Dr. Silber is Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy. Until recently, he was also Professor of Neurology and Chief of Drug Discovery R & D at UCSF’s Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, which he led. Current research interests include discovering, developing and launching innovative breakthrough therapeutic and diagnostic products for diseases with high unmet medical need, including pain, inflammation, cancer, eye, neurodegenerative, and infectious diseases.

He is also President and CEO of Reiley Pharmaceuticals focused on breakthrough products for pain, cancer and infectious disease, President and CEO of MacRegen focused on breakthrough drugs for age-related macular degeneration, Senior Advisor at Clinakos, Novakos, and Neurokos, and Scientific Advisory Board member of NextBio/Illumina and Optivia. He was previously President and CEO of Elmedtech, Senior VP of R & D at Roche, VP of R & D and CSO at ALZA/J & J, Director of R & D at Pfizer, Senior Director of R & D at Cetus, and Director of R & D at Lederle Labs.

Dr. Silber has contributed to the discovery, preclinical and clinical development, registration, or commercial success of 23 FDA approved drugs (12 of which have been block busters) and drug devices and diagnostics in many disease areas. He is the author of more than 215 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, patents, abstracts, and invited presentations.

He has discovered and developed medicines and breakthrough technologies in pain, neurological and neurodegenerative (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, MS, FTD, TBI, CTE, CJD), psychotherapeutic (e.g., depression, schizophrenia, ADHD), cancer, eye disease, obesity, diabetes, infectious, lipid, inflammatory, cardiovascular, skin, and respiratory diseases.

Hobbies include mentoring graduate and health profession students, tennis, skiing, photography, and travel.