Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr, MD, PhD, MPH
Dr. Emmett Cunningham joined HealthQuest in 2023 as a Senior Partner, bringing over 20 years of experience as a full-time investor and entrepreneur. He most recently served as a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone Life Sciences group (BXLS) of Blackstone, Inc. (BX), joining that company through the acquisition of Clarus Ventures in 2018, where he was a member of the full-time investment team since that firm’s inception in 2006. Emmett has led or co-led investments in medical technology and biotechnology that have supported FDA approval for ten therapeutics. Prior to investing, his previous roles included Senior Vice President, Medical Strategy at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he was a key member of the leadership team responsible for the development of Macugen® (pegaptanib sodium), a pioneering, first-in-class VEGF-A inhibitor for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema. Emmett's extensive experience and leadership have been recognized further through his role as the founder and chairman of the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) symposium for more than a decade.
Emmett currently serves on the Board of Galera Therapeutics and previously held positions on the boards of SARcode Biosciences (acquired by Shire), Neomend (acquired by Bard), Restoration Robotics (acquired by Venus Concept), Annexon Biosciences (ANNX), GrayBug Vision (GRAY), Lumos Pharma (LUMO), and SFJ Pharmaceutical Group. Additionally, he has played instrumental roles as a co-founder and personal seed investor in several companies, including Xeris Biopharma Holdings (XERS), Aiolos Bio (acquired by GSK), Placid0 (acquired by WALDO), and Pr3vent Medical. Emmett’s dedication to philanthropic endeavors is evident through his service on the Boards of The Alta Foundation and EverythingALS, contributing to meaningful unmet needs within the healthcare community.
Emmett earned his MD and MPH in epidemiology and statistics from Johns Hopkins University and holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of California at San Diego for research conducted at The Salk Institute. He completed residency in ophthalmology and fellowship training in Corneal Disease and Uveitis at UCSF and The Francis I. Proctor Foundation, a medical retina and uveitis fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and a fellowship in public health ophthalmology with Prof. Alfred Sommer at the Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore. In addition to his professional commitments, Emmett is actively involved in teaching and holds positions as an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at California Pacific Medical Center and Stanford University, as well as a Research Associate at The Francis I. Proctor Foundation, UCSF School of Medicine. He has co-authored over 400 papers related to his clinical and research efforts.
