Rich joined NeuroPhage in January 2008 as first employee and Chief Scientific Officer.  At NeuroPhage, Rich has played a key role in creating the team that has developed NPT002 and discovered the novel mechanism of action.  His career in the biopharmaceutical industry began after an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Chicago, when he became the 15th US-based employee of Biogen (now Biogen Idec). His career at Biogen included positions as Director of Molecular Biology, AIDS Program Leader, and Director of Science and Technology. Rich joined CytoMed, a venture-backed small and large molecule start-and as VP, Research and Discovery.  When UCB Pharma acquired CytoMed, he helped create a 100-person small molecule research and discovery site, which discovered the target of the epilepsy drug, Keppra®. In 2005, Rich moved to GlycoFi, a glycoprotein engineering technology start up as Senior VP, Research and Product Development. After Merck’s acquisition of GlycoFi, he served as CSO of Intranasal Therapeutics, Inc. (now Ikano Therapeutics), a venture-backed specialty pharmaceutical and led the project to develop intranasal midazolam for treating epilepsy, a project acquired by Upsher Smith.