Christopher Mortko, Ph.D., MBA is Vice President and Head of Search and Evaluation in the Business Development and Licensing organization at Merck and a member of the Business Development and Licensing leadership team. In this role, Chris leads a team responsible for the search, scientific evaluation, and due diligence for late-stage research and development opportunities across all therapeutic areas and enabling technologies. He is a key member of Merck’s Science, Strategy, and Business review governance committee that is responsible for decision making and deal structure/terms for business development opportunities. Prior to joining Merck business development, Christopher was a Senior Biotechnology Equity Analyst on Wall Street, focusing on oncology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Earlier in his career he was a research scientist at Amgen and Merck and was involved in drug discovery and development across therapeutic areas. He currently serves as a board member for BioNJ and board observer for several early-stage biotechnology companies. Christopher received his undergraduate education at Fordham University in New York. He received a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles and completed an MBA at the NYU Stern School of Business.