Circle Pharma Strengthens Leadership Team with Promotion of Marie Evangelista, Ph.D., to Chief Scientific Officer and Addition of Mary Ellen Sillivos as SVP and Head of Human Resources

Circle Pharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering next-generation targeted macrocycle therapeutics for cancer, today announced the promotion of Marie Evangelista, Ph.D., to chief scientific officer and the appointment of Mary Ellen Sillivos as senior vice president and head of human resources. The appointments strengthen Circle’s leadership team as the company advances its pipeline of next-generation targeted macrocycle therapeutics and prepares for its next stage of growth.

“Marie has been instrumental in shaping our research strategy and advancing our pipeline since joining Circle, and her promotion to chief scientific officer reflects both the impact she has already made and the important role she will play as we continue to build our portfolio of novel macrocycle therapeutics,” said David J. Earp, J.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Circle Pharma. “We are also delighted to welcome Mary Ellen, whose extensive experience building and supporting organizations across multiple stages of growth will be invaluable as we continue to evolve Circle and expand the capabilities needed to execute on our ambitions.”

“Circle has built a differentiated approach to macrocycle drug discovery with the potential to address important cancer targets that have historically been beyond the reach of conventional small molecules,” said Dr. Evangelista. “I am excited to take on this expanded role and continue working with our talented team to translate the capabilities of our MXMO™ platform into a pipeline of meaningful new therapies for patients with cancer.”

“I am thrilled to join Circle at such an important point in the company’s evolution,” said Ms. Sillivos. “I look forward to partnering with David and the leadership team to build the organization, culture and capabilities that will support Circle as it continues to grow and advance its pipeline.”

About Marie Evangelista, Ph.D., chief scientific officer

Dr. Evangelista joined Circle in 2024 as senior vice president and head of cancer biology. Previously, she held the position of vice president of oncology at Recursion, leading the oncology group and advancing their internal pipeline while establishing key partnerships with Genentech/Roche and Bayer. Before that, she spent 18 years at Genentech, directing precision oncology programs focused on cell cycle, tumor metabolism, and targeted therapy resistance. She played a crucial role in developing GDC-6036 (Divarasib), now in Phase 3 trials. Dr. Evangelista earned her Ph.D. from Queen’s University in Canada, receiving the NSERC Doctoral Prize and the Governor General’s Gold Medal. She completed postdoctoral training at Genentech with Fred de Sauvage. Dr. Evangelista has published over 40 papers in top journals, including Science, Cell, and Nature Biotechnology, and holds a dozen patents.

About Mary Ellen Sillivos, senior vice president and head of human resources

Mary Ellen Sillivos brings over thirty years of experience in the biotech and biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Circle, Ms. Sillivos held several leadership positions including serving as vice president, human resources at Quince Therapeutics and Cortexyme. Previously, she held positions of increasing responsibility, including vice president, human resources at Dermira and executive director, human resources at Affymax. She has broad experience in all aspects of HR operations, specifically within early stage and start-up companies through commercialization. Ms. Sillivos attended the University of San Francisco and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

About Circle Pharma

Circle Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company harnessing the power of macrocycles to develop next-generation targeted therapies for cancer and other serious illnesses. Circle Pharma’s proprietary MXMO™ platform overcomes key challenges in macrocycle drug development, enabling the creation of intrinsically cell-permeable and orally bioavailable therapies, including for historically undruggable targets. Circle Pharma’s pipeline is focused on targeting cyclins, key regulators of the cell cycle that drive many cancers. Circle Pharma is based in South San Francisco, CA. For additional information, please visit us at circlepharma.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260927385311/en/

Media gallery