Seth Rudnick joined Canaan in 1998 as a Venture Partner focusing on healthcare investments. He became a General Partner in 2000. His background in the healthcare industry includes comprehensive experience in research, development, clinical trials analysis and biotechnology, as well as founding and growing start-up companies in the industry. Seth currently sits on the boards of Chimerix, Vaxinnate, Adlyfe, Orthocon, Liquidia and Spine Wave. Prior to joining Canaan, Seth served as CEO and Chairman at CytoTherapeutics (CTII). Before that, he helped start and served as head of R&D for Ortho Biotech, a division of Johnson & Johnson. In that role, he led the development efforts for a portfolio of projects which are still responsible for significant Johnson and Johnson revenues.
He began his industrial career at Schering-Plough where he ran clinical trials for the alpha interferon project, and later transferred to Biogen to run that company's pharmaceutical development efforts. His academic career began when he served on the medical and public health faculty at Chapel Hill. Seth is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Chapel Hill where he teaches and advises the faculty on biotechnology issues. Recently, Seth was included in the 2006 and 2007 Midas List, a prominent venture capital listing which ranks the best dealmakers in high-tech and life sciences.
Seth was a Yale Fellow in medical oncology where he was also a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar. He received his internal medicine training at Washington University Barnes Hospital. He earned his medical degree at the University of Virginia (1974) and holds a BA in history from the University of Pennsylvania (1969). He is currently a Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, teaching and advising faculty members on biotechnology issues.