Spiros Liras

Spiros Liras is a Venture Partner at Apple Tree Partners and an adjunct professor of pharmaceutical chemistry. In his venture role, he has co-founded six biotechnology portfolio companies, including Initial Therapeutics and Deep Apple Therapeutics, where he served as founding CEO during its $52 million Series A financing in 2023. Before joining Apple Tree Partners, Liras established and led the External Portfolio Innovation division at Biogen. Previously, he worked as the Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at Pfizer, where he directed clinical pipeline development across cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuroscience therapeutic areas. He holds a doctorate in organic chemistry from Iowa State University and completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His current focus centers on advancing novel biotechnology drug discovery platforms, specifically targeting selective protein translation inhibition, macrocycles, and oligonucleotides.