Welcome our New Board of Directors!

We are delighted to welcome Han C. Phan, MD and Jesse Vargas, PhD to Cure VCP Disease’s Board of Directors! We are counting on their visionary leadership to help propel our maturing organization into the next chapter of breakthrough rare disease work.

Han C. Phan, MD

Dr. Han Phan is a pediatric neurologist and sleep specialist with a deep passion for clinical trials in rare diseases. With over 15 years of experience leading clinical research, she has focused extensively on conditions such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. In 2017, she founded Rare Disease Research, LLC, headquartered in Atlanta, GA—an independent organization where she now serves as principal investigator, overseeing active studies in neuromuscular disorders. 

She currently serves on the Pediatric Advisory Board at the FDA and was previously a guest researcher with the CDC's Newborn Screening Branch. Dr. Phan also held the position of Associate Professor at the University of Alabama and co-directed the MDA clinic. She is driven by a strong commitment to expand access to clinical trials for patients with rare diseases.

Jesse Vargas, PhD

Jesse has over a decade of drug discovery experience, centered on his expertise in cancer cell and human disease biology. He currently serves as Director of Scientific Affairs and Strategic Messaging at Eikon Therapeutics, a technology enabled biopharmaceutical company with a robust pipeline of programs across oncology, immunology and neuroscience. Prior to joining Eikon, he led preclinical research and development at Cleave Therapeutics where he oversaw research supporting a phase one clinical program in oncology, from IND enabling studies to ongoing work on biomarkers, patient selection and analysis and interpretation of emergent human subject data from the trial. During his tenure at Cleave he led an effort to establish a program exploring the feasibility and therapeutic rationale for a VCP inhibitor in neurodegenerative disease. From initial proof of concept with Cleave proprietary molecules, to engagement with KOLs across the nation specializing in VCP disease and Huntington's Disease, and presenting preliminary data at the annual Huntington's Disease meeting, he brought his passion for exploratory research and patient advocacy to that endeavor, working with SMEs and consultants and culminating in a detailed plan and budget for a clinical program in the space. He previously served as microscopy core director at both UC San Diego and UCLA as part of integrated quantitative and computational systems biology laboratories. Jesse completed his doctoral studies at UC San Diego/the Salk Institute under the mentorship of Martin Hetzer in advanced microscopy and cell biology. He completed a Masters in Molecular, Cellular and Systemic Human Physiology from SIU Carbondale, and graduated with honors with dual bachelor’s degrees from UC Irvine in Chemistry and Biology. In his free time, Jesse enjoys photography, Judo, hiking and spending time with his French Bulldog, Aristide.