Oral Histories

Howard Birndorf

   • Serial bioentrepreneur
   • Co-founder of Hybritech
   • Founder and CEO of Nanogen

Howard Birndorf was one of San Diego’s pioneering biotech entrepreneurs. He co-founded Hybritech, the city's first biotech firm, in 1978, and went on to participate in seven additional startups. Birndorf's companies included some of San Diego’s largest biomedical firms.  In addition to Hybritech, he helped to start Gen-Probe, Gensia, Idec, Ligand, Nanogen, and Neurocrine Biosciences. He founded Nanogen in 1993, and served as CEO and chairman until July 2009. Mr. Birndorf holds a master’s degree in biochemistry from Wayne State University.

Text and Audio: The San Diego Technology Archive at University of California, San Diego