Our Team
Scientists and builders who originate conviction.
MEET THE TEAM
REZ HALSE, PhD
Partner, RA Ventures
ANA CASTRO
Senior Research Assistant, Venture Analytics
REBECCA SILBERMAN, PhD
Associate
GUNES BOZKURT, PhD
Senior Associate
VIKRAM SHEEL KUMAR, MD
Venture Partner
KATIE MAHER, PhD
Senior Compliance Officer
REZ HALSE, PhD
Partner, RA Ventures
Rez Halse is a Partner, RA Ventures at RA Capital Management. Rez’s primary responsibility is to lead early-stage private investments in, and oversee the creation of, new companies developing drugs, medical devices, diagnostics, and research tools. Rez brings to RA over 20 years of experience working in the life-science industry. Prior to RA, he served in a dual role at Merck Research Laboratories (MRL). He was Vice President of Merck business development and licensing where he led BD activities in the US (West Coast), Europe, and Asia Pacific region, as well as President of MRL Ventures where he led equity investing in early-stage therapeutics companies. Prior to Merck, he was a Partner with the Partners Innovation Fund, the corporate venture arm of Mass General Brigham hospital (formerly Partners HealthCare), where he invested in Seed/Series A therapeutics-focused companies. Rez has also held roles at Novartis, a virtual R&D company (BVD), and Xcellsyz Ltd, a UK-based start-up. Rez holds a BSc in biochemistry and PhD in cell biology from Newcastle University, UK.
ANA CASTRO
Senior Research Assistant, Venture Analytics
Ana is a Senior Research Assistant, Venture Analytics at RA Capital Management. Ana’s primary responsibility is to conduct research and analysis for competitive landscapes of drugs and medical devices across a range of disease indications and capabilities. Ana’s previous experience includes Research Assistant positions at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, the Lupus Clinic/Renal Department at the BU Medical Center, and Harvard University Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Ana holds an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Neuroscience from Boston University.
REBECCA SILBERMAN, PhD
Associate
Rebecca Silberman is an Associate with the TechAtlas division of RA Capital Management. Rebecca’s primary responsibility is to create competitive landscapes of drugs and medical devices for disease indications and capabilities. Becca has a BA in Biology from Colgate University and a PhD in Biology from MIT.
GUNES BOZKURT, PhD
Senior Associate
Gunes Bozkurt is a Senior Associate within the TechAtlas division of RA Capital Management. Gunes' primary responsibility at RA Capital is to create competitive landscapes of drugs and medical devices for disease indications and capabilities. Gunes joins us from Boston Children’s Hospital where she served as a scientist within the PCMM Program. Her research focused on biophysical characterization of different amyloid fibrils. Gunes holds a BSc in Biological Sciences and Bioengineering from Sabanci University, a MSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Heidelberg.
VIKRAM SHEEL KUMAR, MD
Venture Partner
Vikram Sheel Kumar is a Venture Partner at RA Capital where he is applying software to develop drugs and new ventures. He is co-founder and CEO of Clear Creek Bio, an RA Capital portfolio company. Vikram studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi before earning a BS in Operations Research with honors from Columbia University. He holds an MD magna cum laude from Harvard-MIT, Program in Health Sciences and Technology, where he was a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow. He was named an MIT Technology Review 100 innovators under 35 for his MIT Media Lab social enterprise, Dimagi, that has impacted millions with its mobile data collection platform. Vikram trained in clinical pathology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he was chief resident.
KATIE MAHER, PhD
Senior Compliance Officer
Katie Maher is a Senior Compliance Officer at RA Capital Management. Katie’s primary responsibilities are to advise on regulatory matters and assist in the development, implementation, and testing of the compliance program. She holds a BS in Biology from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her doctoral work integrated molecular and genetic strategies to study the mechanism by which dopamine modulates neuronal activity in both individual neurons and neural circuits.