Decoding genetics to transform medicine

Dr. Golumbeski is currently a partner at DROIA Ventures and serves on the boards of several life sciences companies. Prior to DROIA, he led business development at Celgene, where he was responsible for strategic collaborations and acquisitions, product in- and out-licensing, and relationship management. Previous to that, he was vice president of business development, licensing and strategy at Novartis, and held leadership positions at several biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Elan Pharmaceuticals and Schwarz Pharma. Dr. Golumbeski holds a Ph.D. in genetics/molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a B.A. in biology from the University of Virginia.

Ben Cravatt, Ph.D. is professor and Norton B. Gilula Chair of Chemical Biology in the Department of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute. His research group is interested in developing chemical proteomic technologies that enable protein and drug discovery on a global scale and applying these methods to characterize biochemical pathways that play important roles in human physiology and disease. In addition to his role at Scripps, Dr. Cravatt is a co-founder of Activx Biosciences (acquired by Kyorin Pharmaceuticals), Abide Therapeutics (acquired by Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals) and Vividion Therapeutics (acquired by Bayer AG). His honors include a Wolf Prize in Chemistry, a Searle Scholar Award, the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, a Cope Scholar Award, the ASBMB Merck Award, the Royal Society of Chemistry Jeremy Knowles Award, and memberships in the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Cravatt obtained his undergraduate education at Stanford University, receiving a B.S. in biological sciences and a B.A. in history. He received a Ph.D. from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in 1996 and joined the faculty at TSRI in 1997.

Mr. Farina is an executive in residence at Canaan Partners. His accomplishments in drug R&D include the successful development and registration of medicines for HIV, COPD/emphysema and diabetes. Previously he was the senior vice president of development for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Farina holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from SUNY Buffalo, and completed postdoctoral work in bioorganic chemistry at Pennsylvania State University. He also received an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.

Dr. Fuller is a partner on the therapeutics team at Deerfield, which he joined in 2021. Prior to Deerfield, he was an investor at New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where he co-managed several investments in therapeutics, as well as in tools and diagnostics. Previous to NEA, he served as head of corporate development at Jounce Therapeutics, one of several company formation projects he helped initiate in his role as principal at Third Rock Ventures before joining Jounce. Dr. Fuller holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Michigan State University, an M.Phil. from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he completed his degree in the lab of Robert Langer.

Emil Kakkis, M.D., Ph.D., is CEO, president and director of Ultragenyx, which he founded in 2010 to create a company that is uniquely built around a deep and meaningful engagement with patients and their caregivers to fully understand their needs. Dr. Kakkis began his career at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he led work to develop an enzyme replacement therapy for the rare disorder MPS I. He joined BioMarin in 1998, where he guided the development and approval of three treatments for rare diseases and contributed to the development of approved or development-stage products for four other rare indications. He has worked to advance the cause of rare disease treatment through advocacy on policy issues by founding and supporting the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to the acceleration of biotech innovation for rare diseases through practical and scientifically sound improvements to development strategies, regulatory policy and law. Dr. Kakkis received combined M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the UCLA Medical Scientist Program and received the Bogen Prize for his research upon graduation. He completed a pediatrics residency and a Medical Genetics Training Fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he was an assistant professor of pediatrics and initiated the enzyme therapy program for MPS I. Dr. Kakkis has received numerous awards including the Life Science Leadership Pantheon award from California Life Sciences, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National MPS Society, the Roscoe O Brady Award for innovation from the WORLD Symposium and the Henri Termeer Visionary Leader Award from BIO, the biotechnology innovation organization.

Dr. Goldstein is a human geneticist whose scientific career has focused on genetic diversity, disease genetics, and pharmacogenetics, including the discovery of over 30 disease-causing genes and syndromes, particularly in neurological diseases and epilepsy. Recognizing the opportunity to target the underlying causes of rare diseases inspired Dr. Goldstein to co-found Actio Biosciences. Previously, he served as the Director of the Institute for Genomic Medicine and was a Professor of Genetics and Development at Columbia University, where he worked to integrate genetics and genomics into research, patient care, and education.

Dr. McHutchison brings extensive research and clinical development expertise across multiple therapeutic areas. Before co-founding Actio Biosciences, he served as CEO and President of Assembly Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company. Prior to that, he was Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development at Gilead Sciences, Inc., where, under his leadership, Gilead developed five medicines that have treated over three million people worldwide for chronic hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis B. Dr. McHuthchison brings his vast experience and commitment to advancing therapeutics as an actively engaged advisor, providing valuable guidance to Actio’s strategic and research initiatives.

Dr. Tkachenko has more than 20 years of experience in research, drug development and venture creation. Before joining EcoR1 Capital as an executive-in-residence, he was CEO of Epiodyne, a venture-backed biotech developing new medicines to address the opioid crisis. Prior to Epiodyne, he served as CEO of BlackThorn Therapeutics, a biotech company developing targeted medicines for neurobehavioral disorders. Before BlackThorn, Dr. Tkachenko was president of Siluria Technologies, where he led the company through incubation, launch, team building and three rounds of financing. He started his industry career with Genentech. Dr. Tkachenko holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University, where his graduate work led to the identification of one of the first transcription factors disrupted by chromosomal translocations in cancer. Earlier in his career, he served as a squad leader in the Soviet Army and completed a tour of combat duty in Afghanistan.

Nina Kjellson is a general partner at Canaan, where she invests in early-stage biopharma and digital health companies that transform clinical outcomes and access to care for patients. In her eighteen years in venture capital, Nina has led more than a dozen investments and seen numerous exits via IPO or acquisition. Nina is a leader of Canaan’s Women of Venture program and a vocal advocate for women entrepreneurs and investors. She serves as a mentor to Springboard Life Sciences, an accelerator for health care companies led by women entrepreneurs. She is also an advisor to Oliver Wyman’s Health Innovation Center; serves on the board of Essential Access Health, a not-for-profit championing sexual and reproductive health access; and is a member of the California Leadership Council for the Nature Conservancy. Prior to Canaan, Nina was a general partner at InterWest Partners, an investment manager at Bay City Capital, and a research associate at Oracle Partners, a healthcare hedge fund. Current investments include Dauntless, Lycera, PACT Pharma, Tizona, Vineti, and WellTok, where she also serves on their boards. Her previous investments include Ocera (OCRX; acquired by Mallinckrodt), Labrys (acquired by Teva), Alt12 (acquired by Honest Company), Trius (TSRX; acquired by Cubist), CNS Therapeutics (acquired by Covidien), NovaCardia (acquired by Merck), and Aspreva (ASPV; acquired by Galenica). She received a BA in human biology from Stanford University. Nina was born in Scandinavia and grew up in the Northeast.

Matthias Van Woensel (M Sc, Ph.D.), is a partner at Droia Ventures. Droia Ventures invests in early stage biotech companies that develop therapeutics for both oncology and genetic diseases. Matthias spends his time between those two areas of biology. In that capacity, he is also observer for Actio Biosciences. Prior to joining Droia, Matthias obtained his PhD in both biomedical sciences and pharmaceutical sciences at KULeuven and ULBrussels (both in Belgium).

Veranika Razhkova is a Principal on the Therapeutics team and provides extensive research and analysis on early-stage investments. Prior to joining the Therapeutics team, Ms. Razhkova worked on patient forecasting in the Deerfield Institute. She joined the Firm in 2015 as a Fellow. Ms. Razhkova holds a B.A. in Natural Sciences from The City University of New York’s Baruch College and M.S. in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University.