Leadership

Dr. Barnes joined Pliant in 2022 and currently serves as our Vice President of Biometrics. In this role he oversees all functional lines including biostatistics, statistical programming, and clinical data management while serving as the subject matter expert for all data-related deliverables across the entire Pliant portfolio.

Dr. Barnes brings over 18 years of biometrics and project leadership experience to Pliant. Prior to Pliant, Dr. Barnes served as the Vice President of Project Leadership and Biometrics at Spruce Biosciences where he provided strategic direction in support of the company’s rare disease pipeline. Prior to this, Dr. Barnes held roles of increasing responsibility at Theravance Biopharma and Theravance where he focused on respiratory, gastrointestinal and antibiotic indications leading both the Biostatistics and Development teams, as the Project Team Leader, through clinical development to registration. Dr. Barnes has contributed to the success of multiple marketed respiratory products in COPD/asthma as well as a product approved in Hospital acquired pneumonia. Dr. Barnes began his professional career at Gilead Sciences, where he focused within the Liver (hepatitis and liver fibrosis) and HIV franchises. Dr. Barnes is an author on over 35 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Barnes received his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Louisville and his Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. Dr. Barnes has also completed a fellowship at The James Graham Brown Cancer Center focusing on the intersection of bioinformatics and pancreatic cancer.