Jonathon Parker
2026 Distinguished Pharmacy Alumni Awardee
Jonathon Parker
Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs
Alto Neuroscience
Beyond a deep technical foundation in clinical therapeutics, Purdue instilled in me the integrity, empathy, and communication skills vital to be a successful professional in pharmaceutical healthcare. These Boilermaker values anchor my leadership in complex R&D projects that advance the next generation of life-saving medicines.
Education
BS 1992, Pharmacy, Purdue University
MS 1996, Regulatory Affairs, Temple University
PhD 2012, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island
Career Highlights
– Led the development and approval of Lyrica (pregabalin) for neuropathic pain and as the first drug approved worldwide for fibromyalgia
– Development and approval of Trintellix (vortioxetine) for the claim for increasing speed of processing/cognitive impairment associated with depression
– Orchestrated the strategy and FDA negotiation of Chantix (varenicline) for smoking cessation in demonstrating superiority over NRT
– Creation and development of four courses for the Temple University Masters in Regulatory Affairs program: Drug Development, Advance Pharmaceutical Labeling, IND/NDA Processes, FDA Interactions
– Spearheaded the creation and implementation of Purdue PharmD fellowships at Takeda, Cerevel and Ultragenyx, leading to more than 30 PharmD fellowships since 2015
Biography
Dr. Jonathon M. Parker is a pharmaceutical executive with more than 30 years of leadership in global drug development and regulatory affairs. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Alto Neuroscience, where he directs the company’s global regulatory strategy for precision psychiatry programs that leverage brain biomarkers to match patients with targeted therapies.
Dr. Parker has led regulatory strategies for over a dozen major pharmaceutical products, including Trintellix® (psychiatry), Lyrica® (neurology and analgesia), Chantix® (smoking cessation/addiction), DDAVP®, and CombiPatch®. His career has encompassed senior regulatory leadership roles at Ultragenyx, Cerevel Therapeutics, Takeda, and Pfizer, with particular depth in neuroscience spanning psychiatry, neurology, analgesia, and addiction medicine.
In addition to his industry contributions, Dr. Parker is a dedicated educator. He teaches regulatory aspects of drug development in the Biotechnology Graduate Program at Harvard University and has previously taught in regulatory or clinical master’s programs at Temple University, Michigan State University, and Eastern Michigan University. He regularly publishes on topics related to evolving global regulatory policy in peer-reviewed journals and previously served as a board member of the Boston Regulatory Affairs Group. Passionate about mentoring new pharmacists entering the pharmaceutical industry, Dr. Parker established PharmD fellowship programs at Takeda, Cerevel Therapeutics, and Ultragenyx, each in collaboration with his alma mater, Purdue University.
Dr. Parker holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Rhode Island, a Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs/Quality Assurance from Temple University, and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Purdue University.