Raffaella Soldi, Ph.D.

Dr. Raffaella Soldi, Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cellular Biotechnology, is a translational cancer biologist with over 25 years of experience spanning molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. Throughout her career, she has remained deeply committed to advancing targeted therapies for human malignancies by integrating functional genomics, biomarker discovery, and preclinical modeling to accelerate therapeutic development. She has authored more than forty peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, such as Nature Medicine, PNAS, and Science Translational Medicine, reflecting the breadth and depth of her expertise across oncology research. In biotech leadership roles, Dr. Soldi drove the clinical advancement of novel WNT and LSD1 inhibitors, translating mechanistic insights into patient-ready therapeutics, underscoring her ability to translate mechanistic insights into patient-ready therapeutics. As Vice President of Research at a biotech firm, Dr. Soldi leads cross-functional teams in driving the development of novel biologics, including first-in-class immune-modulating therapies, while spearheading strategic partnerships to advance clinical translation. At HonorHealth Research Institute, she directs next-generation platforms for translational oncology, including patient-derived 3D organoid cultures — clinically relevant ex vivo models that preserve tumor architecture, heterogeneity, and immune contexture. She also established a Whole Exome CRISPR screening platform to identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities and incorporated iPSC-based technologies to expand disease modeling capacity. In parallel, Dr. Soldi spearheaded the development of a personalized peptide-based cancer vaccine and a pioneering adoptive cell therapy platform, exemplifying her interdisciplinary approach to Immuno-Oncology. These initiatives reflect a sustained commitment to translating discovery science into clinically actionable strategies.