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Passionate about the use of A.I. and machine learning to change the risk, cost, and timelines in the highly interdisciplinary field of personalized medicine.
Panna Sharma is the Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Starlight Therapeutics. In addition to his role at Starlight, Panna also serves as the President, CEO, and Board Member of its parent company, Lantern Pharma Inc., where he leads the strategic development of AI-driven precision oncology approaches. Much of Starlight’s innovation is powered by this shared foundation, including Lantern’s proprietary machine-learning platform, the Response Algorithm for Drug Repositioning & Rescue (RADR®), which identifies patient subgroups, predicts therapeutic responses, and accelerates the development of targeted cancer therapies. Under his leadership, these capabilities are being extended into CNS cancers through Starlight’s pipeline.
As Acting CEO of Starlight Therapeutics, Panna guides the company’s scientific, clinical, and strategic priorities—ensuring that each program is designed to meet the unique challenges of CNS tumors, where drug delivery, tumor heterogeneity, and therapeutic resistance remain major barriers. STAR-001 and related programs reflect his commitment to improving outcomes for patients who urgently need safer, more effective treatment options.
Prior to founding and leading Lantern Pharma, Panna served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CGIX), a provider of genomic and immune-based cancer diagnostics and therapy development services for leading medical institutions and biopharma partners. During his tenure, he raised over $100 million, expanded the company from 25 to more than 250 employees worldwide, took CGIX public in 2013, and completed four global acquisitions to advance precision cancer diagnostics.
Before CGIX, Panna founded TSG Partners, an advisory group focused on corporate strategy and finance for life sciences, biotechnology, and environmental science companies. He began his career as an industry analyst for financial services and technology companies and was part of the management team that took the digital strategy company iXL public.
Panna attended Boston University in the University Professors Program, concentrating on Philosophy of Science, Neural Networks, and Artificial Intelligence. When not focused on advancing biotech, emerging technologies, and AI-driven drug development, Panna enjoys time with his wife and three children, listening to music, attending sports events, discussing ethical uses of A.I., debating language theory, and exploring vibrant local food scenes.
