I am an entrepreneurial scientist with research and project management experience bridging academic and industry settings. I have a PhD in Molecular Biology and was one of the first researchers to work in the small RNA (sRNA) field. My graduate thesis focused on creating critical reagents and foundational assays that are used to detect and measure sRNA activity. As a Fellow at the Yale School of Medicine, I was involved in the discovery and characterization a set of first-in-class that resulted in the formation of 2 companies (MiraKind and MiraDx). I lead R&D as the Chief Scientific Officer of MiraDx and created 4 biomarker tests to predict response and outcome measures to radiation therapy and immuno-oncology agents. These products are currently used as patient enrollment and selection markers in clinical trials. In 2014 I was recruited to Biogen where I developed pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assays for the antisense oligo pipeline, which was being co-developed with IONIS Pharmaceuticals. The biomarker tests my team developed provided go/no-go decision-making criteria for moving two antisense oligos, directed against superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) from preclinical into first-in-human trials in patients affected with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gatehouse Bio, I lead all scientific development and strategic operations at the company. Within three years of formation we have created a relational database that fuels the discovery of small RNA signatures that are licensed out to drug developers for use in uncovering drug targets, and identifying companion diagnostics and new indications for existing drugs.
Did you know?

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