J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital Welcomes Dashyant Dhanak, Ph.D. as Venture Partner

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J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital has appointed Dr. Dashyant Dhanak as Venture Partner. Dr. Dhanak brings over 30 years of pharmaceutical R&D experience, most recently serving as Chief Scientific Officer at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals until its $2.4 billion acquisition by Ono Pharmaceuticals in 2024. His previous roles include CSO at Incyte, where he oversaw 15+ IND applications, VP and Global Head of Discovery Sciences at Johnson & Johnson's Janssen, and 25 years at GlaxoSmithKline. Dr. Dhanak will leverage his scientific and operational expertise to build and grow companies within J.P. Morgan's life sciences venture and growth equity division.

NEW YORK, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, the life sciences venture and growth equity arm within J.P. Morgan Asset Management, today announced the appointment of Dashyant (Dash) Dhanak, Ph.D., as Venture Partner. Dr. Dhanak will leverage his deep scientific and operational experience in therapeutics research and development to build and grow companies with Life Sciences Private Capital.

Dr. Dhanak is a seasoned pharmaceutical research and development expert with over 30 years of experience. Most recently, Dr. Dhanak was the Chief Scientific Officer at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Ono Pharmaceuticals in 2024. Prior to his role at Deciphera, Dr. Dhanak served as Chief Scientific Officer at Incyte, where he was responsible for overseeing the research and preclinical development of innovative medicines across the company's hematology, oncology, and immunology franchises. During his tenure at Incyte, he contributed significantly to the filing of over fifteen Investigational New Drug (IND) applications. Before joining Incyte in 2018, Dr. Dhanak was Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Sciences at Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) Janssen Research & Development group. Prior to J&J, he spent 25 years at GlaxoSmithKline.

"Dr. Dhanak has a proven track record of building and establishing leading biotech companies with scientific and operational excellence," said Dr. Stephen Squinto, CIO of Life Sciences Private Capital. "We are excited to welcome Dr. Dhanak to the team, and know he will play an essential role as our platform continues to grow."

Biography

Dashyant Dhanak, Ph.D., was most recently Chief Scientific Officer at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on developing innovative medicines for cancer treatment, until its successful sale to Ono Pharmaceuticals in 2024 for $2.4 billion. Prior to Deciphera, Dr. Dhanak served as Chief Scientific Officer at Incyte, where he oversaw the research and preclinical  development of groundbreaking medicines across hematology, oncology, and immunology franchises. Under his leadership, Incyte filed over fifteen Investigational New Drug (IND) applications, contributing to the company's robust pipeline of innovative therapies. Before joining Incyte in 2018, Dr. Dhanak was Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Sciences at Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Research & Development group where he led efforts in drug discovery and development. He also spent 25 years at GlaxoSmithKline, culminating in his role as Vice President and Head of the Cancer Epigenetics Discovery Performance Unit where he advanced research in cancer treatments. Dr. Dhanak holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of London. He completed his postdoctoral research in Natural Product Synthesis at Northwestern University.

About J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital

J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital ("LSPC"), is the life sciences platform of J.P. Morgan Private Capital, the investment arm for private companies across the capital structure with a focus on venture and growth investing within J.P. Morgan Asset Management. LSPC partners with leading early-stage biotherapeutics and late-stage healthcare companies. The early stage biotechnology practice is focused on company creation, Seed and Series A investments across all therapeutic areas in biotechnology. The late-stage healthcare practice is focused on Series B through pre-IPO investments within biotechnology, medical devices, tools, diagnostics, healthcare technology and pharmaceutical services.

About J.P. Morgan Asset Management

J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $3.7 trillion (as of 3/31/2025), is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity. For more information, visit: www.jpmorgan.com/am

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America ("U.S."), with operations worldwide. JPMorganChase had $4.4 trillion in assets and $351 billion in stockholders' equity (as of 3/31/2025). The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

 

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SOURCE J.P. Morgan Asset Management

FAQ

Who is Dr. Dashyant Dhanak and what is his new role at JPM?

Dr. Dashyant Dhanak is a pharmaceutical R&D expert with 30+ years of experience who has been appointed as Venture Partner at J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital. He will help build and grow companies within JPM's life sciences venture division.

What was Dr. Dhanak's role at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals?

Dr. Dhanak served as Chief Scientific Officer at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals until its $2.4 billion acquisition by Ono Pharmaceuticals in 2024.

What are Dr. Dhanak's notable achievements at Incyte?

As Chief Scientific Officer at Incyte, Dr. Dhanak oversaw research and preclinical development across hematology, oncology, and immunology, contributing to over fifteen Investigational New Drug (IND) applications.

What is Dr. Dhanak's educational background?

Dr. Dhanak holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, a Ph.D. from the University of London, and completed postdoctoral research at Northwestern University.