Dr. Paul Brunetta is a physician and clinical researcher with over 23 years of experience in biotechnology drug development and has implemented multiple trials in autoimmune disease spanning phase I-IV trials across neurology, nephrology, rheumatology, immunology, pulmonary medicine and solid organ transplantation. Paul directed the Genentech Clinical Research Fellowship for 12 years mentoring subspecialty fellows evaluating trial databases for new observations. He is named on 20 patents in autoimmune disease and worked on autoimmune indications across rituximab, ocrelizumab and obinutuzumab and later spearheaded a broader nephrology strategy evaluating obinutuzumab. He supported the initial development of the Glucocorticoid Toxicity Instrument which is now licensed through the company Steritas to dozens of institutions and companies around the world. Paul was SVP, Head of Translational Science at Juno Therapeutics prior to its purchase by Celgene, and then SVP of Autoimmune Development at Sana Biotechnology as the hypo-immune platform in transplantation and CAR-T therapy transitioned into the clinic.

Paul is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He came to UCSF at the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1990 and did his internship and medical residency at UCSF. Paul was Chief Medical Resident at San Francisco General Hospital and completed his Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at UCSF before joining faculty focusing on thoracic oncology, tobacco related lung disease and smoking cessation. He co-founded the Fontana Tobacco Treatment Center and is an adjunct Associate Professor of Pulmonary Medicine in support of the FTTC. He cofounded Mobile Applications for Connected Health, Inc. which has developed and published a smartphone application for nicotine addiction. His clinical research work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and other international specialty journals.