Our Team
Many Backgrounds. Different Perspectives. Persistently Curious.
MEET THE TEAM
LORENA CHEN, CPA
Fund Controller
JACK VAILAS
Senior Associate, Strategic Finance
GERALD SEWACK, PhD
Vice President of Scientific Operations
ERICH SCHELLER, PhD
Director of TechAtlas
THOMAS CULMAN
Engagement Associate
NATE DAVIS
Analyst
LORENA CHEN, CPA
Fund Controller
Lorena Chen is a Fund Controller at RA Capital Management. Lorena's primary responsibility is to oversee all accounting related activities for the firm. She has spent the last five years as a Senior Finance Associate at Great Hill Partners. Prior to GHP, Lorena served as an Assurance Senior at EY. Lorena has dual degrees from Beijing Foreign Studies University: a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She also has a Master's in Accounting from Boston College and is a CPA.
JACK VAILAS
Senior Associate, Strategic Finance
Jack Vailas is a Senior Associate, Strategic Finance at RA Capital Management. Jack’s primary responsibility at RA Capital is to partner with the Investment Team to support financial analyses for new investments and existing portfolio companies. Jack comes to RA from Charles River Associates, where he advised life sciences companies on commercial strategy. Prior to Charles River Associates, he held an Analyst position at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute. Jack has a BA with a triple-major in Biology, Spanish, and Pre-Med from Colby College.
GERALD SEWACK, PhD
Vice President of Scientific Operations
Gerald is Vice President of Scientific Operations at RA Ventures (RAVen). In this role, Gerald is responsible for evaluating new technology and novel biology to originate and support the generation of new companies in collaboration with RAVen’s Venture Partners and EIRs. He also supports select RAVen portfolio companies in active strategic operating roles and serves as Board Director for GIVax, Summation Bio, and Astro Therapeutics. Prior to this, Gerald was Director of Scientific Operations for RA Capital. He worked previously at Global Prior Art, an intellectual property analysis firm, as a Partner and the Director of the Life Sciences Division. Gerald holds a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard Medical School. His research investigated chromatin structure and transcription factor binding.
ERICH SCHELLER, PhD
Director of TechAtlas
Erich Scheller is the Director of the TechAtlas division of RA Capital Management. Erich’s primary responsibilities are to drive internal and external strategic and diligence initiatives and oversee the workflow and professional development of TechAtlas Associates. Prior to this role, Erich mapped a number of competitive landscapes including lung cancer, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. Erich holds a BA in English Literature and Language from Harvard University and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His graduate research investigated the role of fimbria in Bordetella adherence and virulence.
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.
NATE DAVIS
Analyst
Nate Davis is an Analyst on the Investment Team at RA Capital Management. Nate conducts due diligence on biotechnology companies at RA Capital and serves as a Board Director for The Covid Apollo Project and Nucleix. Previously, Nate covered atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, dermatology, colorectal cancer, cancer diagnostics, and broader tools and diagnostics as a Senior Associate within RA’s TechAtlas division. Prior to RA Capital, Nate worked as an Investment Analyst at Wolfram Ventures. Nate has a BS in Biological Sciences from University of Vermont.