Kent Matlack, Ph.D.
Program Manager, Health Science Futures
Dr. Kent Matlack joined ARPA-H in January 2024 from Applied Molecular Transport, where he was a Senior Principal Scientist in the Platform Sciences Group. Formerly a Senior Scientist at Prosetta Biosciences and Staff Scientist at the Whitehead Institute, Matlack brings over 20 years of research experience in biochemistry, cell biology, neuroscience, and drug design from biotech companies and universities. His father, a second-generation organic chemist, instilled his love for science.
Matlack has a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. His background includes protein engineering, chemical biology and small molecule drug development, neurodegenerative diseases, organic chemistry, and mentorship. His perspective on science and technology is to ask, “How does it work, and how can we put it to use?” He feels very strongly that we have the unbelievable good luck to live at the time when biomedical understanding and technology can finally be brought together, with widespread benefit for human health.