Project Management Principal Scientist

Amin Behzadi, DVM, PhD

Park Ridge, NJ ***** +1-718-***-**** *************@*****.***

linkedin.com/in/mohammadamin-behzadi-4117b3114/

Principal Scientist

• Results-driven Virologist with extensive experience driving innovation in Viral Vaccine Discovery and Antiviral Drug Development.

• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams, securing FDA approvals, and developing cutting- edge vaccine platforms.

• Expertise spans virology, immunology, regulatory affairs, project management, and scientific leadership, with a strong focus on external and internal collaboration, strategy, and team development. Core Competencies

• Vaccine Development: Design, development, and evaluation of vaccine platforms (Plasmid DNA-based, peptide-based, VLPs, chimeric VSV-based vaccines)

• Antiviral Drug Discovery: Development and evaluation of antiviral compounds; mechanism of action studies; combination drug studies

• Leadership and Management: Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, supervise research staff, and collaborate with external partners; expertise in project management, strategic planning, and talent development

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborated with clinical and regulatory teams to support clinical trial design and implementation, QC the data, and assisted with preparation of documents and reports, including FDA submissions

• Virology: Virus isolation, characterization, and culture; viral genome sequencing and analysis; Biosafety Level-3

• Immunology: Immunological assays (Luminex/MSD, neutralization assays, ELISA, Immunofluorescence, ADCC, ADCP); monoclonal antibody generation; Hybridoma fusion; Flow cytometry; Protein assays

• Molecular Biology: Reverse genetics; PCR; DNA sequencing and analysis; in vitro electroporation

• In Vivo Studies: Design and conduct of in vivo studies in mouse and rat models to evaluate vaccine efficacy and antiviral compounds; in vivo electroporation

Experience

Pfizer, Inc, Pearl River, NY October 2024 - Present Virology Principal Scientist

Led antiviral drug development programs, designing and executing in vitro studies to assess efficacy. Collaborated with cross-functional teams and contributed to FDA submissions.

• Spearheaded development of antiviral drugs targeting Herpes Latency as biology lead, driving innovation in virology research.

• Established and optimized in vitro HSV-1 Latency neuronal cell culture system for high-throughput screening.

• Served as biology lead for Flu/Covid Antibody Drug Conjugated program and anti-human ACE-2 monoclonal antibody project, leveraging expertise in virology and immunology.

• Led, designed and executed studies on in vitro combination therapies against SARS-CoV-2 and HSV-1/2, to assess antiviral efficacy.

• Contributed to development and evaluation of Ibuzatrelvir, a second-generation SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor, advancing antiviral therapy options.

• Collaborated with clinical and regulatory teams to support clinical trial design and implementation, and assisted with preparation of documents and reports, including FDA submissions. Amin Behzadi *************@*****.*** Page 2

Pfizer, Inc, Pearl River, NY, USA June 2022 - September 2024 Virology Senior Scientist

Played a pivotal role in Paxlovid development, evaluation, and FDA approval, performing resistance and compound antiviral activity assays to inform drug development strategies.

• Led comprehensive studies on antiviral combinations against SARS-CoV-2, resulting in improved efficacy and reduced resistance.

• Contributed to Herpesvirus DNA polymerase program progress, advancing antiviral therapy options.

• Conducted evaluations of novel therapeutics targeting viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, HSV-1/2, and Influenza viruses.

• Co-authored three publications on SARS-CoV-2 antivirals development, showcasing expertise in antiviral research.

• Played a key role in designing and implementing of preclinical and clinical trials for antiviral compounds, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Auro Vaccines LLC, Aurobindo Pharma, Inc, Pearl River, NY, USA July 2020 - June 2022 Virology Senior Scientist IV

Developed and optimized reverse genetic systems for recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to enhance vaccine candidate development.

• Designed, generated, and validated viral constructs and recombinant plasmids to support VSV-based vaccine development.

• Implemented and standardized bio-functional assays for VSV-based vaccine candidates.

• Developed and executed immunological and molecular assays for VSV-based vaccine candidates targeting SARS-CoV-2, Chikungunya, Lassa, and Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic fever viruses, supporting preclinical studies.

• Conducted Sanger sequencing and performed comprehensive data analysis to extract valuable insights, informing vaccine development strategies.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA October 2016 - July 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow (PI: Peter Palese)

Contributed to universal influenza and CMV vaccine projects, investigating immunological responses and leading rhinovirus vaccine development.

• Investigated immunological responses to universal influenza virus vaccine candidates using Luminex/MSD and neutralization assays, ELISA, HAI, and protein-based assays as part of a Phase 1 clinical trial.

• Implemented reverse genetic system to rescue recombinant influenza viruses.

• Led rhinovirus vaccine project, overseeing monoclonal antibody generation and characterization. Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz, Iran 2011 - 2016 Senior Research Associate (Part-Time)

Performed clinical molecular diagnosis tests for viral infections. Dorsa Larestan Animal Feed Company, Lar, Iran 2010 - 2011 Microbiology Lab Director and Veterinary Technical Manager Established and managed a diagnostic microbiology laboratory.

• Conducted diagnostic microbiological assays to detect food-borne pathogens.

