Immunai, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) biotech company specializing in immune system mapping, has appointed Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., to its Board of Directors. Dolsten, who served as Pfizer’s chief scientific officer and president of research and development for 15 years, will support Immunai’s efforts to integrate AI into immunology and oncology research.
During his tenure at Pfizer, Dolsten oversaw research across all therapeutic areas, leading a team of thousands of scientists. His contributions resulted in more than 35 drug and vaccine approvals, including the first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. His work has also shaped treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, stroke prevention, and cancer.
“Pharma continues turning to AI to better understand diseases and speed up drug discovery and development,” said Noam Solomon, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Immunai.
“But moving from data to real treatments takes deep expertise. Mikael has spent decades leading drug development at the highest level, and his experience will help us apply AI in ways that drive real progress.”
Advancing AI in drug discovery
Before joining Pfizer in 2009, Dolsten held senior leadership roles at Wyeth, Boehringer Ingelheim, and AstraZeneca, where he played a pivotal role in drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas. Over the course of his career, he has helped select around 200 drug candidates, advancing up to 50 regulatory approvals.
“Immunai’s AI model of the immune system is reshaping how we approach therapeutic discovery and development,” Dolsten said.
“Having previously collaborated with Immunai, I’ve seen firsthand how their AI and immunomics capabilities can enhance drug development efficiency and success rates. By leveraging AI to analyze immune responses at single-cell resolution, we can accelerate the development of innovative treatments and bring them to patients faster.”
Dolsten’s appointment follows Immunai’s recent multi-year collaborations with AstraZeneca and Teva Pharmaceuticals, which highlight the increasing role of AI-driven insights in clinical development. Immunai’s proprietary immune cell atlas, AMICA™, and Immunodynamics Engine (IDE)™ are being used to optimize dose selection, biomarker discovery, and patient response predictions.
Immunai, which has raised nearly $270 million in funding, is headquartered in New York City and collaborates with major pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions. The company’s team includes over 170 experts, with 85 holding PhDs or MDs.
