Mission
Hunter's mission is to accelerate the development of cancer and other therapies. Our vision is that core innovations in microfluidics, chemistry and machine learning will propel discovery. Our team developed a platform to systematically evaluate novel drug pairs on live cells and we believe that our empirically-driven research will reveal novel combination therapies. We are inspired by the tenacity of Thomas Edison who “tested no fewer than 6,000 vegetable growths, and ransacked the world for the most suitable filament material”* before identifying a viable filament for the incandescent light bulb. None of us is Edison, but we are similarly driven and have high conviction that viable drug combinations may be illuminated by our next assay.
Meet the Team
Arlinda Lee, PhD
CEO
John Iafrate, MD, PhD
Founder
Dr. Iafrate is a Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and the former Director of the Center for Integrated Diagnostics (CID), a clinical laboratory for molecular diagnostics at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is currently the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). His research is focused on lung and brain tumors, where he has been closely involved in the clinical development of crizotinib and companion diagnostics in ALK- and ROS1-positive lung cancers. He is also the founder of Archer and Boston Lighthouse.
David Weitz, PhD
Founder
David A. Weitz is the Mallingkrodt Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University, where he has appointment in both the Physics Department and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. His research efforts include soft matter physics, biophysics and biotechnology. He is Director of Harvard’s NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, and co-Director of the BASF Advanced Research Initiative. He is the co-founder of several companies, including RainDance (acquired by Bio-Rad), GnuBio (acquired by Bio-Rad), Capsum (acquired by Chanel), HiFiBio, and TCRx, and has licensed technology to leading biotechnology companies, including 10X Genomics.
Boryana Zhelyazkova, Ph.D.
Sr. Scientist – Drug Discovery
“Bibi” is passionate about improving patient outcomes and has spent her career developing innovative methods to diagnose and treat disease. At Hunter, Bibi leads the molecular biology effort developing new assays and administering experiments. Prior to Hunter, she developed assays for epigenetic targeting and modification as well as clinical assays for what became ArcherDx. Bibi received her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Baylor College. When she’s not at the bench, Bibi enjoys dancing and nature walks.
Anthony Soltis, Ph.D.
Sr. Principal Scientist, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Anthony leads Hunter's bioinformatic and computational biology arms towards rational prediction of successful drug combinations, interrogation of drug mechanisms of action, and general data analysis. Anthony received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia, where he built computational models of cardiac signaling networks, and his PhD in Biological Engineering from MIT, where he used systems biology approaches to integrate mutli-omic data towards the study of insulin resistance. Prior to Hunter, Anthony was a senior computational biologist within the data science core at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD where he worked on whole genome sequencing based genetic studies and integrative cancer biology. In his spare time, he enjoys bike riding, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife and dogs.
Pascal Drane, PhD
Associate Director, Discovery Biology
Pascal is passionate about developing new biological assays and elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor progression. Pascal joined Hunter to decipher the mechanisms of action of drug combinations identified with Hunter’s screening platform. He previously worked in various academic labs, including at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute for almost ten years. Pascal is currently on sabbatical leave from a tenured position with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). In his free time, Pascal likes to spend time with his kids, attend art exhibitions, practice Yoga and play soccer (when not injured!).
Efstathios Eleftheriadis
Microfluidic Engineer
Steve is quick to share that he is grateful to work in the medical research field. He was Hunter’s first employee and prototyped its first microfluidics architecture, conducted its initial screens and characterized its early performance. Now Steve is developing the next generation microfluidics platform. He earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester. When not in the lab Steve can be found listening to heavy metal and drumming out riffs on any objects with resonant frequencies.
Andrew Ventresco
Engineer I
Andrew is passionate about being part of a team that focuses on discovering groundbreaking data and using it to help better the world. With a B.S. in Plant Biology, he explored a few different fields of science before realizing medical research was the ultimate way to use his knowledge for a higher purpose. After working for a genetic analysis company, Andrew found a home at Hunter Bio, where the potential to find something new and help the greater good came to fruition. Now, Andrew is leading the microfluidic experiments and constantly working on ways to improve the quality of our data. When not in the lab, Andrew enjoys seeing live music, exploring hiking trails, and playing golf.
Annabel J. Lee, M.S.
Research Associate, Cancer Biology
"AJ" is driven to contribute to the world of cancer research, with a strong interest in cancer signaling pathways. After working in several cancer research labs, AJ has found her home at Hunter, where she performs cells-based assays and matrix validation studies. She received her Master of Science in Medical Sciences from Boston University. AJ has a strong background in gastric cancer and melanoma research from her time spent in previous labs. When AJ is not at the bench, she can be found playing field hockey, running, or doing art.
