Spring Behrouz, PhD

Chairman, & CEO

Role:

Sets vision and direction for company.

Experience:

Over 15 years working on Parkinson's disease. Founding CEO at NeuroInitiative since 2014 where she laid out a vision for applying advanced computational drug discovery methods which led to creation of Vincere Biosciences where she is also CEO. Previously she worked with Matt Farrer at Mayo clinic to characterize genetic models of Parkinson's disease and was part of the team that discovered a new pathogenic mutation in VPS35. Her PhD work implemented cutting edge laser capture, microarray, and in vivo siRNA techniques to identify protective genomic changes in Parkinson’s models. Recipient of JBJ’s 40 under 40 award, winner of One Spark’s science award, and supporter of science on the TEDx and March for Science stages.

Education:

PhD in Neuroscience from Michigan State University, postdoctoral work at Mayo Clinic.

Favorite Quote:

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. - Alan Kay

Andy D. Lee

Director, & CBO

Role:

Responsible for Business Development, Technology, and Operations.

Experience:

Over 20 years software and business experience in multiple industries. Founding CTO at NeuroInitiative where he is co-inventor on multiple granted and pending patents surrounding the SEED simulation platform. Previously VP of Engineering at Black Knight interfacing directly with clients including BoA, Wells Fargo, and Chase as a bridge between busines and technology to deliver solutions resulting in billions of dollars of value.

Education:

B.S. Computer Science from Grand Valley State University. Postgraduate coursework at Michigan State University.

Favorite Quote:

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled. - Richard Feynman

James L. Liang

Director

Role:

Advises on business strategy and fundraising.

Experience:

Angel investor with 30 years of business strategy and finance experience. Former Head of the Global Technology Banking Group at Morgan and Chief Strategy Officer for IBM’s Services Division.

Education:

Graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, holds a Sc.B. in Applied Mathematics/Economics from Brown University, and an MBA in Finance/Marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Favorite Quote:

Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out. - James Bryant Conant

Donna Romero, PhD

Medicinal Chemist

Role:

Leads new compound design.

Experience:

More than 25 years of medicinal chemistry experience doing drug discovery in a variety of therapeutic areas for both large pharma (Upjohn, Pharmacia and Pfizer) and biotech. She also serves as a consultant to the NIH NINDS Blueprint program helping small biotechs and academic groups discover drugs for a variety of CNS indications. She has extensive experience in all aspects of drug discovery and design including hit identification, lead optimization, structure-based drug design, preclinical development and early API strategy.

Education:

Phd Organic Chemistry from University of Wisconsin-Madison

Favorite Quote:

Not everything that can be counted counts. Not everything that counts can be counted. - William Bruce Cameron

Greg Bisacchi, PhD

Medicinal Chemist

Role:

Aids new compound design.

Experience:

Over 30 years experience in synthetic and medicinal chemistry, drug discovery and early drug development. Previous roles included consulting for several Boston area biotechs and Head of Discovery Chemistry at Syngene International (India). At AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb, his leadership in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular, metabolic disease, and infectious disease, resulted in several molecules entering the clinic, with one commercialized (entecavir/Baraclude®). He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and is co-inventor on over 40 US patents.

Education:

PhD in Organic Chemistry from University of California Los Angeles, postdoctoral work at Stanford University.

Favorite Quote:

It is well to remember that most arguments in favor of not trying an experiment are too flimsily based - Robert Burns Woodward

Maria Beconi-Barker PhD

Preclinical Development

Role:

Design and interpretation of in vivo experiments

Experience:

Pharmaceutical executive with over 20 years of experience in R&D, focusing on discovering and developing life-improving therapeutics. Managed R&D activities across large Pharma and virtual organizations, including as Vice President of Nonclinical and Pharmacology at Goldfinch Bio and Senior Vice President of Translational R&D at Disc Medicine. Her extensive background covers all aspects of R&D operations, including drug discovery, translation (DMPK, pharmacology, nonclinical safety), early clinical development, and partnership building in start-up companies.

Education:

PhD in Biochemistry from Michigan State University, MS in Animal Sciences from the University of Kentucky.

