Karen Chu, PhD
- Founder/CEO, Harvest Integrated Research Organization (HiRO)
Karen is the founder and CEO of Harvest Integrated Research Organization (HiRO). It is a global clinical research organization (CRO) stemming from Asia-Pacific and specializes in cross-border clinical research development.
Prior to her role at HiRO, Karen was previously a Partner of Fontus Capital. She continues her role as Venture Partner in Fontus Capital as a member of the Investment Committee in evaluating and making decisions on investment opportunities. Currently, Karen is a board member for three US/EU Biotech companies in clinical stages.
In her previous roles, she was the Corporate Vice President for Clinical Research Services at Parexel International. Karen led Parexel’s global clinical operations, which was responsible for the operational delivery of Phase I-III clinical trials. The team of operations was ~6000 employees across 50+ countries.
In addition to her extensive experience with clinical trials globally, she possesses a unique understanding of cross-border strategy and management. Karen holds Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, College of Pharmacy.