Dhaval Patel is the Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of UCB Ventures.Dhaval is an EVP and CSO of UCB, based in Brussels, Belgium. He received an MD and PhD (Microbiology and Immunology) from and further clinical training in Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology at Duke University. Prior to joining the industry in 2006, he was an Eminent Professor of Medicine, Chief of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and Director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. During a 10 year career at Novartis, he led Research in Europe and Autoimmunity, Transplantation and Inflammation Disease Area which developed the S1PR modulators fingolimid and siponimod as well as several other medicines. He was also an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Novartis Venture Fund, and serves on several biotechnology boards.