David Kitzenberg [Kitz], MD/PhD, Co-founder & CEO

Dr. Kitzenberg is the co-founder and CEO of Primer Pharmaceuticals. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where his research uncovered compounds that enhance the activity of antibiotics against tolerant and persistent bacteria. Building on this work, he developed a high-throughput screening platform to identify novel small-molecule adjuvants, which formed the scientific foundation of Primer Pharmaceuticals.

Choosing to forgo medical residency, Dr. Kitzenberg dedicated himself fully to advancing this therapeutic approach, driven by his conviction in the science and its potential to address critical global health challenges. His expertise spans molecular biology, microbiology, antibiotic tolerance and persistence, drug discovery, and pharmacologic strategies to improve antibiotic efficacy.

Since beginning his research career in 2010 at the University of Colorado, Dr. Kitzenberg has received funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Academy of Medicine, which recognized his work with a Catalyst Award. He brings deep scientific knowledge of Primer’s technologies and the leadership to translate them into next-generation therapies.

Sean Colgan, PhD, Co-founder

Dr. Colgan is a co-founder and serves as both a Distinguished Professor and the Levine-Kern Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Colgan has more than 30 years of experience in biomedical research and biotech collaboration. He was recruited to CU in 2006 from Harvard Medical School where he was Professor and Associate Director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics. At CU, he founded and serves as Director of the Mucosal Inflammation Program, a multidisciplinary research program intent on the discovery of new mechanisms of inflammation at mucosal surfaces. Dr. Colgan is the recipient of an NIH R37 MERIT award and currently has a multi-R01-funded research laboratory investigating innate immunometabolism responses in the gastrointestinal tract. He has published more than 250 original papers, and more than 37,000 citations in the fields of immunology, host-microbe interactions, inflammation, and microbiology. He served as a Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine for 6 years where he developed multiple translational research programs. He has served on numerous editorial boards and has served on more than 50 grant review panels and study sections, including the NIH. Additionally, he has consulted for numerous biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Colgan’s extensive experience will help drive the discovery and development of these next-generation antibiotic adjuvants.

Daniel Kao, MD/PhD, Co-founder

Dr. Kao is a co-founder of Primer Pharmaceuticals and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Colorado and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. With more than 15 years of experience in biomedical research and pharmacology, Dr. Kao brings deep expertise in microbiology, microbial metabolism, stress response pathways, antibiotic tolerance and persistence, and host–microbe interactions in the gastrointestinal tract.

His research program integrates fundamental microbiology with translational medicine to uncover new therapeutic strategies, and his expertise continues to guide the company’s drug screening programs, research strategy, and pharmacologic development.