Cioffi Scientific
Portrait of Alexander Cioffi

Principal Scientist · Mass Spectrometry · Drug Discovery

Alexander G. Cioffi, Ph.D.

I use mass spectrometry-driven proteomics to answer the questions that move drug programs forward. I have over 9 years of experience building, optimizing, and deploying critical-path assays across covalent and induced-proximity programs, from high-throughput RapidFire-MS screens to IND-enabling analysis of clinical samples.

See the analysis portfolio Publications

What I do

Expertise

My work sits where chemical biology meets analytical rigor: designing proteomics experiments that produce decision-quality data, and leading the people and cross-functional collaborations that act on it.

Chemoproteomics Cellular target engagement Targeted protein degradation Covalent drug discovery DIA / DDA / PRM RapidFire-MS HTS Clinical sample analysis Python/R data analysis

Toolkit

Platforms & software

Instruments: Orbitrap Lumos/Eclipse, Q-ToF, RapidFire-MS

Software: Skyline, DIA-NN, Proteome Discoverer, MaxQuant, Biopharma Finder, BioConfirm, Masspike, Python (pandas, NumPy, SciPy, matplotlib), and R

Cell-based assays: BRET, AlphaLISA, automated high-throughput formats

Career

Experience

  • 2025 – 2026
    Principal Scientist, Vulcan Bio

    Led a chemoproteomic cellular target-engagement platform (goDig) to drive hit-to-lead decisions across multiple programs; built automated high-throughput cellular assays (BRET, AlphaLISA) for induced-proximity programs.

  • 2019 – 2025
    Scientist I → Senior Scientist, Frontier Medicines

    Established the RapidFire-MS screening platform for hit ID; supervised two direct reports across three targeted protein degradation projects from hit ID through lead generation; ran IND-enabling studies measuring p53 Y220C target engagement in patient clinical samples.

  • 2017 – 2019
    Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Berkeley (Nomura Lab)

    Applied chemoproteomic covalent-ligand screening to discover a functional ligandable cysteine within an intrinsically disordered region of MYC.

  • 2011 – 2017
    Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Burke Lab)

    Small molecules that restore physiology in ion-transporter deficiencies ("molecular prosthetics"); work published in Nature, Science, JACS, and Nature Chemical Biology; co-inventor on three patent applications.

  • 2007 – 2011
    B.S., Chemistry, Saint Louis University — Summa Cum Laude

Get in touch

Contact

Email: acioffi3@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexander-cioffi-22148a72
GitHub: github.com/acioffi3-spec