Fundraising Fox

Laura Brass

Investor

Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund · Board director at HYKU Biosciences · Board director at Immunitas Therapeutics

Cambridge, MA, USA

About

Laura Brass is a Managing Director at the Novartis Venture Fund. She previously served as a Managing Director at MPM Capital and was part of the founding management team and SVP of Business Development at TriNetX, and earlier was CEO of the early-stage antiviral company Aferon. She holds a BA in Philosophy and BS in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Contact· published on Laura's own website

Board director at HYKU Biosciences

Intro paths

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In turn, Laura can intro founders to HYKU Biosciences's investors below.

HYKU Biosciences's investors · 4

Droia VenturesLeuven · $540K checks · since 2025Eisai Innovation, Inc.San Francisco · since 2025Novartis Venture FundBasel · $5M – $25M checks · since 2025RA CapitalBoston · since 2025

Co-founders at HYKU Biosciences

KC
KLEEM CHAUDHARYExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter
K(
Ku-Lung (Ken) Hsu, PhDEndowed Associate Professor of Chemistry

Board director at Immunitas Therapeutics

Intro paths

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In turn, Laura can intro founders to Immunitas Therapeutics's investors below.

Immunitas Therapeutics's investors · 9

Agent CapitalWaltham · since 2021DC Investment PartnersMcLean · $10M checks · since 2021Leaps by BayerLeverkusen · since 2021Longwood FundBoston · since 2021M VenturesLos Angeles · $10.8M checks · since 2021Medical Excellence CapitalNew York · since 2021Novartis Venture FundBasel · $5M – $25M checks · since 2021Ono Venture Investment, Inc.South San Francisco · since 2021Solasta VenturesBoston · since 2021

Experience

  1. Novartis Venture FundManaging Directorcurrent2018 — presentCambridge, MA
  2. Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringVisiting Scholar2014 — 2018Boston, MA
  3. MPM CapitalManaging Director2015 — 2018Cambridge, Massachusetts
  4. TriNetX, Inc.SVP Business Development2013 — 2016Boston, MA
  5. Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired EngineeringDirector of Business Development2010 — 2013Boston, MA
  6. Harvard UniversityDirector of Business Development2005 — 2013
  7. Elixir PharmaceuticalsSenior Manager, Business Development2002 — 2005

Skills & more

Drug Discovery8Lifesciences16Molecular Biology3Biotechnology14Business Development9Licensing10Genomics4Biochemistry4Technology Transfer7Protein Chemistry4Medical Devices5Drug Development5
+1 morePharmaceutical Industry

From Laura's professional profile.

Colleagues at Novartis Venture Fund

Aaron Nelson
Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund
Adam Cotton
Principal at Novartis Venture Fund
Anja Koenig
Global Head of NVF at Novartis Venture Fund
Anja König
Global Head at Novartis Venture Fund
Bart Dzikowski
Managing Director, Head of Transactions & Legal at Novartis Venture Fund
Beat Steffen
Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund
Christoph Meier
Investor at Novartis Venture Fund
Elaine Jones
Investor at Novartis Venture Fund

Network3

Brian Goodman
Partner at MPM BioImpact
Christiana Bardon
Managing Partner of MPM BioImpact, leading the firm's public market investing
David Moskowitz
Principal at MPM BioImpact

Investors connected to Laura in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Laura Brass?
Laura Brass is a Managing Director at the Novartis Venture Fund. She previously served as a Managing Director at MPM Capital and was part of the founding management team and SVP of Business Development at TriNetX, and earlier was CEO of the early-stage antiviral company Aferon. She holds a BA in Philosophy and BS in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Where does Laura Brass work?
Laura Brass is Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund and Board director at HYKU Biosciences and Board director at Immunitas Therapeutics.
Where did Laura Brass go to school?
Laura Brass studied at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (MBA, Organizational Management); University of Chicago (PhD, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology); University of Missouri-Columbia (BA, Philosophy).

Same school

Also attended The University of Chicago Booth School of Business492

Prashant ShahPartner at Monta Vista CapitalNoorPartner at Clear VenturesTinaInvestments & Portfolio Services Team Member at Clear VenturesKatrin GeyskensExecutive Director at Capricorn Venture PartnersBill PescatelloInvestor at LightbankGlebFounder and Managing Partner at iTech Capital

+ 486 more

Also attended University of Chicago350

Mark SusterManaging Partner at Upfront VenturesShardul ShahInvestor at Index VenturesSam BlackmanEntrepreneur in Residence at GV (Google Ventures)Clay FisherInvestor at Spark CapitalMaria HeyenInvestor at LightbankJonas CiplickasPrincipal at Scale Venture Partners

+ 344 more

Also attended University of Missouri-Columbia62

Dea SurjadiSpecial Advisor at Golden Gate VenturesTed CarstensenPlatform Team Manager at HeavybitJacob DeHardtManager, Fund Accounting at Sapphire VenturesAnna OglodzinskaExecutive Assistant at Sapphire VenturesChris KraeuterHead of Communications at ParadigmJeff SturmanExecutive Venture Partner at Caduceus Capital Partners

+ 56 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering24

David KoleskyPrincipal at MPM BioImpactDr Jonathan AvesarScientific Lead at Lever VCJustin FengSenior Associate at Atlas VentureAishu SukumarAlzheimer's Moonshot Impact Board at StartUp HealthPriya YadavVice President, Investments at MassVenturesSophie BakalarPartner at Collaborative Fund

+ 18 more

Also worked at MPM Capital37

Christiana BardonManaging Partner of MPM BioImpact, leading the firm's public market investingDetlev BiniszkiewiczManaging Director at MPM BioImpactLuke EvninAdvisor at MPM BioImpactTodd FoleyManaging Director at MPM BioImpactAnsbert K. GadickeManaging Partner at MPM BioImpactDavid KoleskyPrincipal at MPM BioImpact

+ 31 more

Also worked at TriNetX, Inc.2

Maulik MehtaManaging Partner at Excelerate Health VenturesTony RosenbergManaging Director at MPM BioImpact

Also worked at Harvard University294

Nathan BlecharczykCo-founder & CSO of AirbnbRyan SheaCo-founder of Blockstack (Stacks)Rachel HansenInvestor at Index VenturesDave MunichielloInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Nicole GaudelliEntrepreneur in Residence at GV (Google Ventures)Logan HilleLife Sciences Analyst at CincyTech

+ 288 more