone Bio, Richard draws on his interdisciplinary background to help unlock new therapies for diseases with high unmet need.