Prat
helps the faculty and researchers at MD Anderson develop collaborative
opportunities with pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics, imaging,
laboratory medicine, and other industry partners. He
is responsible for establishing a direct line of contact with
pharmaceutical companies to understand their needs in terms of
pre-clinical and Phase 1 activities, and internally convey them so that
the researchers and clinicians at MD Anderson can follow-up and
establish personal relationships with such companies.
Prior to joining MD Anderson, he worked at Alere Inc.,
an international firm dedicated to developing health management
services and solutions, including diagnostic tools and tests. At Alere,
Ferran led a business turnaround and integrated three businesses in São
Paulo and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He also served as the head of the
Oncology and Women’s Health Divisions in San Diego, where he was
responsible for all pre-commercialization activities and post-launch
product management.
Prior to Alere, Ferran held a number of industry and academic positions, including vice president for licensing at Biosite Inc., management consultant at McKinsey & Co., an engineer at Chromogenia-Units
and researcher at the University of California – Los Angeles. In these
roles, he in-licensed and out-licensed new technologies, led and
executed strategic plans, coordinated intellectual property agreements
among private and public sector entities, and conducted basic science
research that led to multiple peer-reviewed articles.
Prat has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of
California – Los Angeles and a JD from the University of San Diego
School of Law.