Leadership Meet our founders

George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., is a life-long New Yorker and the son of Greek immigrants. He attended New York City public schools and graduated as valedictorian of the Bronx High School of Science. At Bronx Science, he was a top winner of the nation's premier high school science competition, then known as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, and now known as the Regeneron Science Talent Search. After high school, George attended and became valedictorian of Columbia College, subsequently earning his M.D. from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He launched his career as an academic scientist with Frederick W. Alt at Columbia, publishing seminal papers in molecular immunology.

George takes an unusually hands-on approach to drug discovery, serving as lead inventor and developer of Regeneron’s medicines, including Eylea^®, Eylea^® HD and Dupixent^®, which have collectively helped millions of people around the world. He and his team have also delivered additional important medicines such as Praluent^®, Libtayo^®, and the first antibody cocktail treatments for Ebola and COVID-19 in rapid response to emerging public health threats. George has also worked with his team to develop underlying technologies to support and expedite drug discovery, such as the VelociGene^® “knockout” platform, the VelocImmune^® human antibody mouse, and the Veloci-Bi^® bispecific antibody creation platform.

During his career, George has been among the most highly cited scientists in the world, with landmark publications pertaining to the cloning and biology of numerous growth factors and their receptors (from the neurotrophins, angiopoietins, and ephrins to the CNTF receptor and the agrin receptor MuSK), the elucidation of the mechanism of action of the cytokine class of receptors, and other findings leading to the development of Regeneron's medicines and technologies. His team continues to pursue cutting-edge research, including through the Regeneron Genetics Center^®, a world-leading effort that has sequenced the exomes of over two million people and paired this information with de-identified medical records in the quest to identify new and improved treatment options.

George is committed to supporting the next generation of young scientists and plays an active role in Regeneron’s STEM education and mentorship programs, including a $100 million commitment to the Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS). He lends his name to Young Scientists Awards given at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF) and the Regeneron Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (Regeneron WESEF) for student researchers whose passion for science may lead to the development of novel technologies or biological insights.

Regeneron’s focus on STEM is part of its overall Corporate Responsibility strategy, which uses its unique knowledge and expertise for the benefit of society, the economy and the environment.

George was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 and into the Biotech Hall of Fame in 2014. He and Len were named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2016. In 2020, George was named by Fortune as one of the World’s 25 Greatest Leaders: Heroes Of The Pandemic. George’s leadership of company culture has also been recognized, with Regeneron routinely listed as a top employer by Science, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company and others. In 2022, Regeneron was awarded the prestigious Prix Galien USA Best Biotechnology Product for Inmazeb^®.