Dr. Claudio Santos is the CEO of Gyala Therapeutics, a biotech company developing next-generation CAR-T therapies for hard-to-treat haematological malignancies. He holds a PhD in Microbiology and Genetics from the University of Salamanca and completed postdoctoral research at the London Research Institute (UK).

Claudio has over 15 years of experience across biotech leadership, venture capital, and business development. He contributed to the founding of Gyala Therapeutics in collaboration with Invivo Capital and Hospital Clinic Barcelona – IDIBAPS, and currently leads the company’s strategic planning, fundraising, business development, and IP management, while also supporting its scientific direction and grant funding efforts.

Prior to Gyala, he held senior roles at Bioncotech Therapeutics and Adorx Therapeutics, where he contributed to strategic collaborations including a deal with Johnson & Johnson. As an Investment Associate at Sixth Element Capital, he was involved in early investments in Achilles Therapeutics, Artios Pharma, and Neophore, and led licensing deals including a Ras program to Novartis and an immuno-oncology asset to MSD (valued at up to $500 million).