Marc Tessier-Lavigne is Co-founder, Chairman & CEO of Xaira Therapeutics. Previously, he held executive roles at Genentech as Executive Vice President for Research and Chief Scientific Officer, and in academia as President of The Rockefeller University and later of Stanford University, where he remains Professor of Biology (on leave). He also served on the faculty of UC San Francisco and was an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Tessier-Lavigne is renowned for his leadership in understanding brain wiring mechanisms and neurodegeneration. He is a recipient of numerous scientific awards, including the 2020 Gruber Neuroscience Prize, and has been elected to the US National Academy of Sciences and the US National Academy of Medicine. He is also an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Dr. Tessier-Lavigne is a Co-founder and Director of Denali Therapeutics, and previously co-founded Renovis. He has served on the boards of Regeneron, Pfizer, Agios, and Juno.