Scientific Advisors

Mersana Therapeutics is advised by a group of scientific thought leaders with significant expertise in drug delivery, polymer technologies, targeted cancer therapeutics, clinical development and commercialization.

Ronald Borchardt, Ph.D.
Francis J. Bullock, Ph.D.
Mikhail (Misha) Papisov, Ph.D.
Mark J. Ratain, M.D.
Edward A. Sausville, M.D., Ph.D.
Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Ronald Borchardt, Ph.D.

The University of Kansas-Lawrence

Dr. Ronald Borchardt is the Solon E. Summerfield Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at The University of Kansas-Lawrence. Professor Borchardt received his B.S. degree in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from The University of Kansas-Lawrence. After serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland) from 1969-1971, Professor Borchardt returned to The University of Kansas as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In the 1970s Professor Borchardt was promoted through the academic ranks to his current position as Solon E. Summerfield Distinguished Professor. From 1983-1998, Professor Borchardt served as the Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy.

During his academic career Professor Borchardt has received numerous awards and honors for his teaching and research accomplishments. Professor Borchardt is the author or co-author of approximately 500 scientific publications and 460 abstracts. Professor Borchardt is also the editor of 10 books, and the series editor of "Pharmaceutical Biotechnology" (14 published volumes, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers) and "Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Aspects" (9 volumes in development, AAPS Press). His research interests are focused in the areas of drug design and drug delivery.

Francis J. Bullock, Ph.D.

Arthur D. Little, Inc., PureTech Ventures

Frank Bullock served as the Senior Vice President, Research Operations at Schering Plough Research Institute, from 1981-1993, where he oversaw the development of 30 clinical candidates, of which five have reached commercialization. Dr. Bullock has been a Senior Consultant at Arthur D. Little, Inc., concentrating on pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D with some work in Fine Chemicals & Agricultural Chemicals industries, since 1993. He is also a Venture Partner at PureTech Ventures. Dr. Bullock serves on the board of directors for TSI Corporation, Genzyme Transgenics Corporation, Array Biopharma and Atherex. Dr. Bullock received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University.

Mikhail (Misha) Papisov, Ph.D. - Mersana Co-founder

Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Misha Papisov is the scientific founder of Mersana. He is the director of the Molecular Bioengineering Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Papisov has more than 20 years of experience in drug delivery, and specializes in the development of macromolecular pharmaceutical preparations, non-bioadhesive and selectively bioadhesive polymers and new bio-stealth materials and interfaces. Dr. Papisov has authored 35 publications, 50 proceeding papers, and four issued U.S. patents. He has received numerous awards and is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Controlled Release Society. Dr. Papisov received his M.S. in Chemistry from Moscow State University, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Biology from the National Cardiology Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of USSR, Moscow.

Mark J. Ratain, M.D.

Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago

Since 1983, Dr. Ratain has been affiliated with the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he is currently the Leon O. Jacobson Professor of Medicine and chairman of the Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics. He is also the Associate Director for Clinical Sciences at the University of Chicago's Cancer Research Center. He was elected in 2007 to the American Association of Physicians. He has been involved in the development of several anticancer agents, and was the lead inventor on the FDA-approved UGT1A1 diagnostic to predict irinotecan therapy, commercialized as a 510(k) device in 2005. He recently received the Emil J. Freireich Award in Clinical Research from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He received his A.B. Degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University and his M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine.

Edward A. Sausville, M.D., Ph.D.

University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center

Formerly associate director of the National Cancer Institute's Developmental Therapeutics Program, Dr. Sausville is now associate director of clinical research at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center and on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has advised Mersana on pipeline candidates and preclinical development planning. Dr. Sausville also has experience with various polymer modification approaches for cancer agents.

Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN)

Dan Von Hoff is currently Senior Investigator and Head of Translational Research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Von Hoff's major interest is in the development of new anticancer agents, both in the clinic and in the laboratory. In the area of clinical drug development, Dr. Von Hoff and his colleagues were involved in the early development of many of the agents we now use routinely, including: Mitoxantrone, Fludarabine, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Gemcitabine, CPT-11, Iressa, Tarceva and others. He has worked with ~300 cancer agents in clinical trials and is associated with ~30 approved NDAs. Dr. Von Hoff is the past President of the American Association for Cancer Research, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a member and past board member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He is a founder and board member of ILEX™ Oncology, Inc. (ILXO, NASDAQ). He also serves as chief scientific officer for U.S. Oncology (NASDAQ: USON). He is founder and the Editor Emeritus of Investigational New Drugs - The Journal of New Anticancer Agents; and, Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and has published more than 480 papers, 125 book chapters, and 820 abstracts.

