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Mandana Manzari
Mandana Manzari Honu, Ph.D., is a prominent figure in the fields of biomedical engineering and biotechnology. She currently serves as the Founder and Principal of Honu Consulting, where she leverages her extensive experience in scientific and business development strategies for various biotech companies, including those focused on bioprocessing, antibody therapeutics, diagnostics, cell therapy, vaccines, and AI/ML technologies.2
Education and Early Career
Dr. Manzari holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Duke University and is trained as a chemical engineer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her academic and research career includes significant roles at prestigious institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. During her postdoctoral research at Sloan Kettering, she worked on precision nanomedicines aimed at targeted drug delivery for cancer treatment.12
Professional Experience
Before founding Honu Consulting, Dr. Manzari held key positions including:
- Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Business Development at Kaleidoscope Bio, where she oversaw the development of their first enterprise-level software product.
- Head of Scientific Assessments for corporate business development at Resilience, where she evaluated technologies across various therapeutic areas and managed transactions exceeding $300 million.2
Research Contributions
Her research focuses on protein engineering, nano delivery systems, and gene editing, with numerous publications in high-impact journals such as Science Advances and Nature Reviews Materials. Dr. Manzari has also been involved in developing innovative cancer therapies utilizing biomaterials and engineered proteins, contributing to over 500 citations in scientific literature.2
Current Role
As the principal at Honu Consulting, Dr. Manzari continues to influence the biotech industry by advising early-stage companies on scientific advancements and strategic business development.12

