Our Team
Many Backgrounds. Different Perspectives. Persistently Curious.
MEET THE TEAM
ABHISHEK THAKAR
Data Analyst Associate
THOMAS CULMAN
Engagement Associate
NANDITA SHANGARI, PhD
Managing Director
KALEEN SULLIVAN
Research Operations Manager
ROBERT NICOL, PhD
Venture Partner
PRISCILLA LEE, PhD
Associate
ABHISHEK THAKAR
Data Analyst Associate
Abhishek is a Data Analyst Associate at RA Capital Management. Abhishek's primary responsibility is to identify needs for process improvement in the firm's data analytics and then both build and implement automated solutions. Abhishek gained experience using data analytics to track and visualize patient testing in his most recent role at Blueprint Medicines. Prior to Blueprint Medicines, he spent two years at Lonza Pharma & Biotech, most recently as Product Development Scientist. Abhishek has a BS in Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering and a BS in Chemistry from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He earned his MS in Bioinformatics from Boston University.
THOMAS CULMAN
Engagement Associate
As Engagement Associate at RA Capital Management, Thomas Culman leverages qualitative and quantitative skills to manage a variety of educational, outreach, and advocacy-oriented projects. Prior to this role, Tom conducted research and analysis for competitive landscapes of drugs and medical devices across a range of disease indications and capabilities as a Senior Research Assistant. Tom holds a BS in Health Sciences with a minor in Journalism from Northeastern University. He worked previously as a Patient Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital.
NANDITA SHANGARI, PhD
Managing Director
Nandita Shangari is joining RA Capital from Novartis Venture Fund (NVF), a life science investment firm, where she was a Managing Director. Prior to her Managing Director role at NVF, Nandita held various positions at Novartis in Business Development and Licensing and as a key member of the Kymriah® Global Program Team, helping to bring this novel cell therapy to market. Nandita has also held strategic and group head roles in the Novartis Preclinical Investigative Toxicology organization. She received a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Toronto, Canada.
KALEEN SULLIVAN
Research Operations Manager
Kaleen Sullivan is a Research Operations Manager at RA Capital Management. Kaleen’s primary responsibility is to oversee the initiation, planning, and execution of various projects within the TechAtlas Division. She holds a BBA in Marketing from Loyola University Maryland.
ROBERT NICOL, PhD
Venture Partner
Robert Nicol is a Venture Partner at RA Ventures (RAVen), focusing on company creation. Prior to RA, Rob spent 21 years at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, most recently as the Senior Director of Technology Development and a Principal Investigator. His laboratory at the Broad focused on advanced high throughput biotechnology tools including DNA synthesis, single cell analysis, synthetic biology derived biomolecule libraries, and microbiome profiling. Robert has led multiple DARPA, IARPA, and NIH advanced technology development programs. He is also the co-founder of multiple biotechnology companies including HiFiBiO and Design Pharmaceuticals. He served on the Scientific Advisory Boards of multiple companies including DNA Script, Danaher Life Sciences, and CircBio. Robert also led the Sequencing Operations and Technology Development groups at the Broad for over 12 years, implementing industrial process control methods, developing multiple generations of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, and establishing an agile learning culture in the organization. Prior to his career at the Broad Institute, Robert was an MIT Leaders for Manufacturing Fellow, and a project manager for Fluor Corporation, where he managed large-scale petrochemical design and construction projects. Robert received his BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston. He earned an MS in chemical engineering and his MBA and PhD in engineering systems from MIT.
PRISCILLA LEE, PhD
Associate
Priscilla Lee is an Associate with the TechAtlas division of RA Capital. Priscilla works closely with members of the investment team and portfolio companies to deeply understand competitive landscapes, evaluate investment opportunities in a variety of therapeutic areas across all stages from discovery and new company creation through commercialization, and advise portfolio companies on program and pipeline strategy. Prior to RA, Priscilla was a Senior Scientist at Sanofi. Priscilla has a BS in Life Science from National Taiwan University, an MS in Immunology from National Taiwan University College of Medicine, and a PhD in Biomedical Science from The Ohio State University.