Adam Elhofy, PhD

Dr. Adam Elhofy joined COUR in 2017 and serves currently in the role of Chief Scientific Officer. He leads research and development and the translation of immunological discoveries into clinical programs. He has been instrumental in advancing COUR’s immune tolerance platform from preclinical innovation to the clinic, contributing to the opening of four INDs and the development of biomarkers and endpoints that supported proof-of-concept across three clinical programs. With more than 25 years of experience spanning immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, Dr. Elhofy has focused much of his career on understanding and modulating immune mechanisms underlying autoimmune disease. Prior to joining COUR, he served as Chief Science Officer at Essential Pharmaceuticals, where he invented and patented the company’s core Cell-Ess technology platform. He was also a Principal Investigator at a nanoparticle spinout from Argonne National Laboratories developing novel approaches to treat skin-related autoimmune diseases - experience that further shaped his work in antigen-specific immune modulation. Earlier in his career, Dr. Elhofy was a Research Associate Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where he was supported by two multiple sclerosis training grants and conducted research on immune mechanisms driving autoimmune pathology. He earned his PhD in immunology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was recognized by the American Association of Immunologists as one of its top five trainee scientists. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in biology and political philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.