Dr. Pablo D. T. Valenzuela is a Chilean biochemist and biotechnology pioneer whose work helped shape modern genetic engineering and vaccine development. After earning a PhD in Chemistry from Northwestern University and postdoctoral training in the United States, he co-founded Chiron Corporation in the early 1980s and led research there for more than a decade.

At Chiron, his teams produced the first recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, co-led the identification of the hepatitis C virus, and directed efforts that cloned and sequenced HIV -advances that enabled lifesaving diagnostics and therapies worldwide. Returning to Chile, he co-founded Fundación Ciencia & Vida in 1997 with Mario Rosemblatt and Bernardita Méndez to foster world-class research, training, and biotech entrepreneurship. He also founded GrupoBios -Chile’s first biotechnology company- and later chaired Andes Biotechnologies, strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem.

In recognition of his scientific and entrepreneurial leadership, Valenzuela received Chile’s National Prize for Applied Sciences and Technologies in 2002 and has been honored internationally, including distinctions from WIPO and UCSF. He continues to mentor scientists and build bridges between academia and industry to translate discovery into public benefit.