Our Scientists

Steph first joined Biogen in 2009 as a post-doc and has held various roles across Research and Development over the past 16 years, including roles in Safety, Regulatory, and Clinical Development. She now oversees our Neuromuscular Development Unit. 

During her tenure with Biogen, Steph has helped to bring meaningful therapies to people living with rare diseases around the world. 

Steph helped shepherd the 2016 groundbreaking approval of the first drug approved to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) – once the leading genetic cause of infant death. Nearly a decade later, Steph and her teams are advancing the next era of treatment options to address critical unmet need for people living with SMA. 

Steph also led the development of the first approved therapy for a genetic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SOD1-ALS), which supported significant advancement of neurofilament as a biomarker and optimization of clinical trial design in ALS. In 2024, Steph and a colleague were recognized with the Muscular Dystrophy Association ‘Diamond Award’ for clinical & scientific advancements in ALS. She is also the co-chair of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) for ALS, a precompetitive public-private partnership that brings together NIH, CPATH, FDA, academia, patient advocacy groups, and industry to accelerate development of ALS therapies.

More recently, Steph has had the chance to leverage these experiences in rare disease development to support expansion of the portfolio into Friedreich Ataxia (FA), with the first approved therapy for FA in hand.   

Nick joined Biogen in 2025 to lead strategic efforts to advance innovative research in immunology. Prior to his current role, Nick served as the Head of Discovery Cancer Immunology and Cell Therapy at Bristol Myers Squibb. With a career spanning multiple leading biotechnology companies, Nick has held key positions at Gilead, Novartis, Agenus, Merck KGaA, and CSL Limited across California, Massachusetts, and Australia. He earned his PhD in Medical Biology from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (Melbourne University) and completed postdoctoral research at Genentech.

Uptal joined Biogen through the 2024 acquisition of HI-Bio, where he had been Chief Medical Officer since 2022. At Biogen’s West Coast Hub, Uptal leads development efforts for our late-stage investigational immunology asset, with nephrology as a leading area of focus.

Before joining Biogen, Uptal held leadership roles at AstraZeneca and Gilead Sciences, where he directed clinical strategy, translation, and development of kidney-focused portfolios. He is also an adjunct professor at Duke University, where he has spearheaded clinical and translational research programs to improve detection and management of kidney disease. His work with the Duke Clinical Research Institute advanced several landmark nephrology trials and population health programs.

Uptal currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Kidney Health Initiative (KHI), an organization designed to catalyze innovation and the development of safe and effective patient-centered therapies for the 40 million Americans with kidney diseases. The KHI has brought together industry, academia, patients and regulators to redefine the regulatory pathway for kidney disease treatments, which has led to significant advancements and investment in new therapies.