About Us

Karthik Musunuri

Karthik Musunuri is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Avstera Therapeutics. Karthik’s most recent experience as an entrepreneur included launching and successfully operating several high complexity CLIA commercial labs, as well obtaining FDA EUA for a serology-based assay. Prior in big pharma, he held a commercial role within vaccines at GSK, recognized by senior leadership as a top performer who contributed to the Shingrix® manufacturing and supply strategy. He also held a commercial role of increasing responsibility at Merck within chronic care, managing a top 5 revenue-generating territory for the multi-billion-dollar chronic care franchise and leading the northeast in sales performance targets. In addition, Karthik worked within R&D clinical development at GSK. Karthik also serves on the board of The Ark Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia focused on pandemic preparedness.

Ajay Raju

Ajay is the founder and leader of a number of proprietary platforms that operate in a variety of industries, including law where Ajay serves as Chairman and CEO of Raju LLP, a niche i/o law firm, venture capital where Ajay serves as a managing partner of three funds—215 Capital, Togo Ventures, and Backswing Ventures, and global consultancy firms, Indigo Global and Indigo Bio. Each of the venture funds has a particular investment focus on companies in the seed, pre-series and Series A stages of their growth cycles, but are more diverse in their sector focuses from software-as-a-service to biotech, pharma, and med-tech to agnostic. Each platform is led and operated by individuals who are recognized global leaders in their specialized fields, including finance, private equity, public relations, and multimedia communications. Indigo Bio, founder of Avstera Therapeutics, is the nucleus of the various proprietary platforms operating in the biotech sectors.

In addition to Ajay’s for-profit ventures, he, along with his wife Pamela, also serve the philanthropic interests of the Greater Philadelphia region, through The Pamela and Ajay Raju Foundation, as reform activists and social entrepreneurs. Over the years, the Foundation has developed, incubated and managed a number of initiatives including four leadership-focused programs, the Germination Project, Vision 20/20, the Ark Institute and the Ten Program, as well as a solutions-based journalism project, The Philadelphia Citizen.

Ajay is also a sought-after thought leader, serving as the host of Overheard, a peer-to-peer television show for 6ABC, as a regular panelist on Inside Story, a Sunday-morning news and roundtable debate show which airs throughout the Greater Philadelphia market on 6ABC, and as an author for the Philadelphia Citizen. Ajay also serves his community as a board member for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the President’s Council for Temple University, and the Research Council at Penn Medicine.

Alejandro Villagra PhD

My primary areas of expertise are tumor immunology and epigenetics. During my scientific career, I have explored the role of epigenetic modifiers in the modulation of signaling pathways controlling the phenotype and function of immune and cancer cells. My study models have been diverse and have included multiple solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Overall, my current research areas are focused on the identification and characterization of the immunomodulatory roles of HDACs and other epigenetic modifiers in myeloid and lymphoid cells. A special emphasis in my research is to discover and evaluate new selective small-molecule inhibitors able to selectively control the activity of epigenetic modifiers in immune and cancer cells with the final goal of improving antitumor immune responses. My experimental approaches have essential translational components, including syngeneic animal and patient-derived xenograft models, which give me the possibility to extend my investigations into the clinical area. These particular characteristics allow my research to maintain continuous feedback and keep goals focused on the relevant biomedical aspects of my scientific endeavors. Additionally, I received funding from diverse sources during my scientific career, including government (NIH), foundations (MRF), and private industry (multiple pharmaceuticals). Ongoing funding research includes a recently granted R01, National Science Foundation, and intramural funds.

Vishal Patel MD, FAAD, FACMS

Dr. Vishal A. Patel is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Oncology at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He serves as the Director of Cutaneous Oncology at the GW Cancer Center and the Director of Dermatologic Surgery at the GW Department of Dermatology. He is a board-certified dermatologist as well as a fellowship trained and board-certified micrographic dermatologic surgeon who specializes in cutaneous oncology and reconstructive surgery. He is a fellow of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American College of Mohs Surgery, and the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Patel is an expert in cutaneous oncology including the medical and surgical management of melanoma, high risk cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas and Merkel cell carcinoma. He is experienced in treating all cutaneous malignancies, including melanoma and Mekell cell carcinoma, with Mohs micrographic surgery as well as managing complex and high-risk skin cancers in immunocompromised patients. His research interests focus on the use of topical, intralesional, and systemic adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapy in high-risk cutaneous malignancies, as well as the role of artificial intelligence and gene expression profiling for risk assessment of skin cancers.

David Miller MD, PhD

David M. Miller, MD, PhD is a board-certified Internist, Dermatologist and Medical Oncologist.

Dr. Miller graduated with Honors from Boston College where he earned a BA in Political Science. He received his medical (MD) and PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Massachusetts. He then completed a Dermatology residency at Columbia University Medical Center, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Following both residencies, Dr. Miller completed fellowship training in Hematology/Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and in the Oncology Center of Excellence at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dr. Miller is one of the very few clinicians in the entire country who is board certified in Internal Medicine, Dermatology and Medical Oncology. He currently practices both Dermatology and Medical Oncology in the MGH Cancer Center and at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he directs the Center for Merkel Cell Carcinoma and co-directs multidisciplinary clinics in advanced skin cancer. He is the principal investigator of a clinical and translational research laboratory investigating novel therapies for non-melanoma skin cancer.