The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research is pleased to announce that Kendra Hightower has joined UNC-Chapel Hill as the alliance manager for Pinnacle Hill, a strategic partnership between Carolina and Deerfield Management designed to accelerate the discovery and development of new medicines.
In this role, Hightower will serve as a critical connector between UNC researchers and Deerfield, helping identify promising therapeutic discoveries, advance projects through scientific and strategic evaluation, and support the development of innovations with the potential to improve patient care.
“We are excited to welcome Kendra to Carolina,” said Penny Gordon-Larsen, vice chancellor for research. “Her extensive experience spanning academic science, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical industry uniquely positions her to help our researchers translate discoveries into therapies that can benefit patients.”
Launched in 2018, Pinnacle Hill was established to help bridge the gap between academic discovery and drug development. Through the partnership, Deerfield will invest in therapeutic research at Carolina while providing drug development expertise, strategic guidance, and industry connections to help advance projects toward commercialization.
As alliance manager, Hightower will engage directly with faculty across campus to identify and evaluate new therapeutic opportunities aligned with Pinnacle Hill’s mission. She will work closely with investigators, UNC research leadership, and Deerfield teams to develop collaborative project plans, navigate review and governance processes, and help position discoveries for future development.
“UNC is home to world-class researchers whose discoveries have tremendous potential to improve human health,” said Hightower. “I’m excited to help connect investigators with the resources, expertise, and development pathways available through Pinnacle Hill so that more promising ideas can advance toward real-world impact.”
Hightower brings more than 25 years of experience in drug discovery, research leadership, partnership management, and scientific and business strategy development. Most recently, she served as senior vice president of research and development at Xilis Inc., where she helped guide company strategy, research activities, and pharmaceutical partnerships.
She earned a PhD in biology from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in biochemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed postdoctoral training as a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Fellow at Duke University.
Carolina researchers interested in learning more about Pinnacle Hill and opportunities for therapeutic development are encouraged to connect with Kendra Hightower as she begins engaging with faculty and research teams across campus.