Rose Hill Life Sciences Appoints Bryan Smith as Scientific Advisor
Veteran Drug Discovery Executive Brings Nearly Two Decades of Oncology and Translational Research Leadership to Advance
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BOSTON, July 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rose Hill Life Sciences (“Rose Hill” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing psychedelic therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric conditions, announced the appointment of Bryan Smith as Scientific Advisor. Smith brings nearly two decades of drug discovery and biological sciences leadership to Rose Hill, where he will inform the scientific strategy across the company’s preclinical and clinical programs and guide its proprietary pipeline from preclinical development through clinical validation.
Smith joins Rose Hill following a nearly 20-year tenure at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, where he rose to Vice President of Biological Sciences and Research Site Head. At Deciphera, he played a central role in advancing novel small molecule oncology therapeutics from early concept through clinical development and regulatory approvals, gaining deep expertise in target identification, drug discovery strategy, translational research, biomarker development, and IND/NDA preparation. He most recently served as a Senior Advisor at Deciphera and now serves on its Scientific Advisory Board.
Smith holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He also operates Smith Biotech Consulting LLC, through which he has provided strategic guidance on drug discovery, preclinical and clinical planning, pipeline prioritization, and regulatory documentation.
“Bryan’s breadth of experience—spanning nearly two decades of rigorous drug discovery, translational science, and regulatory preparation—makes him ideally suited to advise Rose Hill in our scientific agenda at this pivotal stage,” said Jama Pitman, Chief Executive Officer of Rose Hill Life Sciences. “As our flagship psilocybin-for-stroke-recovery program advances through Phase 1 in partnership with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and as we build out our broader pipeline in depression, PTSD, and autism spectrum disorder, Bryan’s expertise in moving complex therapeutics from concept to clinic to regulatory approval will be critical. We are building this company with the same scientific discipline and rigor that defines the best drug development organizations in the world, and Bryan embodies exactly that standard.”
“Rose Hill is tackling some of the most significant unmet needs in medicine, with a scientific foundation and institutional partnerships that I find genuinely compelling,” said Bryan Smith, Scientific Advisor of Rose Hill. “The combination of a first-in-class clinical program in post-stroke motor recovery, a vertically integrated development model, and a team that holds itself to the same evidentiary standards as the best drug development organizations in the world, creates a platform with real potential to reshape how neurological and psychiatric conditions are treated. I look forward to bringing the full weight of my drug discovery and translational research experience to bear as we advance this pipeline responsibly and with the scientific credibility that patients and the broader medical community deserve.”
In his role as Scientific Advisor, Smith will help define Rose Hill’s scientific strategy and research operations, direct translational research and biomarker programs, and support the company’s regulatory and IND/NDA documentation processes. Alongside the company’s leadership team, Bryan works closely with Rose Hill’s research partners at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Guelph, and other research partners.
About Rose Hill Life Sciences:
Rose Hill Life Sciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing psilocybin-based therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric conditions. The Company maintains active research collaborations across four clinical programs targeting stroke recovery, depression, autism spectrum disorder, and PTSD. Rose Hill’s vertically integrated operations — spanning cultivation and extraction in Jamaica, formulation and manufacturing, and clinical development partnerships across the United States and Canada — support pharmaceutical-grade quality, supply chain control, and scientific rigor from source to patient. As the world’s inaugural legal exporter of psilocybin, Rose Hill is committed to advancing evidence-based treatments and setting new standards for safety, efficacy, and responsible development in psychedelic medicine. For more information, visit rosehill.life. Rose Hill Life Sciences is wholly owned by Rose Hill Health Holdings LLC.
Media Contact
rosehill@kcsa.com
