Abubakar Jalloh is the Site Head of BioLabs San Diego, where he oversees daily business operations and strategic initiatives. Abu brings interdisciplinary scientific training, consulting experience, and biotech startup expertise in discovery and process development. He fosters a collaborative environment for startups and facilitates partnerships within the San Diego innovation ecosystem. Before BioLabs, Abu held leadership roles in corporate development at Scripps Research, where he matched faculty to funders and launched the Scripps Research Technology Summit. He is a member of the BioCom California Capital Development committee and serves on the board of Connect and the San Diego Innovation Council. As a scientist, Abu conducted research and led early-to-mid stage projects at Cue Biopharma ($CUE), Gritstone Bio ($GRTS), and Fate Therapeutics ($FATE).

Abu received a BS in Biological Sciences with Distinction in Research from Cornell University and a PhD in Biomedical Research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. As a COVID Era San Diegan, he enjoys gardening, experimenting with composting, and maintaining native and naturalized plants.