Founders at Work: Dispatch Bio
Answering the Call: Bridging the Coasts to Break through Solid Tumors
Overview
Immunotherapy treatments have transformed outcomes in hematologic malignancies but have yet to demonstrate durable success in solid tumors due to two fundamental barriers: the lack of tumor-specific targets and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Dispatch Bio was born out of a Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) retreat that brought together leaders in cellular engineering, synthetic biology, protein design, and tumor microenvironment biology to confront the fundamental barriers limiting immunotherapy treatments in solid tumors.
Speaker Bios
Sabah Oney, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer: Sabah Oney is the President and CEO of Dispatch Bio. Before Dispatch Bio, Sabah was a Venture Partner at ARCH Venture Partners, where he played a key role in nurturing several new biotech startups. Prior to that, he was the Chief Business Officer at Alector, steering the company through its IPO and several significant partnerships. Sabah also made significant contributions to Ariosa Diagnostics, where he was instrumental in the global rollout of non-invasive genetic tests using cell-free DNA. His efforts helped lead to the company's eventual acquisition by Roche in 2015. Earlier in his career, Sabah was a senior scientist at a biotech startup, developing advanced siRNA-delivery platforms. He earned a B.S. in genetics from the University of Kansas as a Fulbright Scholar, followed by a Ph.D. in genetics and genomics from Duke University. He also holds an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Lex Johnson, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Platform Officer: Lex Johnson, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and Chief Platform Officer of Dispatch. With extensive expertise in immunology and oncology, Lex leads teams focused on innovative targeting strategies, T cell signaling pathways, and therapeutic delivery. He has spearheaded significant studies on inflammatory signaling in tumor resistance, immune regulators within the tumor microenvironment, and novel CAR T approaches. Lex received his Ph.D. and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, collaborating with Drs. Andy Minn and Carl June to integrate tumor biology and cell engineering concepts to enhance the understanding of anti-tumor immune responses. He is an inventor on key patents underlying Dispatch technology, has published extensively in high-impact scientific journals, and has been recognized with honors and awards from national organizations, including NCI, NIH, and AAI.
Ray Liu, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Head of Synthetic Biology: Ray Liu, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and Head of Synthetic Biology at Dispatch. With expertise in developmental biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, Ray leads the design and engineering effort at Dispatch, focusing on developing the platform to leverage virus and T cell biology and enhance safety, synergy and efficacy. Ray received his B.S. with honors and distinction from Stanford University, studying immunology and virus-host cell signaling. He received his Ph.D. as an NSF fellow at Caltech, deciphering membrane fission and fusion mechanisms underlying mitochondrial and neurological diseases. As an NIH postdoctoral fellow at UCSF, Ray worked with Dr. Kole Roybal to engineer next-generation receptor and genetic circuits for immunotherapy. He is a patent holder and inventor on over 10 patent applications licensed to several biotech companies, including Dispatch.
About Founders at Work:
This monthly seminar series alternates between our San Francisco and San Carlos locations and showcases a distinguished current resident or alumnus from our community. These sessions are designed to provide early-stage founders with real-world advice, practical strategies, and inspiring stories from those who’ve navigated the entrepreneurial journey successfully.
This event is open to the public. Please be sure to register to reserve your spot!