Overview Management Scientific Advisors Board of Directors Investors		Share Scientific Advisors Mersana Therapeutics is advised by a group of scientific thought leaders with significant expertise in drug delivery, polymer technologies, targeted cancer therapeutics, clinical development and commercialization. Ronald Borchardt, Ph.D. Francis J. Bullock, Ph.D. Mikhail (Misha) Papisov, Ph.D. Mark J. Ratain, M.D. Edward A. Sausville, M.D., Ph.D. Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P. Ronald Borchardt, Ph.D. The University of Kansas-Lawrence Dr. Ronald Borchardt is the Solon E. Summerfield Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at The University of Kansas-Lawrence. Professor Borchardt received his B.S. degree in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from The University of Kansas-Lawrence. After serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland) from 1969-1971, Professor Borchardt returned to The University of Kansas as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In the 1970s Professor Borchardt was promoted through the academic ranks to his current position as Solon E. Summerfield Distinguished Professor. From 1983-1998, Professor Borchardt served as the Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy. During his academic career Professor Borchardt has received numerous awards and honors for his teaching and research accomplishments. Professor Borchardt is the author or co-author of approximately 500 scientific publications and 460 abstracts. Professor Borchardt is also the editor of 10 books, and the series editor of "Pharmaceutical Biotechnology" (14 published volumes, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers) and "Biotechnology: Pharmaceutical Aspects" (9 volumes in development, AAPS Press). His research interests are focused in the areas of drug design and drug delivery. Francis J. Bullock, Ph.D. Arthur D. Little, Inc., PureTech Ventures Frank Bullock served as the Senior Vice President, Research Operations at Schering Plough Research Institute, from 1981-1993, where he oversaw the development of 30 clinical candidates, of which five have reached commercialization. Dr. Bullock has been a Senior Consultant at Arthur D. Little, Inc., concentrating on pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D with some work in Fine Chemicals & Agricultural Chemicals industries, since 1993. He is also a Venture Partner at PureTech Ventures. Dr. Bullock serves on the board of directors for TSI Corporation, Genzyme Transgenics Corporation, Array Biopharma and Atherex. Dr. Bullock received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University. Mikhail (Misha) Papisov, Ph.D. - Mersana Co-founder Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School Misha Papisov is the scientific founder of Mersana. He is the director of the Molecular Bioengineering Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Papisov has more than 20 years of experience in drug delivery, and specializes in the development of macromolecular pharmaceutical preparations, non-bioadhesive and selectively bioadhesive polymers and new bio-stealth materials and interfaces. Dr. Papisov has authored 35 publications, 50 proceeding papers, and four issued U.S. patents. He has received numerous awards and is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Controlled Release Society. Dr. Papisov received his M.S. in Chemistry from Moscow State University, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Biology from the National Cardiology Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of USSR, Moscow. Mark J. Ratain, M.D. Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago Since 1983, Dr. Ratain has been affiliated with the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he is currently the Leon O. Jacobson Professor of Medicine and chairman of the Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics. He is also the Associate Director for Clinical Sciences at the University of Chicago's Cancer Research Center. He was elected in 2007 to the American Association of Physicians. He has been involved in the development of several anticancer agents, and was the lead inventor on the FDA-approved UGT1A1 diagnostic to predict irinotecan therapy, commercialized as a 510(k) device in 2005. He recently received the Emil J. Freireich Award in Clinical Research from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He received his A.B. Degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University and his M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine. Edward A. Sausville, M.D., Ph.D. University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center Formerly associate director of the National Cancer Institute's Developmental Therapeutics Program, Dr. Sausville is now associate director of clinical research at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center and on the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has advised Mersana on pipeline candidates and preclinical development planning. Dr. Sausville also has experience with various polymer modification approaches for cancer agents. Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., F.A.C.P. Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) Dan Von Hoff is currently Senior Investigator and Head of Translational Research at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Von Hoff's major interest is in the development of new anticancer agents, both in the clinic and in the laboratory. In the area of clinical drug development, Dr. Von Hoff and his colleagues were involved in the early development of many of the agents we now use routinely, including: Mitoxantrone, Fludarabine, Paclitaxel, Docetaxel, Gemcitabine, CPT-11, Iressa, Tarceva and others. He has worked with ~300 cancer agents in clinical trials and is associated with ~30 approved NDAs. Dr. Von Hoff is the past President of the American Association for Cancer Research, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a member and past board member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He is a founder and board member of ILEX™ Oncology, Inc. (ILXO, NASDAQ). He also serves as chief scientific officer for U.S. Oncology (NASDAQ: USON). He is founder and the Editor Emeritus of Investigational New Drugs - The Journal of New Anticancer Agents; and, Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and has published more than 480 papers, 125 book chapters, and 820 abstracts.