Our team

Dr. Francesca Rapino is a molecular oncology scientist and entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of THERAtRAME. Her research pioneered the role of tRNA biology in cancer plasticity to drive therapy resistance. Her work has been published in leading journals and supported by competitive international funding, including major European research grants. At THERAtRAME, she leads the company’s scientific vision, strategy, and partnerships, translating breakthrough discoveries in tRNA biology into first-in-class therapies. Under her leadership, the company is advancing a new generation of tRNA-targeting drugs aimed at treating patients who do not benefit from current cancer therapies.

Dr. Pierre Close is Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of THERAtRAME. He is a leading authority on the role of tRNA modifications in cancer, and his work pioneered the discovery that tRNA modifications reprogram mRNA translation to drive tumor progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy, helping establish translational control through tRNA modifications as a new therapeutic vulnerability in cancer. His research also uncovered key roles for tRNA-modifying enzymes in tumor-immune interactions, opening new therapeutic opportunities in immuno-oncology. These discoveries established the scientific foundation of THERAtRAME’s platform. As CSO, Dr. Close defines and drives the company’s scientific, drug discovery and translational strategy, advancing first-in-class tRNA-modulating therapeutics from target discovery through clinical development. He is Professor and Research Director at the University of Liège and trained in cancer biology at Cancer Research UK.

Sara Vandenwijngaert is the Chief Scientific Director at the venture capital fund Qbic, where she oversees the creation and strategic growth of early-stage life sciences start-ups. With a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven, Sara’s career is rooted in high-impact research, including several years at Harvard Medical School. She further distinguished herself as a Science Program Leader at One Brave Idea in Boston - a landmark innovation initiative involving AstraZeneca, Verily (Alphabet), and the American Heart Association - where she managed multidisciplinary teams at the intersection of technology and biology. Sara offers a full circle perspective on the biotech lifecycle, specifically focused on the path to the clinic. Her background includes pivotal operational leadership at the global CRO Medpace, where she managed teams responsible for the laboratory logistics and technical execution of complex clinical trials. This experience provided her with deep insight into the operational rigors and regulatory standards required for successful clinical validation. As a seasoned Board representative, Sara specializes in bridging the gap between breakthrough discovery and clinical development. She provides the strategic governance and scientific oversight necessary to move first-in-class therapeutic platforms through the complexities of early-stage growth and into the clinic.

Leen Limbourg helps companies during creation/sustainable growth as an Investor, Advisor, and a Board Director. Leen’s unique fusion of science, international business acumen, and strategic leadership has positioned her at the cutting edge of Life Sciences, Tech & Innovation. She started her professional journey in the biotech industry, where she held international medico-marketing roles. Leen earned an MD, and a degree in Public Health from KU Leuven, Strategic Health Economics from Stockholm School of Economics, an MBA from Vlerick Business School, and trained as a Board Chair at INSEAD.

Christina Franssen joined the company’s Board of Directors as an observer in 2022. She serves as Investment Manager at WE Venture Life Sciences, where she focuses on venture investments in innovative life sciences companies.

Previously, she led the state-of-the-art technology platforms at the GIGA Institute. She began her career as a research scientist and later gained hands-on entrepreneurial experience, co-founding a spin-off company and supporting it through to a successful exit.

Christina Franssen holds a Master’s degree in Biology and a PhD in Genetics from the University of Liège.

Representing the Foundation Fournier-Majoie

Jérôme MAJOIE is the General Manager of the Foundation Fournier-Majoie, a Venture philanthropic foundation dedicated to recognize and support innovative and entrepreneurial researchers or teams, willing to develop biomolecular applications leading to improvements of treatments in oncology to the benefit of cancer patients. He has 14 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry at Lipha-Merck, Pfizer and Fournier Group in Sales Marketing, Business Development and Licensing departments. Jerome has lived and worked in the USA, the UK, Sweden, Japan as General Manager. Since 2005, he is coaching start-up companies in the biotech industry. Jerome holds an MBA from Hartford University (CT, USA).

Didier Allaer is an experienced entrepreneur specialising in life sciences and medical diagnostics. Over the course of his career, he has founded, developed and supported numerous innovative ventures within the biotechnology sector. He currently leads his family investment holding, Kazoku, which focuses on funding and scaling promising biotech start-ups. Through this role, he actively contributes to strategic development, governance and long-term value creation. Today, Didier Allaer serves on the boards of ten biotechnology companies, where he provides entrepreneurial insight, sector expertise and strategic guidance to support growth and innovation.

Didier Mattivi is Director of ULiège-RISE (Research, Innovation, Support & Enterprises) at the University of Liège, where he leads the strategic development of research and innovation and supports the valorization of scientific results through partnerships, licensing, and spin-off creation. With more than 20 years of experience at the interface of academia, industry, and public-private initiatives, he contributes to building effective frameworks for scientific entrepreneurship and impact-driven innovation. Didier previously co-founded and led IP Trade, a technology company later acquired by British Telecom. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Liège and Business Management from the Solvay Brussels School, and completed executive training at Wharton.

Jean Combalbert is Chairman of the Board of THERAtRAME since 2025 where he brings over 25 years of experience building biotech companies and delivering high-value exits. He previously served as CEO of Ogeda (acquired by Astellas Pharma for €800M) and Chairman of Syndesi Therapeutics (acquired by AbbVie for $1B). He is currently founder and non-executive director of Epics Therapeutics, and Chairman of Kynos Therapeutics and Dendrogenix. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Sanofi and Galderma.

Emil Pot, LL.M., EPA, is a seasoned business development and intellectual property executive with over 25 years of experience in the life sciences sector. He specializes in building high-value IP portfolios and structuring strategic transactions with biopharmaceutical companies focused on preclinical and clinical drug development. In 2006, he co-founded ActoGeniX (BE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, serving as General Counsel with responsibility for business development, legal, and IP strategy. In 2016, he co-founded Allero Therapeutics (BE), where he currently serves as Acting CEO. He also advises the Oncode Institute (NL) on BD and IP matters and leads his IP firm, ORI IP.

Dr. Michael Davies is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Dr. Davies is a physician-scientist whose research utilizes integrated approaches to study the regulation and clinical significance of oncogenic signaling networks in cancer. He has published >280 peer-reviewed original research manuscripts, he has been the principal investigator of multiple individual and team science grants, and he has led clinical trials of immune and targeted therapies.  Dr. Davies is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and he is the past President of the Society for Melanoma Research. 

Honorary professor at Tor Vergata University of Rome. Advisor to the Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci as expert in field of pharmaceuticals. Former Executive Director of European Medicines Agency (EMA), (2011-2020). Former Chair of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities, (ICMRA), (2019-2021). Former Director-General of the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), (2008-2011) and member of the Management Board. Former Research Director at the Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine of the National Research Council (CNR) in Rome (2005-2008). He is author of more hundreds publications.

Christel joined Confo as Chief Scientific Officer in 2016. She was among the first chemists to join Galapagos, where she progressed to Director of Medicinal Chemistry and played a key role in advancing the company’s discovery capabilities.

She is the inventor of filgotinib (Jyseleca), a therapy commercialized for the treatment of moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis. Before joining Galapagos, Christel worked at Faust Pharmaceuticals (now Domain Therapeutics), a biotechnology company focused on GPCR-targeted drug discovery. She is named as an inventor on more than 25 patent applications and has over 20 years of research and development experience.

Christel earned her PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Manchester in the laboratory of Professor Jonathan Clayden.