Lori F. Rafield, Ph.D.
Chairman of the Board, Director
diaDexus, Inc. Committee Membership: Compensation Committee
Dr. Rafield is currently a consultant to both the biotechnology and device industries working with entrepreneurs to create and finance companies with both institutional and strategic partners. Recently, she guided Pearl Therapeutics in raising $15MM to support their development of respiratory products based upon a spin out of technology from Nektar. In addition, she advised AstraZeneca in the divestiture of several of their GI assets which received venture capital support as part of establishing an independent company.
Previously, from 1998 to 2005, Dr. Rafield was Managing Director at Apax Partners (formerly Patricof & Co. Ventures), where she was the head of healthcare and responsible for developing a diversified healthcare investment strategy for a $250MM healthcare portfolio within a $1 billion fund. While at Apax, she was predominantly focused on the creation of therapeutic product companies from pharmaceutical assets and resources which led to investments in Zymogenetics (Novo Nordisk), Affymax (GSK) and Aerovance (Bayer). Prior to that, from 1995 to 1997, she was an investment Principal at Robertson Stephens Early Stage Venture Fund and an Affiliate at Institutional Venture Partners from 1991 to 1995. Dr. Rafield held scientific research and management positions at Somatix Therapy Corp. from 1989 to 1991 and at Integrated Genetics, Inc. from 1986 to 1989 where she directed molecular biology efforts in the development and expression of recombinant proteins.
She received a Ph.D. in 1981 in Microbiology at University of Virginia Medical School, and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Medical School.