Lata Jayaraman
About Lata Jayaraman
Lata Jayaraman is the Head of Oncology Drug Discovery at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Cambridge, MA, with over 20 years of experience in oncology and immuno-oncology drug discovery.
Education and Expertise
Lata Jayaraman holds a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Columbia University, completed from 1991 to 1997. She further specialized in Cancer Biology as a Post Doctoral Trainee at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she worked from 1997 to 2001. Her educational background has provided her with over 20 years of experience in oncology and immuno-oncology drug discovery. She specializes in discovery pipeline management, target identification and validation, and has expertise in driving the progression of compounds through single candidate selection and early development.
Current Role at Bristol-Myers Squibb
Lata Jayaraman is currently the Head of Oncology Drug Discovery at Bristol-Myers Squibb, based in Cambridge, MA. In her role, she collaborates with cross-functional, highly matrixed teams to manage discovery pipelines and implement biomarker strategies to support clinical development. She also oversees external collaborations and alliances, ensuring the success of in-licensing efforts through rigorous scientific documentation review and due diligence of external opportunities.
Professional Background at Seres Therapeutics
From 2016 to 2019, Lata Jayaraman worked at Seres Therapeutics as Senior Director & Head of Tumor Immunotherapy in Cambridge, MA. She was responsible for leading tumor immunotherapy initiatives, contributing significantly to the company's research and development in immuno-oncology. Her role involved managing external collaborations and driving the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Previous Experience at Cerulean Pharma
Between 2014 and 2016, Lata Jayaraman was the Director of Pharmacology and Translational Research at Cerulean Pharma in Waltham, MA. She focused on translational research to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications. Her work included the identification and validation of therapeutic targets and advancing compounds through early development stages.
Early Career at Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb
From 2011 to 2014, Lata Jayaraman served as the Director of Oncology at Merck in the Greater Boston Area. Prior to that, she spent a decade at Bristol-Myers Squibb in Princeton, NJ, where she worked as a Senior Research Investigator from 2001 to 2011. During these years, she honed her skills in oncology drug discovery, and gained significant experience in biomarker strategies, external collaborations, and team leadership.