Leen Kawas Speaks About Her Exit from Athira

Leen Kawas Speaks About Her Exit from Athira

Leen Kawas is a managing partner of Propel Bio Partners, a firm dedicated to transforming the Biotech industry. Before launching Propel Bio Partners, Leen Kawas was the CEO of Athira Pharma. She resigned from Athira in October 2021 due to controversies.

Resigning from Athira

Leen Kawas faced controversial issues arising from her doctoral work as a student. The issue was that her work contained altered images. While the issue was resolved in 2015, it was raised again in 2021, leading to Leen’s temporary leave and eventual resignation.

How Leen handled the resignation

When beginning her career at Athira, she took a big leap. Leen’s leave and resignation came at a time when she was welcoming a baby into her life. While the issues took a toll on her, she handled them with therapy.

She does not regret leaving Athira Pharma and refuses to worry about things that are beyond her control. Instead, she appreciates the positive experiences and lessons she got while working at Athira.

Life at Propel Bio Partners

After resigning from Athira, Leen Kawas received a call from Ric Kayne, an investor at Athira. Kayne told Leen that he would like to work with her.

After several meetings, Leen Kawas and Ric Kayne launched Propel Bio Partners, an investment firm that allows Leen to positively impact the industry.

Why create an investment company?

Leen has not always been one to shy away from an opportunity. Leen launched Propel Bio Partners to explore diverse leadership opportunities and make a difference in the Biotech industry. Leen believes in moving forward rather than getting stuck in the past. Since launching Propel Bio Partners, Leen has made worthwhile investments in multiple companies.