Melissa McCracken, Ph.D., joined Nextech Invest Ltd. in 2019. Melissa is a scientist by training with a passion for emerging technologies in cancer therapies. Melissa is a board member of TYRA Biosciences (NASDAQ: TYRA), Alpha-9 Oncology, Alterome Therapeutics, Ambagon Therapeutics, A2 Biotherapeutics, K36 Therapeutics and a previous board member of ImaginAb and board observer of ProfoundBio, Silverback Therapeutics (now ARS Pharma NASDAQ:SPRY) and IconOVir Bio. Melissa was a Kauffman Fellow in Class 25.
Prior to Nextech, Melissa was a senior associate at Third Rock Ventures focusing on scientific due diligence, partnership development and new company formation in oncology and immunology. Melissa helped build and launch Celsius Therapeutics (Now AbbVie), a company focused on discovering precision therapeutics for oncology and autoimmune. Melissa has also worked within larger biotech organizations completing multiple internships in research and development at Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN).
Melissa holds a B.S. in biochemistry and molecular biology from University of California, Davis, a Ph.D. in molecular and medical pharmacology from University of California, Los Angeles with her research focused on engineered immunity for cancer. Melissa also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University where her research focused on immuno-oncology.
Outside of Nextech, Melissa enjoys spending time with her young children.
