Moderna has poached major stem cell researcher Jonathan Hoggatt, Ph.D., to lead its hematology R&D as it gears up for a future outside of COVID vaccines.
Hoggatt comes from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute where he runs his own research unit, the eponymous Hoggatt Lab, where his team’s research is focused on tissue regeneration and stem cell biology, with a particular focus on translational research to enhance bone marrow transplantation.
Now, he’s leaving academia and moving into one of the most talked-about biotechs in the world. As it continues its COVID-19 vaccine push around the world, Moderna is no one-trick pony, having many disease targets in its crosshairs.
One of these areas includes blood disease, encompassing several early efforts against blood cancers, including mRNA-2752, an OX40L/IL-23/IL-36γ (Triplet) in solid tumors and lymphoma, as well as mRNA-2416, an OX40L, also for solid tumors and lymphoma.
The addition of Hoggatt may signal a bigger push into the area.
Taking to Twitter, Hoggatt said: “Happy to announce that I have joined [Moderna] as the new Director of Hematology. Will be forming a team and working to make new therapies for hematology patients in need. Bittersweet to leave academia and my lab, but excited about the platform and potential to help patients.”