Hani Goodarzi

Dr. Hani Goodarzi is a Core Investigator and AI research lead at the Arc Institute, where he is a key member of the team leading the Virtual Cell initiative, a monumental effort to build predictive, AI-driven models of cellular behavior. A pioneer at the intersection of machine learning and RNA biology, he also serves as an Associate Professor at UCSF in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and is a member of the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute.

Since establishing his lab in 2016, Dr. Goodarzi has focused on decoding the complex "RNA code", developing foundational computational models for single-cell sequencing and multimodal data integration. His impact extends significantly into the biotechnology sector as a prolific founder of category-defining companies: Exai Bio, which leverages RNA-based biomarkers for early cancer detection; Tahoe Therapeutics, which generates gigascale single-cell perturbation data to power "virtual cell" drug discovery; and Therna Biosciences, a leader in generative AI-driven programmable RNA therapeutics.

A recipient of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise, the AACR-MPM Transformative Cancer Research Award, and the Martin and Rose Wachtel Award, Dr. Goodarzi is dedicated to bridging computational theory and experimental biology to drive the next generation of human health breakthroughs.