Marco Schito, PhD serves as Chief Innovation Officer at Darya Pharma, where he leads strategic initiatives to drive growth, build innovation capabilities, and elevate the impact of innovation across the organization. With over 25 years of experience in the federal government—including leadership roles at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—as well as serving as Executive Director of a non-profit research institution, Marco brings deep expertise in advancing scientific programs from preclinical development through clinical evaluation.

His leadership spans the development interventions targeting communicable as well as non-communicable diseases, such as rare genetic disorders and cancers. He has also collaborated with global partners to develop in vitro diagnostics, taught Diagnostic Innovation at the University of Arizona, and successfully submitted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) applications to the FDA.

At Darya Pharma, Marco focuses on identifying emerging market opportunities, managing innovation portfolios, and integrating advanced technologies to optimize operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

Marco holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Guelph (Canada).