Caryn McDowell

Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary, Cortexyme, Inc.

Caryn McDowell is a seasoned biotech executive with over 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry. She has a proven track record of launching innovative drugs in multiple therapeutic areas including neurology, oncology and rare disease, leading global teams, and navigating complex legal and regulatory challenges. Most recently, Caryn served as Global Chief Legal Officer at Dompé farmaceutici S.p.A., a global commercial biopharmaceutical and primary care company where she led a team of over thirty legal, compliance, and quality professionals. Her prior roles include CLO, Cortexyme and GC and Corporate Secretary at Revance. Prior to her career in industry, Caryn was a state and federal prosecutor investigating matters related to Medicaid fraud, drug diversion, and drug pricing and reimbursement.

Caryn is passionate about advancing innovation, diversity, and social impact in the life sciences sector. She is a founding limited partner at How Women Invest, a venture capital firm that supports female startup founders. Caryn is an alumna of the Georgetown Business School Women in Bio Boardroom Ready program and holds a J. D. degree from Boston University School of Law and a B.A. with a double major in Political Science and Judaic Studies from the University of Michigan.