ApconiX Welcomes Yvonne Will
ApconiX is delighted to welcome Dr. Yvonne Will, who joins the consultancy team as a Discovery Toxicology Associate. Based in Southern California, she collaborates closely with Dr. Richard Knight, Director and Co-founder of ApconiX, supporting clients across the United States.
Career
Dr. Yvonne Will was born and raised in Germany, where she obtained her B.S. from the University of Bonn. She subsequently moved to the United States to complete her M.S. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University.
Yvonne began her industry career at Pfizer as a Research Fellow, where she established and led in vitro toxicology strategies to support lead optimization and candidate nomination. She developed and implemented novel technology platforms to enable early chemical de-risking of small molecules. Over time, she progressed into leadership roles spanning Science, Technology, and Strategy, ultimately serving as Global Science and Technology Lead for Drug Safety. In this role, she was responsible for strategic investment decisions across the drug safety portfolio, both internally and externally, and for advancing approaches to organ-specific toxicities. She also led external engagement strategies, representing Pfizer across key consortia in the US and Europe.
After more than 17 years at Pfizer, Yvonne joined Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) as Vice President of Predictive, Investigative, and Translational Toxicology (Nonclinical Safety). She led multidisciplinary teams focused on predictive safety, rapid issue resolution, and translational strategies, spanning primary pharmacology, molecular and cellular systems, genomics, and in vivo models aligned with human biology.
Most recently, Yvonne served as Vice President of Nonclinical Drug Safety and Toxicology at Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, where she built and led the toxicology function from discovery through clinical development and toward commercialization, providing both strategic and operational leadership.
In January 2026, Yvonne founded SCIENTIA-Consultants LLC, advising biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies on predictive safety strategies, mechanistic toxicology, and fit-for-purpose nonclinical development programs from early discovery through IND/CTA-enabling stages.
Yvonne remains highly active in the toxicology community. She has held leadership roles within the Society of Toxicology, including serving as President of the Drug Discovery Specialty Section, and contributes to the scientific literature and editorial boards in applied and translational toxicology.
Working with ApconiX
Based in San Diego, Yvonne strengthens ApconiX’s presence on the US West Coast. Following the launch of her consultancy, she partnered with ApconiX through ongoing scientific collaborations, including recent work with Professor Ruth Roberts on delivering the 2026 ACT CE course on Discovery Toxicology.
With over 20 years of experience in global pharmaceutical R&D, Yvonne brings deep expertise in discovery and translational toxicology, particularly in integrating in silico and in vitro approaches for decision-making. She supports clients in building predictive safety strategies that enable earlier, more confident development decisions.
Yvonne commented:
“Much of my work has focused on what is now called discovery toxicology, integrating in silico and in vitro approaches. This remains an underdeveloped but high-impact area, and I see a strong opportunity to advance it together with ApconiX.”
Richard commented:
“Yvonne brings a wealth of industry experience in pharmaceutical safety, particularly in the discovery stages. Her knowledge and experience of in silico and in vitro models will be invaluable in helping our clients navigate a world with increasing focus on providing data from novel in vitro models rather than, or in addition to, in vivo studies.”
Interests Outside of Work
Outside of her professional work, Yvonne enjoys riding her horse Picasso and spending time outdoors along the Southern California coast. She is also a proud parent; her daughter recently graduated from UC San Diego.