• Supervised technical health services- R&D staff. Amin Behzadi *************@*****.*** Page 3

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medical Biology - Medical Virology Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

• Dissertation: Design, Production, and Evaluation of Expression Recombinant Vector Containing NS3/NS4A Genes of Hepatitis C Virus Subtype 3a: Protein Expression in Eukaryotic Mammalian Cells and Immunogenicity in Mice.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

• Dissertation: Production of Recombinant Hemagglutinin Antigen of Avian Influenza Virus Subtype H9N2 Amin Behzadi *************@*****.*** Page 4

Addendum

Selected Publications (out of 43)

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=44E26vwAAAAJ

• Garnsey MR, Robinson MC, Nguyen LT, Cardin R, Tillotson J, Mashalidis E, Yu A, Aschenbrenner L, Balesano A, Behzadi MA, Boras B. (2024) Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) inhibitors with efficacy in a murine infection model. Science Advances;10(35):eado4288.

• Allerton CM, Arcari JT, Aschenbrenner LM, Avery M, Bechle BM, Behzadi MA, Boras B, Buzon LM, Cardin RD, Catlin NR, Carlo AA. (2024) A second-generation oral SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor clinical candidate for the treatment of COVID-19. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 67(16):135**-*****.

• Nachbagauer R, Feser J, Naficy A, Bernstein DI, Guptill J, Walter EB, Berlanda-Scorza F, Stadlbauer D, Wilson P, Aydillo T, Behzadi MA, Bhavsar D, Bliss C, Capuano C, Carreno JM, Chromikova V, Claeys C, Coughlan L, Freyn AW, Gast C, Javier A, Jiang K, Mariottini C, McMahon M, McNeal M, Solórzano A, Strohmeier S, Sun W, Van der Wielen M, Innis B, García-Sastre A, Palese P, Krammer F. (2021) A chimeric hemagglutinin-based universal influenza virus vaccine approach induces broad and long-lasting immunity in a randomized, placebo-controlled phase I trial. Nature Medicine. 27 (1), 106- 114.

• Behzadi MA, Duehr J, Choi A, Schotsaert M, Roya Feyznezhad, Chitra Upadhay, Palese P, Nachbagauer R.

(2020) A cross-reactive mouse monoclonal antibody against rhinovirus mediates phagocytosis in vitro. Scientific Reports 10 (1), 1-10.

• Nachbagauer R, Albrecht R, Behzadi MA, Choi A, Debois M, Friel D, Garcia-Sastre A, Innis BL, Mallett C, Palese P, Rajabhathor A, Rouxel RN, Salaun B, Stadlbauer D, Sun W, Krammer F, Claeys C. (2019) Pandemic influenza virus vaccines boost hemagglutinin stalk-specific antibody responses in primed adult and pediatric cohorts. npj Vaccines 4(1), 1-12.

• Behzadi MA, Stein KR, Bermúdez González MC, Simon V, Nachbagauer R, Tortorella D. (2019) An influenza virus hemagglutinin-based vaccine platform enables the generation of epitope specific cytomegalovirus neutralizing antibodies. Vaccines. 7(2), 51.

• Behzadi MA, Leyva-Grado VH. (2019) Overview of current therapeutics and novel candidates against influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infections. Frontiers in Microbiology. 10; 1327.

• Behzadi MA, Leyva-Grado VH, Namayandeh M, Ziyaeyan A, Feyznezhad R, Dorzaban H, Jamalidoust M. Ziyaeyan M. (2019) Seroprevalence of viral hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses in Hormozgan province southern Iran. BMC Infectious Diseases. 19(1) 1027.

• Liu ST, Behzadi MA, Sun W, Freyn AW, Liu WC, Broecker F, Albrecht RA, Bouvier NM, Simon V, Nachbagauer R, Krammer F. (2018) Antigenic sites in influenza H1 hemagglutinin display species-specific immunodominance. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 8;128(11).

• Carreño JM, McDonald JU, Hurst T, Rigsby P, Atkinson E, Charles L, Nachbagauer R, Behzadi MA, Strohmeier S, Coughlan L, Aydillo T, Brandenburg B, García-Sastre A, Kaszas K, Levine MZ, Manenti A, McDermott AB, Montomoli E, Muchene L, Narpala SR, Perera RAPM, Salisch NC, Valkenburg SA, Zhou F, Engelhardt OG, Krammer F. (2020) Development and Assessment of a Pooled Serum as Candidate Standard to Measure Influenza A Virus Group 1 Hemagglutinin Stalk-Reactive Antibodies. Vaccines. 8 (4), 666.

• Ziyaeyan M, Behzadi MA, Leyva-Grado VH, Azizi K, Pouladfar G, Dorzaban H, Ziyaeyan A, Salek S, Jaber Hashemi A, Jamalidoust M. (2018) Widespread circulation of West Nile virus, but not Zika virus in southern Iran. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 12 (12) e0007022.

• Behzadi MA, Alborzi A, Kalani M, Pouladfar Gh, Dianatpour M, Ziyaeyan M. (2016) Immunization with a recombinant expression vector encoding NS3/NS4A of Hepatitis C virus genotype 3a elicits cell-mediated immune responses in C57BL/6 mice. Viral Immunology. 29(3), 138-147.

• Behzadi MA, Ziyaeyan M, Alborzi A. (2016) A diagnostic one-step real-time RT-PCR method for accurate detection of influenza virus type A. Archive of Medical sciences. 12(6), 1286-1292.

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