Our Team

Lori Birkenberger, PhD

Vice President,
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Lori Birkenberger joined BELLUS Health in November 2021. Ms. Birkenberger completed a BA In Biology from College of Wooster (OH) and PhD in Anatomy, Cell Biology & Neurobiology from the University of Cincinnati (OH), followed by post-doctoral training in Molecular Biology at the NIH’s Heart, Lung & Blood Division in Maryland.

Ms. Birkenberger joined the pharmaceutical industry via Marion Merrell Dow, a predecessor of Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, as a bench scientist doing molecular biology research to identify new therapeutic targets in respiratory and Rheumatoid Arthritis. After 10 years at the bench, she transitioned to Project Management, overseeing a large drug Research & Development alliance with Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Then became the US R&D site Scientific Coordinator, managing the R&D portfolio. Her last position at Sanofi was as a Global Regulatory liaison in Regulatory Affairs. Next, she joined Johnson & Johnson, as a Global Regulatory Liaison for 14+ years supporting several different therapeutic areas (Metabolism, Cardiovascular, Neuroscience, Men’s Urology, Antibiotics and Inflammatory diseases).