Aura Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: AURA) has appointed Jeremy Bender, Ph.D., M.B.A., to its board of directors, the clinical-stage biotechnology company announced.

Bender most recently served as chief executive officer, president and board member of Day One Biopharmaceuticals, where he led the company through the approval and launch of OJEMDA® for pediatric low-grade glioma and its approximately $2.5 billion acquisition by Servier in 2026.

Prior to Day One, Bender served as vice president of corporate development at Gilead Sciences. Earlier in his career, he held executive roles at Tizona Therapeutics, Sutro Biopharma and Allos Therapeutics, and began his career in the life sciences practice at Boston Consulting Group. He currently serves as an independent board member of Mereo BioPharma Group plc and previously served on the board of Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Bender holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University, a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Colorado, and an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Aura chief executive Natalie Holles said Bender's "operational and commercial expertise will further strengthen our Board" as the company advances toward potential regulatory approval of its lead candidate, bel-sar, for early choroidal melanoma. Aura has said enrollment is complete in its Phase 3 CoMpass trial for that indication.