Deborah is responsible for leading the foundation and executing on its strategic mission to improve opportunities for all people to live healthier, longer lives.

Prior to joining RTWCF, Deborah Slipetz was at Merck and has 30 years of experience as a drug hunterscientist and executive leader in the pharmaceutical industry. She was part of the team that invented SingulairTM for asthma and has brought an additional 25 drug candidates into clinical trials. Deborah has a depth and breadth of experience in drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas. She recently served as executive director, In-Vivo Pharmacology responsible for cardiovascular, diabetes, neuroscience, infectious diseases, respiratory, immunology and oncology therapeutic areas. Her core biology expertise lies within the respiratory and immunology area, where she held the position of therapeutic area lead.

Deborah most recently co-founded and served as the executive director of imagine@Merck, a transformative innovation engine that attracts thinkers and doers who seek to challenge the status quo by providing the framework to unleash and amplify their ingenuity to amplify change. This business unit served as a platform for employees to communicate and collaborate to drive change and identify solutions to pressing issues not only in drug development, but enterprise-wide. Her team was recognized by “Fast Company” in 2020 as one of the most “Innovative Teams”.

Deborah has a B.Sc. in cell and molecular biology, a M.Sc. in molecular genetics and a Ph.D. in pharmacology, all from McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Nate is responsible for leading the operations of the RTW Charitable Foundation as well as directing the education and policy elements of the foundation’s mission.

Prior to RTW, Nate was CFO and COO of JMG, a youth workforce development organization, and Teach Plus, a national teacher leadership organization. He taught for eight years as an adjunct professor of nonprofit management at the Carroll Graduate School of Management at Boston College. Prior to working at Teach Plus, he was an economist for Analysis Group. Nate started his nonprofit career at City Year where he managed national corporate partnerships. In addition, prior to joining the RTW team, Nate served as an independent board director for RTW’s private funds.

Nate has an MBA from Boston College and a BA in English from the University of Kansas.

Juan Carlos López is Managing Director, Research Grants, at the RTW Charitable Foundation. A native of Oaxaca, Mexico, Juan Carlos obtained his Ph.D. degree from Columbia University (New York) in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Eric Kandel and carried out postdoctoral research at the Instituto Cajal (Madrid). In 2000, Juan Carlos moved to London to launch the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, subsequently becoming its Chief Editor. Four years later, he returned to New York as Chief Editor of the prestigious journal Nature Medicine. In 2014, Juan Carlos joined Hoffmann-La Roche as Head of Academic Relations and Collaborations, leading a team in charge of fostering scientific interactions between the company and academic institutions worldwide. After leaving Roche, Juan Carlos founded Haystack Science, a consulting firm specialized in editorial services and science commercialization. In 2020, Juan Carlos returned to the pharmaceutical industry as Director of Academic Research Collaborations at Bristol Myers Squibb. Throughout his career, Juan Carlos has served on the Boards of multiple organizations in the non-profit and biotechnology sectors, most recently on the Board of Directors of Keystone Symposia.

Sarah serves as Humanitarian Grants Manager for RTW Charitable Foundation where she is responsible for institutional  partnerships, humanitarian grants, and community initiatives.

Prior to joining RTWCF, Sarah Garwood worked in international development and grants management, most recently at World Connect, a micro-grant giving non-profit focused on community-led health, education, and economic initiatives. Sarah worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), researching nature-based solutions for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. At Jesuit Refugee Service South Africa, she worked with refugee and asylum-seeking women, highlighting their stories and designing a sustainable communication strategy for the organization. She also lived and worked in Belize City, Belize for two years, managing youth development programming at an all-boys high  school with Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Sarah holds her M.A. in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University, where she was an Arrupe Fellow, and a B.B.A. in Business Management, International Business, and Theology from Villanova University. More recently, Sarah completed a certificate in Global Mental Health: Trauma & Recovery through the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma.

Lauren Batres serves as Executive Assistant and Project Manager for RTW Charitable Foundation where she is responsible for supporting the executive team and overseeing organizational projects. Previously, Lauren worked in the technology sector supporting the CEO at Intelligent Retail Lab by Walmart. Prior to Intelligent Retail Lab, Lauren held positions at Jet.com and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. Lauren studied Art History and Philosophy at Brooklyn College.