Blake Aftab

Blake Aftab, currently serving as the Chief Scientific Officer at Adicet Bio since April 2021, has accumulated nearly 20 years of experience across academia, biotech, and pharmaceutical sectors. His expertise spans the development of diverse therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, biologics, antibody-drug conjugates, and cell therapies. Prior to his current role, he was the Vice President and Head of Preclinical Science and Translational Medicine at Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. During his tenure at Atara, he played a pivotal role in the company’s initial shift towards cell therapy and spearheaded the development of Allo-CAR T cell capabilities. Aftab also led several research programs at the University of California, San Francisco, focusing on drug discovery and clinical translation specifically targeting multiple myeloma. His early research contributed to targeted approaches for CD38 and other significant targets for CAR-T therapies. Aftab earned his Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and holds a B.Sc. in Pharmacology and Drug Discovery from The University of California, Santa Barbara.