Melissa Maxwell

Melissa Maxwell joined Flagship Pioneering in 2025 as a Director of Program Management for Pioneering Medicines. In this role, she supports the development and execution of early clinical development programs, working cross-functionally to drive strategic alignment and operational excellence across diverse R&D initiatives. Melissa is responsible for developing and managing strategic partnerships and projects involving novel modalities across Pioneering Medicines, Flagship platform companies, and external partners.

Melissa brings more than 20 years of biotechnology experience spanning discovery through first-in-human studies. She has deep expertise in RNA interference, immuno-oncology, and cell and gene therapy, with a strong track record of building robust assay platforms and advancing programs into clinical development. Before joining Flagship, she held multiple roles at Phio Pharmaceuticals, where she led cross-functional teams, managed strategic alliances, and partnered with executive leadership to advance RNAi-based immunotherapies. Earlier in her career, Melissa held scientific roles at FORMA Therapeutics, Exogenesis Corporation, Makoto Life Sciences, Abbott Bioresearch, and Genome Therapeutics, contributing to oncology and immunology research, biomaterials innovation, and genomic variant discovery programs.

Melissa earned a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Psychology and French from the University of Vermont, and an M.S. in Biology from Saint Joseph’s University. She is completing her Doctor of Natural Sciences in Immuno-Oncology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).