Rafael obtained a Ph.D. in Structural Biology from NYU, working at Stevan Hubbard’s laboratory on the topic of the intracellular regulation of the insulin signaling pathway. This was followed by postdoctoral work at Weill Cornell Medical College, focusing on the structural analysis of the HIV-1 envelope for vaccine design. He always had a great passion for pharmacology and for drug development, which led him to obtain a Senior Scientist position at the Pfizer Centers of Therapeutic Innovation. During this two year tenure, he acted as the point person for protein expression and purification and for the structural analysis of therapeutic antibodies for humanization and developability. Rafael subsequently was recruited to Kadmon to set up a Structure Based Drug Design (SBDD) group, which supported several small molecule development programs in the areas of immunology, immuno-oncology, cancer metabolomics and fibrosis. He stayed at Kadmon for almost eight years as Principal Scientist I and II, working in close collaboration with the Medicinal Chemistry and the Biology departments.