We are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Julia Schaletzky as the Executive Director for the UC Berkeley Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (MTI). Dr. Julia Schaletzky is a distinguished biomedical scientist, entrepreneur, and academic leader with experience across research, industry, and education. A scientific advisor to the Bakar Bioenginuity Hub, she previously led UC Berkeley’s Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases (CEND) and Immunotherapy and Vaccine Research Initiative, and founded the Drug Discovery Center. Dr. Schaletzky trained in biochemistry at Bayreuth University and the Max-Planck-Institute in Germany, and moved to Harvard Medical School for Graduate studies in Prof. Rapoport’s laboratory. She worked in biotech for Cytokinetics for more than a decade, discovering molecules that became FDA approved drugs (Camzyos/mavacamten, BMS) and therapeutics currently in late stage clinical trials (aficamten, reldesemtiv, tirasemtiv and more) to become transformative drugs for heart failure, neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Dr. Schaletzky brings more than 2mio USD funding in grants and gifts to MTI, as well as a Drug Discovery center with state-of-the art equipment.
WHY ARE YOU JOINING THE MTI?
“I joined Berkeley with the mission to develop translational science capacity on campus and apply learnings from industry to the academic process of knowledge generation. Berkeley’s innovation capacity is fantastic and I look forward to work with the faculty directors and stakeholders to progress ideas through proof of concept and towards benefiting patients.”
A FOCUS ON COLLABORATION
“We will be most effective if we tap into existing frameworks within UC to advocate for and support MTI. As a member of the UC-wide Drug Discovery Consortium, the Presidential Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Bakar Bioenginuity Hub Advisory Board and Skydeck I’m well positioned to find supporters and collaborators for our venture.”
