Marcel Alavi

Drug Hunter by Heart – Leader by Virtue – Entrepreneur by Spirit

San Francisco, California, United States

About

I am biomedical scientist with an entrepreneurial engineering mindset—a proactive leader who thrives in dynamic environments. I excel in managing multiple priorities and deliver solutions for seemingly intractable problems, building high-performing teams through excellence, integrity, and accountability. ——— drug-hunter | biopharma | leadership | entrepreneurship | communication | innovation | vision | strategy | analytical thinking | adaptability | accountability | resilience

Experience

  • Founder & Chief Executive of drug discovery company (CNS, orphan, cardiovascular, cancer). at 712 North
    Jun 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 2 mos

    • Defined long-term company goals, vision, and strategy in formal business plan. • Planned global IP strategy, verified freedom-to-operate (FTO), prosecuted patents (USPTO, CNIPA, EPO), established company branding and protected trademark (DPMA). • Authored 4 patents and 5 peer-reviewed research articles detailing R&D outcomes. • Secured government funding from the NIA (SBIR grant) and initiated a collaboration with the NCI. • Invented target-focused cellular high-throughput screening assay for an underappreciated protease. • Identified allosteric modulators and clarified structure-activity relationship (SAR) in secondary assays. • Leveraged RNAseq and omics data to validate target biology and identify biomarker in silico. • Managed business development, negotiated contracts with collaborators, cultivated stakeholder engagement through monthly updates and customized presentations. • Oversaw financial (GAAP), corporate, and legal affairs in conjunction with external law firms maintaining detailed records, which allowed the company’s continued operation to this day.

  • Founder at PeerAI.org
    May 2025 - Present · 1 yr 3 mos

    Augmenting scientific peer review with AI

  • Scientist II responsible for the preclinical discovery and development of cancer therapies. at CytomX Therapeutics
    Oct 2022 - Mar 2025 · 2 yrs 6 mos

    • Successfully advanced two immune-oncology programs from the discover to the development stage. • Managed internal and partnered programs consistently meeting development milestones and timelines. • Resolved mechanism of action (MOA) characterizing immune-oncology biologics in vitro and ex vivo. • Designed in vivo studies (PK/PD, safety, efficacy) aligning cross-functional teams and managing CROs. • Reviewed study reports and regulatory documents in support of go/no-go decisions and IND filings. • Demonstrated leadership by presenting the team’s progress to external partners, mentoring team members, and spearheading strategic initiatives to launch new development programs.

  • Strategic Advisor to biopharmaceutical startup company (cancer). at Tradewind BioScience
    Jul 2017 - Dec 2017 · 6 mos

    • Raised $120K seed funding (Y-Combinator) by engaging investor network.

  • Postdoctoral Scientist studying extracellular matrix proteins and ER-stress pathways (Gould lab). at UCSF
    Feb 2013 - Jul 2016 · 3 yrs 6 mos

    • Guided future research directions investigating vascular basement membrane defects in the eye. • Established novel imaging methods to monitor ER-stress response pathways in vivo. • Recognized for expert project management for collaborations exploring intervention points for retinal degeneration and testing small molecules in multisystem disorders culminating in 8 publications.