Shinji Okitsu

Shinji Okitsu is the Head of Research Strategic Collaborations and Partnerships at Sanofi, where he oversees research partnering and collaboration strategy across all therapeutic areas and technology platforms. In this role, he serves as the strategic link between Research leadership and the Partnering organization to ensure seamless alignment and execution of external opportunities for maximum portfolio impact.

Prior to this position, Shinji was the External Immunology Lead for North America and China at Sanofi, where he drove and executed the external partnering and licensing strategy for the Immunology & Inflammation Research Therapeutic Area in close collaboration with Business Development.

Before joining Sanofi, Shinji spent over a decade at EMD Serono in a series of senior research and business development roles. As Head of Search and Evaluation for Neurology & Immunology, he defined and operationalized the partnering strategy and led all search and evaluation activities for the therapeutic area, spanning preclinical collaborations through clinical and commercial M&A opportunities. Earlier, as Head of Exploratory Immunology, he oversaw a portfolio of small and large molecule drug discovery programs, advancing them from concept through IND and into clinical development.

Throughout his career, Shinji has built and led extensive global collaborations spanning academia, industry, and non-profit organizations. His work has included managing Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-sponsored research programs, establishing strategic academic partnerships with key opinion leaders worldwide, including early collaborations with Chinese investigators, and executing high-impact external R&D partnerships—including pioneering collaborations in mRNA/LNP technology platforms for non-vaccine application. These experiences have shaped his approach to bridging scientific innovation with strategic business development to accelerate the translation of research into therapeutic impact.

Shinji holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology from the University of Basel and a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology from the University of Bern.