Aclaris Appoints Veteran Biopharma Leader Dr. Roland Kolbeck As Chief Scientific Officer To Drive Immuno-Inflammatory Pipeline

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapies for immuno-inflammatory diseases, has announced the appointment of Roland Kolbeck, Ph.D., as its new Chief Scientific Officer. He succeeds Joe Monahan, Ph.D., who will remain with the company as Special Scientific Advisor to the CEO until the first quarter of 2026, as part of his planned retirement transition. Dr. Kolbeck brings nearly 30 years of experience in research and development across both large and small biopharmaceutical companies. 

He joins Aclaris from Spirovant Sciences, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer and led strategic initiatives related to new therapeutic targets, indications, and investments. His background includes deep expertise in inflammation, antibody development, and immunology. Before joining Spirovant, Dr. Kolbeck was Vice President and Head of Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune Research at MedImmune, the biologics division of AstraZeneca. At MedImmune, he chaired the RIA Research Committee and contributed to the company’s early-stage portfolio and research leadership teams. Six FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies were developed from the RIA portfolio during his tenure.

Dr. Neal Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors of Aclaris, stated, “On behalf of the executive team, I’m glad to welcome Roland to Aclaris as our incoming Chief Scientific Officer. His reputation as an inspirational scientific leader is unmatched, as is his expertise stemming from his time leading Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune (RIA) research at MedImmune. This expertise will be important to the Company as we progress.”

Dr. Walker continued, “I also thank Joe for his steady leadership and dedication to scientific excellence. He has been central to Aclaris’ resilience and evolution, including successfully building a renowned discovery team in St. Louis that we expect to continue to fuel the Company’s pipeline. Joe will remain heavily involved with Aclaris as a scientific advisor during this transitional period as he moves toward retirement in 2026.”

He also added, “Under Joe’s leadership, Aclaris has developed world-class expertise in kinase small molecule discovery, including a proprietary development platform that is expected to deliver new INDs starting as soon as next year. The Company has a growing pipeline of small and large molecules and the experience to lead therapeutic innovation in I&I – along with the cash reserves needed to accomplish its goals. This is a great time to join the Aclaris team, and I look forward to contributing to the Company’s continued success.”

Earlier in his career, Dr. Kolbeck held senior roles at Peptimmune and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals, including “Nature”, “Immunity”, and “The New England Journal of Medicine”. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Regensburg and the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Munich, Germany. His appointment comes as Aclaris continues to advance its pipeline of immuno-inflammatory therapies, including next-generation kinase inhibitors, cytokine signaling pathway modulators, and novel bispecific antibodies.