Dr. Deborah Soto-Ortega, a scientist from Aguada, Puerto Rico, is leading the development of a skin cancer vaccine at Moderna's facility in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Soto-Ortega studied biotechnology at the University of Puerto Rico and later earned a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of South Carolina. She worked at Amgen in Puerto Rico before joining Moderna in 2022 to lead the phase 3 study of the skin cancer program.
As site head, Soto-Ortega oversees the team responsible for developing the vaccine, which is currently in clinical trials. The recent announcement from Moderna indicates that the phase 3 data for the skin cancer vaccine has shown positive results, bringing new hope for the treatment of one of the most impactful cancers worldwide.