Dr. Tartaglia (Lou) is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Cure Ventures. Lou’s career spans more than 30 years demonstrating scientific and therapeutic product project leadership within the biotech industry as well as investment leadership within multiple venture capital firms. His experience and skills as a rigorous scientist have manifested itself across a wide array of functional areas, allowing him to serve with distinction within the C-Suite in numerous biotech start-ups.
In 2016 Lou served as Head of 4:59, 5AM Venture’s internal de novo new company formation initiative. In that first year he led the formation of Entrada Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TRDA) and then served as interim CEO for its first year. Lou subsequently transitioned into a 5AM Venture Partner role where he has taken CEO roles at start-ups.
From 2007 to 2014 Lou served as a Partner at Third Rock Ventures where he played an integral role in the overall scientific diligence, formation, and development of its portfolio companies. While a Partner at Third Rock he played crucial roles in starting many of Third Rock’s most successful portfolio companies including as Chief Scientific Officer of Editas (NASDAQ: EDIT), Rhythm (NASDAQ: RYTM) and Agios (NASDAQ: AGIO) for the first year of operations. Beyond Third Rock he also served as Chief Executive Officer of Solstice Biologics and General Manager at GeneLogic.
Lou was formerly the first employee of and Vice President at the start-up Millennium Pharmaceuticals where he was responsible for the discovery and development of multiple therapeutic programs, which was later acquired for $8.7 Billion by Takeda Pharmaceuticals.
Lou completed his postdoctoral work at Genentech in the laboratory of Dr. David Goeddel. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley in the laboratory of Dr. Bruce Ames and his B.S. in Chemistry at the State University of New York at Albany.