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Kevin Zhao, PhD
Senior Director of Research
Dr. Kevin Zhao received his Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from the Shandong Normal University, and his PhD in Microbiology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Before joining AGADA, Kevin completed several Post-Doc fellowships with Lakehead University and Dalhousie University studying cholesterol transport and storage. Kevin joined AGADA as a senior research associate in 2020, primarily engaged in conducting animal work for preclinical trials and performing bioanalytical testing and analysis for clinical trials. He transitioned to a research scientist in 2021, specializing in bioanalytical development, validation, and clinical sample analysis.
In 2022, Kevin became the director of clinical research where he is deeply committed to advancing biomarker development and testing for clinical trials.
As Senior Research Director, Kevin leads the execution and technical standards of AGADA’s research programs. He works directly with the scientific and laboratory teams to provide technical oversight, resolve complex protocol challenges, and keep project delivery on track. Kevin also coordinates with the business development and marketing teams to match AGADA’s technical expertise with specific client requirements.
Get in touch
To learn how AGADA Biosciences could support your program, get in touch with our team and start the conversation.
How we work
We bring an agile, collaborative and responsive approach to every engagement, shaping our support around the needs of your program rather than a rigid process. Whether you engage us at a single stage or across multiple points in development, we work to de-risk programs, protect data integrity and help your teams progress with confidence.
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Refined for your program:
We shape our approach around the needs of each program, not the other way around.
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Direct access to senior experts:
Our lean model keeps scientific expertise close to the work and communication clear.
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Built to de-risk progress:
We help you de-risk development through rigorous science and practical support.
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Protecting data integrity:
Our work is designed to support reliable outputs and maintain confidence in the data.
Why AGADA?
We bring dedicated expertise to programs where there is little room for error, providing the scientific support, responsiveness and program fit that help rare disease teams move forward with clarity.
Decade of specialization:
Founded in 2013 as a spinout from Children’s National Medical Center to provide specialist scientific support for rare disease drug development.
Consistent audit success:
We successfully pass an average of five sponsor audits annually to support clinical trials across multiple phases.
Historical benchmarking:
We leverage archival data from over 100 trials in mouse models of muscular dystrophy to accurately power your efficacy studies.
Dedicated scale:
We operate with a team of approximately 50 employees, entirely focused on executing complex rare disease programs.
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