Chicheng Sun

Chicheng Sun

Senior Scientist, Cellular Physiology

As part of the Biology team, I work to establish the most disease-relevant cellular models to help our drug discovery efforts. Specifically, I differentiate patient stem cells into cell types that are most affected in disease and then utilize these cells for drug screening and physiological study. At Fulcrum, I have found a unique combination of cutting-edge research and full capacity to translate into the clinic. I am very proud to be part of such a talented team and to join our commitment to help patients.

I enjoy outdoor activities and traveling to experience nature and culture.

Billy Stuart

Billy Stuart

Associate Scientist, Biology

I am a member of the Biology team at Fulcrum, and my role focuses on target validation and in vitro pharmacology assay development. I also enjoy the challenge of designing, operating, and maintaining the lab automation and robotics at Fulcrum. These automation systems enable our scientists to work at a much higher throughput and on more diseases than we could manage manually. I joined Fulcrum in 2016 because I saw the opportunity to help build a powerful drug discovery platform and the potential to help as many patients as possible in an area of unmet medical need.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, working on my house, and being outdoors.  I’m also a big hockey enthusiast and have season tickets for the Boston Bruins.

Kelly Jackson

Kelly Jackson

Director, Portfolio & Program Management

Joining Fulcrum in 2016 allowed me to embrace my conviction that decision-making needs to be based on input from those whose lives we hope to impact. Listening to the voice of the patient community ensures that our efforts will enable evolution in understanding genetic disease and produce meaningful outcomes. I am routinely reminded of the breadth of experience, drive, intelligence, and passion of my colleagues, and am honored to be a part of the Fulcrum Family.

My love for adventure means you are most likely to find me outdoors with family and friends when not at Fulcrum – typically biking, hiking, skiing, on the water, fireside, or enjoying the view from our yard. I don’t go anywhere without something to read and the most direct route to my heart is through unique cuisine.

Anthony Accorsi

Anthony Accorsi

Scientist, Biology

I work on the Cell Biology & Cell Physiology team at Fulcrum, focusing on muscle biology. My goal is to develop state of the art, physiologically-relevant patient-derived cell models to study disease-relevant physiology. I joined Fulcrum after studying congenital muscular dystrophy because of my love for muscle biology and passion to help patients with rare muscle disorders.  As someone with personal connections to rare neuromuscular disorders, it is inspiring to work with such a dedicated team of individuals who are committed to bringing life-changing therapies to these patient populations.

As my chosen field of study might imply, outside of work you can find me running marathons on the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s endurance team – Team Momentum, weight lifting, or practicing Jiu Jitsu.


Jayashree Chadchankar

Jayashree Chadchankar

Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine

I am part of the Clinical Development and Translational Medicine Group where my focus is identifying biomarkers in patients with rare diseases to assess the efficacy of our therapeutics in clinical trials. I joined Fulcrum because Fulcrum is a patient-focused, exciting, and fast-paced company with a team of exceptional scientists working together to find novel therapies for diseases that currently have none.

Outside of work, I practice Iaido, the ancient Japanese martial art of swordsmanship. I also love hiking in the national forests around New England.

Ivan Efremov

Ivan Efremov

Director, Chemistry

I joined the Molecular Sciences team at Fulcrum in 2017 to utilize my training as a medicinal chemist to bring innovative medicines to rare disease patients. I believe that Fulcrum’s scientific approach of leveraging chemogenomic regulation has great potential, and am excited to be part of a team that has a drive and a strong commitment to achieving our goal. It is extremely fulfilling to work at a company that is so focused on making a difference in patients’ lives.

Outside of work, you can find me spending time with my family, hiking, reading, or cooking.

Kingsley Appiah

Kingsley Appiah

Senior Scientist, Enzymology

My focus is to use enzymology/molecular pharmacology tools to enable the discovery of novel and transformative therapies to treat rare diseases. I find it exciting to be part of such a talented multi-disciplinary team whose singular mission is to bring transformative medicines via gene regulation to patients afflicted with rare disease. I’m here because this role clearly aligns with my interests.

Outside of work, I love to travel and spend quality time with family.

Akshay Kakumanu

Akshay Kakumanu

Computational Biologist

I work in the computational biology team at Fulcrum. My focus is in developing computational and genomic approaches that leverage large public and internal datasets to prioritize therapeutic strategies for various programs at Fulcrum. I joined Fulcrum because of the unique opportunity to impact the lives of patients with rare diseases working alongside an incredibly talented team.

