Dr. Chengzao Sun is a peptide drug discovery leader and Chief Scientific Officer at Pinnacle Medicines, where he leads research and development efforts focused on macrocyclic and peptide therapeutics, including advancing oral peptide modalities from early discovery through clinical stages. With more than two decades of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Sun has held leadership roles at major pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Amylin. At Johnson & Johnson, he served as Head of the Peptide Platform and Early Portfolio, overseeing strategy and cross-functional development across peptide programs from discovery to clinical entry. Dr. Sun’s expertise spans multiple therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic diseases, oncology, neuroscience, and immunology. He has contributed to programs across the full drug development lifecycle, from lead identification through Phase 1–3 clinical trials. He is an inventor on numerous patents related to peptide therapeutics, particularly in macrocyclic peptide design and receptor-targeting approaches. In addition, he has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed publications in medicinal chemistry and peptide science.