W. Garrett Nichols, M.D., M.S.
Interim Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Nichols joined ContraFect as our Interim Medical Officer in August 2022. With more than 20 years in the life sciences industry, Dr. Nichols brings vast experience managing the global development efforts of multiple cancer therapeutics stemming from his achievements at large, multinational pharmaceutical organizations to his role at the company.
Dr. Nichols served as Chief Medical Officer for Istari Oncology, where he led the development efforts for PVSRIPO, a investigational, genetically modified, poliovirus-based immunotherapeutic for intratumoral injection as a therapy in advanced melanoma and other solid tumors and Chimerix, Inc., where he led the development efforts for dociparstat sodium, an investigational, intravenous treatment in development as a first-line therapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and brincidofovir, an oral antiviral approved for the treatment of smallpox. He also served as Head of Global Development at ViiV Healthcare and Vice President of Clinical Development at GlaxoSmithKline. In addition, Dr. Nichols spent 4 years on the faculty of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, where he was the principal investigator on NIH-funded grants exploring the prevention and treatment of viral infections in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients.
Dr. Nichols earned an M.D. from Duke University and an M.S. in epidemiology from the University of Washington, where he also completed a fellowship in infectious diseases.