Leslie Hodges Gallagher, Ph.D.

SUMMARY

Molecular cancer biologist with 20+ years experience in preclinical oncology R&D. Skilled in building high-performing teams, designing preclinical strategies to de-risk early drug discovery, and advancing small-molecule programs from discovery to IND. Hands-on leader passionate about working with innovative cross-functional teams at the forefront of next-generation cancer therapeutics.

EXPERIENCE

INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT

• Black Shadow Therapeutics | San Francisco, CA | 2023–present
  • Advised team on laboratory startup and establishing small molecule screening program
  • Key role in preclinical model development to advance lead candidates
    
  • Co-inventor on provisional patent application
  • Created custom python scripts to graph and visualize data for small molecule screening program

OLEMA PHARMACEUTICALS

Sr. Vice President, Sr. Principal Scientist, Director of Molecular Biology | San Francisco | 2007–2023

• First hire and key contributor to the team that advanced the company from startup through IPO, with a lead candidate to treat hormone-responsive breast cancer now in Phase 3 clinical trials
• 20+ years supervisory and mentorship experience
• Project functional co-lead, coordinating efforts across internal teams, executive leadership, scientific advisory board, and external collaborators
• Established and managed multiple laboratories, overseeing equipment procurement and maintenance, sample storage systems, vendor relationships, budget tracking, training, and biosafety compliance
• Developed and optimized multiple novel cell-based bioassays to predict preclinical efficacy, supporting the advancement of a small molecule to IND
• Established automation program for hit-to-lead HTS, enabling pipeline expansion with a second small molecule oncology target
• Co-inventor on 9 patent applications and co-author of 3 peer-reviewed manuscripts

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW

University of California San Francisco, Department of Medicine | San Francisco, CA | 2002–2007
- Mentor: Peter J. Kushner, Ph.D.
- Research focus on designing novel strategies to enhance the efficacy of endocrine therapies for breast cancer

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT

University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | Smithville, TX | 1996–2002
- Mentor: Cheryl L. Walker, Ph.D.
- Thesis title: Critical Determinants of Estrogen Receptor Agonist Activity

EDUCATION

Ph.D., University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

B.A., University of Texas at Austin

PUBLICATIONS

Ng RA, Barratt S, Parisian A, Palanisamy GS, Phukan S, Sun R, Robello B, Peña G, Sapugay J, Yeghikyan D, Wang C, Satish Kher S, Thangathirupathy S, Millikin R, Yu G, Watanabe T, Zhou F, Rich B, Duncan A, Andersen SE, Chawla R, Zak DR, Heerding DA, Hearn BR, Greene G, Harmon CL, Hodges-Gallagher L, Kushner PJ, Fanning SW, Myles DC. “Discovery of Palazestrant (OP-1250), a Potent and Orally Bioavailable Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD).” ACS Omega, 2025;10(22):22685-22700. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c11023

Parisian AD, Barratt SA, Hodges-Gallagher L, Ortega FE, Peña G, Sapugay J, Robello B, Sun R, Kulp D, Palanisamy GS, Myles DC, Kushner PJ, Harmon CL. “Palazestrant (OP-1250), A Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist, Inhibits Wild-type and Mutant ER-positive Breast Cancer Models as Monotherapy and in Combination.” Mol Cancer Ther, 2024;23(3):285–300. DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0351

(co-first author) Fanning SW, Hodges-Gallagher L, Myles DC, Sun R, Fowler CE, Plant IN, Green BD, Harmon CL, Greene GL, Kushner PJ. “Specific stereochemistry of OP-1074 disrupts estrogen receptor alpha helix 12 and confers pure antiestrogenic activity.” Nat Commun, 2018;9(1):2368. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04413-3

Hodges-Gallagher L, Valentine CD, El Bader S, Kushner PJ. “Estrogen receptor beta increases the efficacy of antiestrogens by effects on apoptosis and cell cycling in breast cancer cells.” Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2008;109(2):241-50. DOI: 10.1007/s10549-007-9640-6

Hodges-Gallagher L, Valentine CD, Bader SE, Kushner PJ. “Inhibition of histone deacetylase enhances the anti-proliferative action of antiestrogens on breast cancer cells and blocks tamoxifen-induced proliferation of uterine cells.” Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2007;105(3):297-309. DOI: 10.1007/s10549-006-9459-6

PATENTS

Methods of treating estrogen receptor-associated diseases. Cyrus L. Harmon, Peter J. Kushner, David C. Myles, Leslie Hodges Gallagher. US Patent Application 2023129598 A1, published 4/27/2023; WIPO #WO2023/283329 A1, published 1/12/2023.

Regimens of estrogen receptor antagonists. Cyrus L. Harmon, Peter J. Kushner, David C. Myles, Leslie Hodges Gallagher, Richard Sun. US Patent Application 2022/0265616 A1, published 8/25/2022.

Compositions and methods for regulating immune system activity. Peter J. Kushner, Leslie Hodges Gallagher, Cyrus L. Harmon, David C. Myles, Richard Sun. US Patent Application 2023159619, published 5/25/2023; WIPO #WO2018/157000 A1, published 8/30/2018.

Benzopyran compounds, compositions and uses thereof. Peter J. Kushner, David C. Myles, Cyrus L. Harmon, Leslie Hodges Gallagher. US Patent 9,018,244 B2, granted 4/28/2015.

Substituted benzopyran compounds, compositions and uses thereof. David C. Myles, Peter J. Kushner, Cyrus L. Harmon, Leslie Hodges Gallagher. WIPO #WO2014/203132 A1, published 12/24/2014.