Anna Turetsky joins as Venture Investments Principal and Paul Pospisil joins Board
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (MFCR) announced today the appointment of Anna Turetsky, PhD as Principal, Venture Investments. Turetsky joins MFCR with 10 years of experience in scientific research, consulting, and venture capital. She will work with MFCR’s executive and scientific leadership on an investment strategy to complement the foundation’s grant-making activities and will manage equity transactions along with the foundation’s venture portfolio.
Adding further support to the foundation’s investing strategy, Paul Pospisil, PhD, a Senior Partner at Korn Ferry and seasoned executive with extensive experience as an investor and operator in the biotechnology industry, will join MFCR’s Board of Directors in January.
Since 2017, MFCR has awarded over $80 million in grants to enable innovative basic, translational, and clinical cancer research, including early-stage drug discovery. MFCR has backed companies Verseau Therapeutics, developing immunotherapies, and Grail, a leader in liquid biopsy.
“Investing in promising companies is important for fulfilling our mission of tackling the toughest challenges in cancer research,” said Michele Cleary, PhD, CEO of MFCR. “Anna’s deep venture experience will allow us to launch and finance more companies developing innovative medicines and diagnostics that will improve patients’ lives.”
Turetsky was previously a vice president at Lightstone Ventures, a global early-stage healthcare fund, where she invested in and served on the boards of multiple companies. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from Harvard.
“I’m delighted to join this talented team and let the science and focus on improving outcomes guide us,” added Turetsky. “I look forward to working with researchers and other innovators commercializing the next wave of discoveries for the benefit of patients with cancer. Results from the foundation’s support of academic drug discovery projects will provide a rich source of future investment opportunities.”