Katherine Harris, PhD, Chief Development Officer at Rondo Therapeutics, has been elected President of The Antibody Society, and James Ernst, PhD, Vice President of Development Sciences at Xencor, has been elected Vice President, effective January 1, 2026.

Katherine and James bring complementary scientific and operational leadership and a shared commitment to advancing antibody research, development, and community engagement.

We look forward to building on the Society’s momentum under their leadership.

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We are pleased to welcome James Ernst, PhD, Vice President of Development Sciences at Xencor and Krys Corbett, Chief Business Officer at Pacira Biosciences, to the Board of Directors of The Antibody Society.

James and Krys bring broad scientific, legal and strategic expertise spanning business development, portfolio strategy, protein sciences, and translational development. Their perspectives will further strengthen the Society’s role as an international forum supporting antibody research, engineering, and therapeutic development across all career stages.

We are grateful for their willingness to serve and look forward to their contributions as we continue advancing the therapeutic antibody field.

The Antibody Society, Inc., an international non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing antibody research and development, is pleased to announce the election of Dr. James Ernst and Krys Corbett to its Board of Directors. Dr. Ernst was also elected Vice President, and Dr. Katherine Harris, who served as Vice President during 2024-2025, was elected President of the Society for the 2026-2028 term. Together, these Directors and Officers bring extensive scientific, operational, and strategic leadership to support the Society’s mission and continued growth.

Prof. Paul Parren, Chair of the Society’s Board of Directors commented: “I am delighted to welcome such talented and dedicated leaders to the Board. With Katherine Harris and James Ernst assuming the Society’s senior officer roles, and Krys Corbett further strengthening the Board’s breadth of expertise, I am confident that The Antibody Society is well positioned to expand its impact and continue advancing the therapeutic antibody field.”

James Ernst, Ph.D., Vice President of Development Sciences at Xencor Inc.

Dr. James Ernst is the Vice President of Development Sciences at Xencor Inc. where he leads Protein Sciences & Technology. Major responsibilities for these functions include guiding therapeutic molecules from late-stage research into clinical development, companion diagnostics, animal efficacy models, antibody discovery, research materials and protein biophysical characterization. Prior to joining Xencor, he held various leadership positions in the Genentech Research and Early Development (gRED) Protein Sciences division.

He has more than 20 years of experience supporting all stages of therapeutic molecule development from target identification to clinical validation. He has worked with and led both large and small molecule therapeutic discovery teams in a variety of therapeutic areas including oncology immunotherapy, auto-immune disease, neuroscience, and metabolic disease. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry from Yale University and completed post-Doctoral Studies in Molecular and Cell Biology at the Stanford University Medical School.

Krys Corbett, Chief Business Officer, Pacira Biosciences

Krys Corbett is Chief Business Officer at Pacira, responsible for corporate strategy, business development and strategic partnerships and alliances. She brings more than 25 years of industry experience across business development, strategic transactions, alliance management, and product portfolio management to Pacira. Prior to joining Pacira, Ms. Corbett led portfolio and product strategy for clinical and preclinical-stage programs at Lyell Immunopharma. Before that, Ms. Corbett was Head of Business Development, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for Oric Pharmaceuticals. Earlier in her career, she served in alliance and asset management leadership roles at Roche and Genentech. Ms. Corbett began her career at the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from Duke University.

Katherine Harris, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer, Rondo Therapeutics

Dr. Katherine Harris is Chief Development Officer at Rondo Therapeutics, where she leads IND-enabling activities and oversees preclinical drug development from candidate nomination through IND submission. She is a biopharma executive and board director with deep expertise in antibody therapeutics, guiding programs from discovery through translational decision-making and into the clinic.

Previously, Dr. Harris held senior leadership roles at TeneoBio and Amgen, where she built and led oncology research organizations, shaped antibody discovery platforms, and provided strategic and scientific direction for antibody therapeutics programs. At TeneoBio, her leadership contributed to four IND approvals in under six years, and following the company’s acquisition, she led integration of the TeneoBio portfolio and platform into Amgen’s oncology R&D organization while serving as site head of the Amgen Newark Research Facility.

Dr. Harris brings a systems-level approach to therapeutic development, emphasizing clarity, alignment, and the decisions that ultimately determine clinical success. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from University of California, Berkeley and has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and issued patents.

About The Antibody Society

The Antibody Society, Inc. is an international non-profit trade association representing individuals and organizations involved in antibody research and development. The Society is an authoritative source of information about antibody therapeutics development, which we disseminate via our website, presentations, and publications. In addition, the Society organizes conferences and webinars on antibody research and development and related topics. The Society also serves as the home for the Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire Community, which focuses on developing standards and protocols for curating, analyzing and sharing antibody B and T cell receptors. As a business association, the Society can engage with government and international agencies such as the World Health Organization to discuss topics that are important to the antibody community, such as international naming conventions.