Featured Researcher: Amy Sehnert - Bristol Myers Squibb
Amy Sehnert, MD
Vice President, Head of Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure Clinical Development
Brisbane, CA
Biography
Amy Sehnert, MD, is vice president and head of Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure Clinical Development in Global Drug Development (GDD) at Bristol Myers Squibb’s Brisbane, California site, working to develop precision therapeutics for serious cardiovascular disorders, with a specific focus on diseases of heart muscle (cardiomyopathies) and heart failure.
Through a precision approach assessing well-characterized patient groups and targeting molecular-genetic underpinnings of disease, Amy and her team diligently work to identify, optimize and develop therapies that may have the most profound impact. Amy and her team use data science, advanced clinical trial solutions and digital innovation to drive Bristol Myers Squibb’s pipeline into action. Amy has led her team through global regulatory filings and the FDA approval of CamzyosTM.
Amy joined Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020 by way of MyoKardia, where she built and led the clinical team studying the company’s pipeline of therapies for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, including in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials. Amy possesses unique expertise in study concept design, protocol development, study implementation, interpretation and presentation of the results. She enjoys the collaborative nature of the work from bench-to-bedside. She is a member of the Brisbane Site Executive Leadership Team.
Prior to MyoKardia, Amy led efforts to launch clinical trial programs for genomic diagnostics at GRAIL, Illumina and Verinata Health. Amy started her professional career as an assistant professor at UCSF where she studied the genetics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in children and their families, and later transitioned to Stanford University. Amy has also contributed to over 40 scientific publications.
Amy earned her undergraduate, mechanical engineering and doctor of medicine degrees from the University of Minnesota. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Colorado Children’s Hospital, Denver, CO, followed by a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at UCSF.
Interests and Expertise
Amy is invested in driving more women into senior and executive positions and keeping them there. She is an active member of the Bristol Myers Squibb’s Network of Women Bay Area Chapter and a founding member of the San Francisco CHIEF chapter, a networking organization specifically focused on connecting and supporting women leaders across industries. Amy was named by San Francisco Business Times as one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business for 2022.
In her free time, Amy likes to travel, camp, hike, kayak, snow ski and spend time with her family and two grown daughters. Determined to give back to her community, she is a volunteer at her local food bank and annually participates in the Season of Giving, Giving Tree and other charitable giving. Additionally, Amy and her husband established and continue to support a student travel fund for MD/PhD students at their alma mater.