Robert Spitale

Robert Spitale, Ph.D., is the co-founder and CEO of Savanna Biotherapeutics, where he leads the development of the world's first iPSC-derived microglia cell therapy platform for neurodegenerative disease. A chemist and RNA biologist by training, Rob spent over a decade as a professor at the University of California, Irvine, where his research at the intersection of molecular biology, chemical biology, and neuroscience laid the scientific groundwork for Savanna's therapeutic approach. At UC Irvine, he also served as the Founding Associate Dean of Research in the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. His work has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in biomedical research, including the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, the Chan-Zuckerberg Neurodegeneration Challenge Award, the Ono Pharmaceuticals Breakthrough Award, the W.M. Keck Foundation Medical Research Grant, and selection as a Pew Biomedical Scholar. Rob brings a rare combination of deep scientific expertise and entrepreneurial leadership to Savanna, driving the company from academic discovery through FDA pre-IND alignment and toward first-in-human clinical trials. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and is passionate about translating foundational science into transformative therapies for patients with untreatable brain diseases.