Steven Altschuler brings nearly 20 years of experience building and leading world-class, integrated, translational, value-based health care systems and transformational biotechnology companies. He currently serves as managing director of Healthcare Ventures at Ziff Capital Partners and was previously chair of the board of directors at Spark Therapeutics (now part of Roche) for six years, from its founding until it was acquired in 2019. In his role at Ziff Capital Partners, Dr. Altschuler co-leads the firm’s efforts towards investing in, and facilitating the startup and development of, companies with potentially transformative technologies that emphasize cellular and molecular approaches to human disease. He previously co-founded Spark Therapeutics to develop and commercialize the preclinical and clinical gene therapy programs advanced at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other institutions. He served as Spark’s board chair from its founding through its acquisition in 2019, which included leading the company through a successful transition to a public company and the launch of an approved commercial product, which was the first gene therapy for an inherited disease approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Dr. Altschuler formerly held chief executive positions at CHOP and University of Miami Health System. He is a member of the board of directors of WW (formerly Weight Watchers International), ImVaX and Stellular Bio. Dr. Altschuler currently is board chair at 89Bio, Lexeo Tx, Port Tx and Avista Tx. He is also a trustee of the POLG foundation and the Institute of Innovative Genomic at the University of California, Berkley. Dr. Altschuler holds a B.A. in mathematics and an M.D. from Case Western Reserve University.
