Dr. Tatiana Erazo

Co-Founder · Postgraduate and Translational Stages

Dr. Tatiana Erazo is a translational scientist and cancer researcher with over 15 years of experience driving precision oncology through the development of novel therapies and international collaborations. Since 2022, she has served as Lead of Scientific Research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Her work focuses on translating scientific discoveries into clinical applications that improve cancer diagnosis, therapeutic decision-making, and, ultimately, patient outcomes.

Dr. Erazo earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with Summa cum laude honors from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain, and completed an international predoctoral research stay at the Ben May Department for Cancer Research at the University of Chicago. During her first postdoctoral position, she contributed to the development of ABTL-0812, a novel cancer therapy that successfully completed phase 1/1b clinical trials and has since advanced to phase 2b/3 studies for pancreatic cancer. In 2016, she joined MSKCC for a second postdoctoral appointment, where she identified a novel epigenetic regulatory axis (PRMT5/MUSASHI-2), responsible for therapeutic resistance in aggressive lymphomas.

Among her recent initiatives, Dr. Erazo led the development of the first national AI-driven referral network designed to improve access to clinical trials for cancer patients within Brazil's public health system. She also plays a pivotal role in advancing large-scale liquid biopsy programs that use a simple blood sample to help personalize cancer treatment. By reducing the need for invasive tissue biopsies and expanding access for patients in geographically dispersed regions, these innovations are helping to bring precision oncology to more people.

Throughout her career, Dr. Erazo has led multidisciplinary research programs and collaborated extensively with academic institutions as well as global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She is an inventor on three patents related to cancer biomarker technologies and has received over 890 citations in her field. Her accolades include the National award in genetics and biotechnology, Steven Greenberg Lymphoma Research Award, the Prostate SPORE Developmental Research Program Award and the International Molecular Biology Contribution Award. She has secured more than $2 million in competitive funding and strategic industry collaborations.

Mentorship has been a cornerstone of Dr. Erazo's professional journey. She has co-supervised two doctoral theses, served as an official advisor for five master's theses and experiential learning projects, and mentored 15+ undergraduate, clinical, postdoctoral, and early-career scientists. Driven by these experiences, Dr. Erazo co-founded MAPA STEM, a bilingual (Spanish-English) mentorship initiative aimed at professionals in STEM and healthcare fields. MAPA STEM grew out of her own experience navigating academic and professional environments in the United States and Europe. Through her writing and public engagement, she also shares insights on mentorship, scientific leadership, professional development, and building meaningful careers in STEM.

"Great careers are not built by chance. They are built through purpose, preparation, and the right mentorship."