Francisca Vazquez
About Francisca Vazquez
Francisca Vazquez serves as the Director of the Cancer Dependency Map at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and is a co-founder and scientific advisory board member at Riva Therapeutics. With a strong background in cancer research, she has held various leadership roles at the Broad Institute and has a PhD from Universitat de les Illes Balears.
Current Role at Broad Institute
Francisca Vazquez serves as the Director of the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. She has held this position since 2021, contributing to the understanding of cancer dependencies through functional genomics. In addition to her directorship, she is also a Senior Group Leader in the Target Discovery and Advancement Lab, a role she has maintained since 2019. Her work focuses on leading cancer target discovery efforts and conducting deep mechanistic experiments.
Experience at Broad Institute
Vazquez has an extensive history with the Broad Institute, having worked there in various capacities since 2011. She was the Project Achilles Team Leader from 2011 to 2017, where she led initiatives in the Cancer Program. Following this, she served as Group Leader of the Target Discovery and Advancement Group from 2017 to 2018, and then as Associate Director of the Cancer Dependency Map from 2019 to 2021. Her roles have consistently involved leadership in cancer research and target discovery.
Educational Background
Francisca Vazquez earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Universitat de les Illes Balears. She furthered her education at Harvard Medical School, where she completed a Post-doctoral Fellowship and also participated as a Visiting Student. Her academic training has provided her with a strong foundation in cancer research and functional genomics.
Current Involvement in Other Organizations
In addition to her role at the Broad Institute, Vazquez is a Co-Founder and Scientific Advisory Board Member at Riva Therapeutics, a position she has held since 2022. She also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board at GSK, a role she began in 2024. These positions reflect her commitment to advancing cancer research and fostering industry partnerships.
Research Focus and Contributions
Vazquez is passionate about addressing human health challenges through systematic approaches and teamwork. She has launched large-scale partnerships between industry and academia to tackle cancer-related issues. Her expertise in functional genomics and mechanistic experiments positions her as a leader in the field of cancer target discovery.