Dr. David S. Bredt is a distinguished molecular neuroscientist whose leadership has significantly advanced neuroscience drug discovery within the pharmaceutical industry. He served as the global head of neuroscience discovery at Johnson & Johnson from 2011 to 2021, where he also held the position of site head for Janssen's R&D facility in La Jolla. Prior to his tenure at Johnson & Johnson, he was vice president of integrative biology at Eli Lilly and Company from 2004 to 2011. Dr. Bredt's academic foundation includes chemistry studies at Princeton University followed by medical training at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he earned both his MD and PhD degrees.
Dr. Bredt's most seminal contribution to neuroscience occurred during his graduate work in Solomon Snyder's laboratory, where he discovered and characterized the family of enzymes responsible for generating nitric oxide in biological systems. His development of a simple, sensitive assay for monitoring nitric oxide production transformed the field and enabled widespread investigation of this critical signaling molecule. More recently, his leadership at Janssen spurred groundbreaking research on neuronal chaperone proteins, particularly NACHO, which enables functional expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that had previously resisted biochemical characterization. This work has catalyzed pharmaceutical development efforts targeting α6-containing receptors for psychiatric conditions, sensory receptors for chronic pain, and cochlear receptors for auditory disorders.
Beyond his laboratory achievements, Dr. Bredt has profoundly shaped the neuroscience drug discovery landscape through strategic leadership and mentorship of numerous researchers who now hold key positions across academia and industry. His innovative approach to overcoming previously intractable targets in neuroscience led to the creation of Rapport Therapeutics, a Johnson & Johnson spinout company launched with $100 million to transform neurological disease treatment through precision therapies. Currently serving as an Executive Partner at MPM Capital, Dr. Bredt continues to influence the field by guiding investment in promising neuroscience ventures that bridge basic research and therapeutic applications. His ongoing commitment to translating fundamental neuroscience discoveries into meaningful clinical interventions positions him as a pivotal figure in the next generation of neurological therapeutics development.
