Claudia Penafuerte Diaz Bio
Claudia Penafuerte Diaz, CEO
Cura Therapeutics
Dr. Claudia A. Penafuerte Diaz is an immunologist with over 25 years of experience in immunology, oncology, and infectious diseases. In 2010, She obtained her Ph.D. at McGill University (Experimental Medicine Department). During her Ph. D., Dr. Penafuerte conducted several research projects to potentiate the immune system response against cancer progression and metastases. These studies led to novel discoveries in immunology and immuno-oncology, including Cura Therapeutics' lead foundational research to treat metastatic cancer. During her post-doctoral studies at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre, she developed a new approach to potentiate dendritic cell (DC) maturation and activation by modulating the activity of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). Her findings led to the invention of ImmunyrTM technology (Kanyr Pharma Inc), which received Health Canada approval for clinical trials in patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.
Dr. Penafuerte's numerous accolades, including research grants, awards, and fellowships, underscore her expertise and dedication. Notable among these are the prestigious US Army grant, a CIHR fellowship, a high fatality cancer grants for Pancreatic cancer, and the J&J QuickFire Challenge Innovation award, among others. These recognitions validate her innovative approach and dedication to the field of immuno-oncology.
Her research as an investigator is a testament to her inventive spirit. She is the inventor of 5 novel immunotherapy patents and the first author of 9 scientific publications in high-impact journals in immuno-oncology.
In 2019, the Cura Therapeutics team led by Dr. Penafuerte was selected as one of the three companies in the biotech cohort of the Berkeley SkyDeck BioTrack program. In 2021, the Cura Therapeutics lab was established in the AdMare BioInnovation program as one of Canada's six top emerging Life Sciences Companies and recently completed the Mayo Clinic Innovation Exchange program.
Dr. Penafuerte is currently leading her research team at Cura Therapeutics, developing therapies designed to address unmet medical needs and delivering hope to patients with metastatic cancer and unmet medical needs.