Experience

iTeos Therapeutics

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Associate Director

  • Mar 2021 - Present

• Senior Scientist

  • Oct 2020 - Feb 2021

  FOCUS: Scientific and strategic lead of translational activities for the A2A receptor program, one of the two clinical-stage assets of the company• Lead the definition, development and implementation of PK/PD/biomarker strategies on multiple clinical trials in the fast-paced environment of a NASDAQ-listed biotech, with branches in Europe and in the United States, and deals with major pharmaceutical players (GSK).• Direct the internal development or outsourcing of GCLP-grade biomarker assays, and their implementation in the clinic.• Oversee the analysis and reporting of biomarker and MoA data, including to C-suite and scientific advisory board, and regulatory agencies.• Coordinate bench-to-bedside and reverse translation activities to build the scientific rationale supporting the clinical strategy.• Line management of 2 senior scientists, 1 research associate and 1 clinical biomarker manager.



UCLA

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Assistant Professor, Director

  • Oct 2016 - Sep 2020

  Focus: Direction of the CLIA-certified Immune Assessment Core for clinical diagnostics and contract research• Scientific, strategic and administrative leader of the UCLA Immune Assessment Core, a CLIA-certified fee-for-service clinical and research operation, providing immunological services for diagnostics as well as clinical (including observational and interventional clinical trials), translational and basic research to both companies and academic labs.• Managed projects (encompassing infectious diseases, transplant immunology, immuno-oncology, autoimmunity and neuro-inflammation) to ensure timelines and milestones were met.• Led or co-led research efforts aimed at profiling immune responses across diverse conditions through RNA-seq, DNA methylation, Luminex, high-dimensional immunophenotyping and immune cell function assays.• Routinely interacted with biostatisticians and data scientists to apply dimensionality reduction algorithms (PCA, tSNE/UMAP, WGCNA) and machine learning techniques for patient classification/cohort stratification (random forest, lasso).• Authored reports to diverse stakeholders (data reports for clients; NIH grant progress reports; regulatory CLIA paperwork; conferences).• Designed and oversaw the development, optimization, documentation, execution and reporting of 10 CLIA-grade clinical immunology diagnostic tests, >30 research-grade flow cytometry panels and immune function tests, and >80 Luminex and ELISA assays.• Investigated HLA supertypes as biomarkers and mechanistic effectors of responsiveness to PD-1 blockade in NSCLC.• Pursued and secured strategic partnerships with top NIH-sponsored collaborative initiatives: the Immune Tolerance Network and the Human Immunophenotyping Project Consortium.• Recruited, trained and managed a team of 6 research assistants. Mentored PhD and MD students, post-doc fellows and staff scientists.• Taught quarterly lectures on Cellular Assays to UCLA Pathology and Immunology fellows.

• Project Scientist

  • Nov 2014 - Oct 2016

  Focus: Established from the ground up the Immune Assessment Core• Achieved financial self-sufficiency in less than two years.• Primary liaison for clients (biotech, pharma companies and academic labs), vendors and suppliers.• Developed clinically validated diagnostic tests for primary immunodeficiency, including NK cell cytotoxicity, lymphocyte proliferation and oxidative burst assays.• Developed novel research-grade flow-cytometry panels and immune function tests to investigate diverse immune-related conditions such as solid organ rejection, ischemia-reperfusion, Merkel cell cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, depression and aging.• Validated selected plasma proteins as biomarkers of acute renal transplant rejection.• Led the design of the institutional translational research database in close collaboration with IT.• Taught annual lectures on Clinical Immunology to UCLA Allergy and Immunology fellows.• Contributed to 5 NIH grant proposals, 3 of them as co-investigator, and 1 investigator-initiated industry-sponsored grant (4 awarded).



SingHealth

• Singapore
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research Scientist

  • Oct 2013 - Oct 2014

  Focus: Characterization of the immunological and epigenetic mechanisms underlying clinical responsiveness in autoimmune arthritis • Identified epigenetic and immunophenotypic biomarkers of responsiveness to anti-TNF combination therapy in children affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) enrolled in two clinical trials (#NCT00443430 and #NCT00792233). • Identified a new subset of regulatory T cells (Tregs) associated with unresponsiveness to therapy: publication was featured in the Research Highlights of Nature Reviews Rheumatology. • Defined workflows, protocols and standard operating procedures of a newly launched research department within an established hospital. • Initiated and maintained collaborative research projects with industry (Nutricia/Danone) and clinicians. • Managed and linked clinical and lab databases containing sensitive information. • Managed and tracked lab expenditures.



Sanford Burnham Prebys

• United States
• Research Services
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Post-doctoral Associate

  • Aug 2010 - Sep 2013

  Focus: Identification of flow cytometry-based leads of responsiveness to therapy in autoimmune arthritis and underlying mechanisms • Using TCR-seq, high-dimensional flow cytometry and functional assays, identified a subset of pathogenic T cells enriched in autoreactive clonotypes recirculating in JIA patients unresponsive to anti-TNF therapy. • Determined the epigenetic determinants of stability of naturally occurring Tregs. • Developed an ultra-sensitive protocol to quantitate DNA methylation of the FOXP3 locus from scarce clinical specimens. • Discovered and characterized the role of autophagy in autoimmune T cell activation.



Ospedale San Raffaele

• Italy
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• PhD Student

  • Jan 2007 - Jul 2010

  Focus: Induction of antigen-specific tolerance by means of cytokine- or lentiviral vector-modulated human dendritic cells • Investigated the ability of G-CSF to induce tolerogenic human dendritic cells in vitro. • Defined the role of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells in immune responses to lentiviral vectors through release of type I interferons. • Induced regulatory T cells by IL-10 gene transfer. • Designed, cloned and produced eight novel lentiviral vectors. Focus: Induction of antigen-specific tolerance by means of cytokine- or lentiviral vector-modulated human dendritic cells • Investigated the ability of G-CSF to induce tolerogenic human dendritic cells in vitro. • Defined the role of human plasmacytoid dendritic cells in immune responses to lentiviral vectors through release of type I interferons. • Induced regulatory T cells by IL-10 gene transfer. • Designed, cloned and produced eight novel lentiviral vectors.



Harvard Medical School

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Student

  • Jan 2006 - Jun 2006

  Focus: Immunomodulatory effect of carbon monoxide on dendritic cells • Investigated the immunomodulatory properties of carbon monoxide on murine dendritic cells. Focus: Immunomodulatory effect of carbon monoxide on dendritic cells • Investigated the immunomodulatory properties of carbon monoxide on murine dendritic cells.