Outside of work, I have a keen interest in Carnatic music. I also like to camp and hike with friends and family.

Alan Robertson

Alan Robertson

Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine

I am part of a team advancing therapies for muscular and neuromuscular diseases. My current focus is creating biomarkers capable of determining the effect of an FSHD therapeutic in clinical trials. I am passionate about helping patients with no current therapeutic options. We work hard at Fulcrum to create a culture that can tackle difficult diseases and create novel therapeutics.  I am proud to work alongside very talented scientists and look forward to seeing what we create.

I love outdoor activities including skiing, hiking, kayaking and of course relaxing on the beach with an enjoyable book.

Hao Wu

Hao Wu

Senior Scientist, Developmental Biology

I joined Fulcrum in 2016 as a developmental biologist. My focus is to develop patient-derived, disease-relevant cellular and animal models to support identification of druggable targets and in vivo pharmacology for rare genetic disorders. I am proud to be part of the Fulcrum team, which has the right combination of know-how, creativity and motivation, as well as the scientific excellence and collaboration to fuel our therapeutic programs for the many patients with unmet needs to live normal lives.

As part of my curiosity to explore the unknown, I love wild animal adventures. On the weekends, you will find me with my family at the New England Aquarium or at the zoo.

Elyse Mendelson

Elyse Mendelson

Senior Associate, Human Resources

I joined Fulcrum as the second G&A hire in 2016 because I saw a great opportunity to work for a mission-driven organization that prioritized the patients and families it intends to help. I began as a member of the administrative team and recently moved into the Human Resources/Operations group.  In my role, I interact with every member of the team and I love working with such motivated and fun people who never lose sight of why they are here.

As a classically trained opera singer, you may catch me singing tunes around the office or talking about the plant-based meals I enjoy crafting daily.

Pete Rahl

Pete Rahl

Principal Scientist, Target Validation

I am on the Biology team at Fulcrum with a focus on target validation, genomics and gene regulation. Prior to Fulcrum, I had never worked in neuromuscular or erythroid-related diseases and I enjoy the challenge of learning these new areas of biology and pushing ourselves to have a big impact in these fields. I decided to join Fulcrum because I think that modulating gene regulation in these diseases could produce long lasting and effective therapies for these patients that do not have many other options.

I enjoy running, coaching youth sports and high-altitude weather ballooning. You can see a video of my most recent launch here. 

Mark Roth

Mark Roth

Senior Scientist, Translational Medicine

My focus at Fulcrum is Fragile X Syndrome on the Translational Medicine team.  My goal is to develop clinical biomarkers for a clinical trial.  I love to experimentally test new ideas and techniques and to problem solve. I’m here because I want a closer connection with the individuals Fulcrum intends to help.

I also love to go adventure seeking with my family.

Ning Shen

Ning Shen

Computational Biologist

My focus is to study genomic regulation of disease genes using integrative computational approaches. I love the genomic aspects of biology and applying cutting edge computational methods to advance precision medicine. I am excited to be here because I believe in the power of computational biology and am honored to be contributing to efforts to help patients suffering from genetic diseases.

Outside of being a lifelong and avid animal lover, I have been spending much of my spare time getting to know Boston and Cambridge since my move from North Carolina!

Ling Lin

Ling Lin

Senior Scientist, Biology

My focus is target identification (product engine) on the Biology team. I love applying innovative technologies to investigate disease mechanisms and explore the potential modulation of disease causative genes. I also love integrating translational and clinical strategies in early stage drug discovery. I am here to discover transformative treatments for patients by targeting genetic causes of these challenging diseases.

When the weather permits, you can find me sailing in the Charles River and bird watching.

Steven Kazmirski

Steven Kazmirski

Director, Structural Biology and Biophysics

I focus on defining the molecular interactions of our small molecules with our target proteins.  I love seeing how the new compounds bind to their targets at the atomic level.  I am at Fulcrum as I find it the perfect opportunity to bring a novel therapy to untreated rare genetic diseases.

As an enthusiastic SCUBA diver, you can often find me exploring the world below water.

Alejandro Rojas

Alejandro Rojas

Senior Scientist, Biology

I joined the Biology team at Fulcrum to apply my passion for exploring new ways to unravel the molecular mechanisms behind gene regulation to the development of transformative medicines for patients and their families. I am thrilled at the opportunity to pursue this goal alongside our extremely talented and driven multidisciplinary team.

As an avid foodie, I also love exploring the food scenes in Boston and New York.