Ferran Prat, Ph.D., J.D.
Moon Shots Program Executive Committee
About Dr. Prat
Ferran Prat, Ph.D., J.D., is responsible for linking MD Anderson and industry partners. His efforts generate collaborations that bring new drugs, diagnostics, imaging agents and IT solutions to market faster, benefiting patients suffering from cancer.
Affiliations and Related Links
Fighting Cancer: It's Personal
What's your Moon Shot focus?
My role is to ensure that we're efficiently linked with industry, in a bi-directional manner. Industry generates tools and solutions that can greatly benefit the Moon Shots Program™. Conversely, through our efforts, we're developing tools and solutions ourselves, and those need industrial partnerships if we want them to reach the whole world.
What makes your fight against cancer personal?
I’ve been fortunate that cancer has not yet impacted my loved ones, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see all the suffering that it’s causing, and that sparks a drive to help.
What makes the Moon Shots Program stand out?
The program stands out because of its professionalism. If it wasn’t for the platforms and their professional focus, our efforts would get diluted and would lack the focus that that's needed to maximize the chances of effecting change.
What do you hope to accomplish?
My personal focus is sustainability. If we can’t make the Moon Shots Program sustainable, it will struggle. Fortunately, we've been able to make great inroads on that front.
What motivates and excites you?
My motivation comes from the chance to make a difference in a way that may not be obvious at first, but that I believe is fundamental if we want to change the standard of care at a global scale.
What else do you want people to know about you and your work?
Working with industry is not an either/or proposition. Great academic and clinical advances can be achieved by working closely with the best minds at industry. They have enormous resources, and it behooves us to leverage those for the benefit of patients worldwide.