Favorite Quote:

Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.

Jodie Pietruska, PhD

Head of Biology

Role:

Provide leadership and direction on scientific activities.

Experience:

Scientist with more than 20 years of experience in leveraging in vitro and in vivo models to identify druggable targets for multiple indications. Passionate about discovering new therapeutics and improving patient’s quality of life. Previously, she spearheaded teams in upstream process development for protein-based therapeutics. Additionally, she has contributed towards a host of R&D areas including various branches of toxicology, oncology, and infectious disease.

Education:

PhD in Medical Science from Brown University, postdoctoral work at Tufts University

Favorite Quote:

Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought. - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Yonghak Seo, PhD

Scientist

Role:

Investigating the role of mitophagy-mitochondria activation in Parkinson disease models

Experience:

Molecular biologist with more than 10 years working on cellular senescence and mitochondrial function to improve lifespan and health span of animals. Research focusing on understanding metabolic diseases, cancer signaling pathway, and neuronal disorder mechanism caused by high glucose diets, malfunction of mitochondria, and aging progress. Working to improve both humans’ longevity and healthy living by new neuronal therapy development.

Education:

PhD in Metabolic disease and aging from Ajou University

Favorite Quote:

Ask yourself or your teacher one question every day

Kwadwo Adomako

Research Assistant

Role:

Assist in the execution of research experiments

Experience:

Research Associate with versatile and diverse experience in the field of molecular biology, complemented by a range of supporting skills. In academic research, his experience revolved around mRNA and in industry, he was involved in multifaceted roles spanning research and development, large scale production, and cell culture optimization.

Education:

B.S in Biomedical Engineering from Tufts University

Favorite Quote:

The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. - Carl Sagan

Anahit Campbell

Strategic Initiatives Manager

Role:

Leads strategic initiatives ranging from grants to partnerships and invstor relations.

Experience:

Scientist with a passion for communicating cutting edge research between expert groups as well as with the general public. She studied mass spectrometry characterization of novel alkylating agents under Dr. Xiaohua Peng. Her industry experience includes working in MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and R&D analytical project management.

Education:

M.S. Bioanalytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

Favorite Quote:

Medium is the message. - Marshall McLuhan

Dario Alessi, PhD

Scientific Advisory Board

Role:

Parkinson's and biochemistry expertise.

Experience:

Director of the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation unit at University of Dundee. Alessi has spent decades characterizing how phosphorylation and ubiquitylation cascades control biological function and disease resulting in 275 manuscripts which have been cited over 70,000 times establishing his role as a leader of the field.

Education:

BSc and PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham with postdoctoral research in the MRC PPU.

Stephen K. Burley, MD, DPhil

Scientific Advisory Board

Role:

Structural Biology expertise.

Experience:

Currently professor and Chair, Founding Director of the Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, and Director of the RCSB Protein Data Bank at Rutgers. Previously Distinguished Lilly Research Scholar in Lilly Research Laboratories, which he joined upon acquisition of SGX Pharmaceuticals where he was CSO after SGX acquisition of Prospect Genomics, which he co-founded. Prior to Prospect, Burley was Professor at The Rockefeller University and an Investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Education:

B.Sc. in Physics from University of Western Onterio, M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and D.Phil in Structural Biology from Oxford University. Internal medicine training at Brigham and Women's Hospital and postdoctoral work at Harvard and MIT.

Peter Lansbury, PhD

Scientific Advisory Board

Role:

Parkinson's and enzymology expertise.

Experience:

Prior Professor of Chemistry at MIT and current Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School where he founded the Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration and directed the Morris K. Udall NIH Parkinson’s Disease Research Center of Excellence at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Founder and CSO of Link Medicine through its sale to AstraZeneca. Currently CSO at Lysosomal Therapeutics, Inc. developing disease modifying therapies for Parkinson's disease.

Education:

AB (cum laude) in chemistry from Princeton University and PhD in organic chemistry from Harvard University under the direction of Nobel laureate E. J. Corey. Postdoctoral work at the Rockefeller University.