OUR TEAM
The people behind the mission.
Cure First brings together scientists, clinicians, leaders and advisors with expertise spanning cancer biology, functional precision oncology, clinical care, laboratory science, technology and operations—all working toward a shared goal: moving promising science closer to patients.
Founders and Leadership
Guiding the mission forward.
Cure First’s founders and leaders bring together scientific vision, clinical perspective and organizational leadership to advance functional precision oncology and expand its potential for patients
Carla Grandori, MD, PhD
Founder, President and Scientific Director, Cure First Founder and former CEO and CSO SEngine Precision Medicine
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Team
Turning science into action.
Our multidisciplinary team brings together laboratory science, clinical coordination, medical affairs, operations and technology to support the PARIS Test and advance functional precision oncology.
Lauren Appleyard
Director, High-Throughput Screening
Lauren brings more than 20 years of research experience across biotechnology, pharmaceutical and academic environments. At Cure First, she focuses on 3D patient-derived organoid culture, functional precision medicine assays and the integration of liquid-handling robotics. Her previous work includes high-throughput screening and targeted therapy discovery at Tempus AI, Regeneron and Pfizer Oncology.
Karo Majauskaite
Laboratory Manager
Karo manages laboratory operations at Cure First, with expertise in lab safety, equipment maintenance, facilities and regulatory compliance. Her work helps keep clinical laboratory workflows running smoothly and reliably.
Rachele Rosati, MS
Director, Clinical Models — PARIS Test / Patient-Derived Organoid Development
Rachele is a translational research scientist with extensive experience developing patient-derived organoid models and high-throughput drug screening systems. Her work focuses on establishing patient-derived organoids as preclinical models and analyzing drug-screen data to identify key sensitivities, supporting the development of functional precision oncology reports.
Vaishnavi Pallem
Research Associate II
Vaishnavi supports patients, physicians and clinical teams throughout the testing process. She coordinates documentation, sample collection and shipping, invoicing and report delivery, working closely with clinical and laboratory teams to help ensure seamless coordination of patient samples.
Cristina Cordero
Tumoroid Culture Scientist — Clinical Models, PARIS Test
Cristina is a biotechnology engineer with more than 10 years of experience in cancer research, laboratory operations and personalized medicine. Her expertise includes primary cancer cell culture, patient-derived 2D and 3D tumor models, organoid development across more than 30 cancer types and functional drug sensitivity testing. At Cure First, she supports patient sample intake, organoid culture and cell plating for high-throughput drug screening.
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Robert Diaz
Director of Operations
Robert brings experience across academic research and industry, with expertise in precision medicine and scientific research operations. At Cure First, he directs organizational operations, vendor management and business administration in support of the organization’s diagnostic initiatives.
Payel Chatterjee, PhD
Director of Medical Affairs
Payel is a PhD-trained cancer biologist specializing in functional precision oncology and personalized medicine. Her work focuses on integrating patient-derived tumor organoid drug screens with genomic data and collaborating with oncologists, tumor boards and key opinion leaders to translate scientific findings into clinically relevant insights.
Scientific Advisors
Expertise that expands our perspective.
Cure First’s scientific advisors contribute specialized knowledge and perspective across cancer research, functional genomics, precision oncology and related fields, helping inform the organization’s scientific direction.
Leland H. Hartwell, PhD
Scientific Advisor
2001 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and Former President and Director, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD
Scientific Advisor
Director, Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University and Percy and Joanne Uris Professor of Clinical Medicine
Christopher J. Kemp, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Full Professor, Human Biology Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Affiliate Professor of Pathology, University of Washington
Robert N. Eisenman, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Professor, Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Member, National Academy of Sciences
Brady Bernard, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Computational Biologist and Adjunct Faculty, Seattle University
Board of Directors
Stewardship for the mission.
Cure First’s Board of Directors provides governance, strategic guidance and oversight to help the organization advance its mission responsibly and sustainably.
Pat Gray, PhD
Member, Board of Directors
Biotechnology scientist and executive
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Jeff Lee, MD
Secretary, Board of Directors
Jeff Lee is a family physician, writer and leadership development expert. He practiced for over thirty years at a community clinic in the most diverse zip code in the United States: Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood. He earned a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing at Stanford University, and an MD at Harvard Medical School. He trained in Family Medicine at the University of Washington.
Sandi Everlove
Member, Board of Directors and Vice President
Director of Instructional Design, Committee for Children Former Chief Learning Officer, Washington STEM
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Karen Spratt, PhD
Treasurer, Cure First
Associate Director, CMC-Regulatory Affairs, Gene Therapy
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SUPPORT THE MISSION
Working together for patients
One mission. Many perspectives.
Across science, medicine, operations and leadership, our team shares a commitment to advancing functional precision oncology and moving meaningful innovation closer to patients.