Dr. Rustam Esanov is Co-Founder and CEO of Reprogram Biosciences, a preclinical oncology biotech pioneering mRNA-based therapeutics that reprogram solid tumor cells into immune-activating cells.

He earned his PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Miami, then built deep expertise in cell reprogramming and genomics across Scripps Research, Revance Therapeutics, and Nitrase Tx.

As Associate Director of Genomic Sciences at GSK, Rustam drove initiatives at the intersection of genomics and drug discovery, positioning him uniquely to launch a next-generation cancer immunotherapy company.

Under his leadership, Reprogram Biosciences achieved in vivo proof-of-concept data within just six months of founding and closed a $6M seed round backed by Unshackled Ventures, 1517 Fund, and Narya.

The company's CellRecodeX AI discovery engine leverages biological foundation models to accelerate candidate identification, targeting solid tumors that affect over 10 million people annually worldwide.