Perlara was founded in 2014 to translate yeast and fruit-fly biology into treatments for ultra-rare diseases. Twelve years later, the model has matured through two prior eras — a biotech, then a patient-services firm — into a full-stack drug development company.
From day one in 2014, yeast has been the primary disease model. The library and the assays have grown; the organism hasn’t.
Public Benefit Corporation since incorporation. The 1.0 platform, the 2.0 services, and the 3.0 pipeline all share the same legal commitment to patient outcomes.
Every program begins with a specific patient or family. Cure Partnerships in 1.0, Cure Odysseys in 2.0/3.0 — the name evolved, the contract didn’t.
From the original Perlara blog to the Cure Odysseys Substack today, the science has been narrated in the open. What we learn, families learn — usually in the same week.
Perlara is a team of scientists, clinicians, and operators working to translate ultra-rare biology into therapies patients can actually access.
CEO and founder of Perlara PBC, Ethan Perlstein trained as a chemical biologist at Harvard and Princeton. Has championed yeast-based personalized medicine for over a decade — first through Perlara 1.0’s Cure Partnerships, then as a consulting geneticist for rare- disease families, and now as the principal investigator on the Perlara 3.0 SBIR.
Director of the Drug Repurposing Program at Perlara PBC, Dr. Mathuravani Thevandavakkam, leads the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for rare diseases by building scalable discovery frameworks that bridge fundamental biology, disease modeling, and translational research. With a background in molecular genetics, microbiology, and mitochondrial biology, she specializes in translating scientific discoveries into clinical therapies for rare metabolic diseases. Since 2022, she has advanced more than 30 drug repurposing pipelines, accelerating promising candidates toward patient-centric studies and clinical readiness. Her work combines rigorous scientific investigation with a deep commitment to patient-centered innovation, expanding therapeutic opportunities for underserved rare disease communities.
Director of the Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation Program at Perlara, PBC, Kristin Kantautas has a background in molecular genetics and glycobiology. She specializes in translating scientific discoveries into clinical therapies for rare metabolic diseases. Since 2022, she has led 10+ drug repurposing programs, advancing treatments to the clinic and building strategic partnerships.
Mitochondrial Disease Program Director at Perlara, PBC, Shiri Zakin leads patient-centric drug repurposing initiatives for mitochondrial disorders. With 20+ years of experience in academia and industry in protein production, drug discovery, and translating research into effective treatments, she is dedicated to improving outcomes and accelerating therapies that make a real difference in patients' lives.
Chief of Staff at Perlara, PBC, Mimi Tran translates high-level strategy into effective day-to-day execution. With over 14 years of experience in strategic operations, she has a strong track record of building and scaling organizational infrastructure in high-growth startup environments.Her expertise is rooted in early-stage biotech, where she helps teams stay lean, agile, and aligned to their core mission. Mimi holds a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health from George Fox University, grounding her operational leadership in a deep understanding of the healthcare and life sciences landscape.
Operations Manager at Perlara PBC, James Joanani supports operations across multiple teams, helping bridge the scientific, operational, and technical sides of the company. His work includes managing SBIR grant submissions and administration, coordinating day-to-day lab and company operations, contributing as a research associate in the lab, and supporting Perlara’s web development and internal IT efforts. With 19 years experience across startups and fast-paced environments, he focuses on building systems, solving problems, and helping teams stay organized and moving forward.