Prof. Damian O’Connell is Chief Executive Officer of Singapore’s Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), the national platform for drug discovery and development under A*STAR. A physician–scientist with over two decades of leadership experience in both academia and the global biopharmaceutical industry, he has dedicated his career to advancing innovative therapeutics from discovery into the clinic. 

Prior to joining EDDC, Prof. O’Connell held senior R&D positions at Bayer Pharma, Pfizer, Parke Davis, Elan Pharmaceuticals, and Neurex, where he led global teams across clinical sciences, translational medicine, and drug safety. He has also served on the faculty of the University of Virginia and University College Cork, where he remains Adjunct Professor of Medicine. 

Prof. O’Connell earned his M.D. and Ph.D. from the National University of Ireland. He is a Fellow of multiple professional societies, including the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland and the Royal Society of Medicine (UK). He also serves on advisory boards for academic and clinical research organisations internationally. 

At EDDC, Prof. O’Connell leads efforts to translate Singapore’s strong biomedical science into impactful therapies through public–private partnerships, with a focus on accelerating innovative medicines for unmet medical needs.