Experience

Juvena Therapeutics

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• CEO and Co-Founder

  • Aug 2017 - 6 years 5 months

  Redwood City, California, United States Juvena Therapeutics is a venture-backed biopharma startup developing novel disease-reversing biologics that revitalize tissue function for chronic and age-related diseases. Juvena identifies novel protein drug candidates from a proprietary library using a Machine learning (ML)-enhanced discovery platform combined with an extensive preclinical development pipeline. Juvena's platform combines proteomics, RNA sequencing, and image-based data modalities with ML to implement an efficient… Show more Juvena Therapeutics is a venture-backed biopharma startup developing novel disease-reversing biologics that revitalize tissue function for chronic and age-related diseases. Juvena identifies novel protein drug candidates from a proprietary library using a Machine learning (ML)-enhanced discovery platform combined with an extensive preclinical development pipeline. Juvena's platform combines proteomics, RNA sequencing, and image-based data modalities with ML to implement an efficient high-throughput screening system. We validate our leads using multiple primary aged and degenerating human in vitro models and preclinical animal disease models to develop a pipeline of drug candidates aimed at ameliorating rare and chronic, life-threatening degenerative diseases. Juvena's initial candidates target neuromuscular and skeletal diseases, with discovery candidates across multiple therapeutic areas. You can learn more at: https://www.juvenatherapeutics.com We are proud members of the StartX community of founders, and Creative Destruction Lab. Show less



StartX Med Labs Cooperative, Inc.

• Secretary, Board Of Directors

  • Apr 2020 - Aug 2022

  Palo Alto, California, United States Juvena co-led the formation of the StartX Med Labs Cooperative in 2020. The Coop is managing the shared lab space inside StartX for Biotech and MedTech companies. We utilize the rent to invest in equipment maintenance plus new shared instrumentation. We share resources and foster collaborations. The coop is seeking sponsorship. Sponsorship of the coop would enable new shared lab space close to Stanford, with state-of-the-art shared equipment. It will foster interdisciplinary… Show more Juvena co-led the formation of the StartX Med Labs Cooperative in 2020. The Coop is managing the shared lab space inside StartX for Biotech and MedTech companies. We utilize the rent to invest in equipment maintenance plus new shared instrumentation. We share resources and foster collaborations. The coop is seeking sponsorship. Sponsorship of the coop would enable new shared lab space close to Stanford, with state-of-the-art shared equipment. It will foster interdisciplinary collaborations and provides sponsors direct access to the best Stanford tech and med-tech entrepreneurs. Best of all, the Coop will save investment firms $Millions in their Seed portfolio companies’ operational and equipment costs. Not only is this allowing Juvena to give back to the entrepreneurship community and demonstrate our unique leadership role in Silicon Valley, but we are spearheading a new way for biotech startups to work together, and it also saves us significant money by putting control in the hands of the value creators, rather than for-profit wetlab incubators. Show less



Stanford University School of Medicine

• Hospitals and Health Care
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Postdoctoral Fellow

  • Apr 2014 - Jun 2018

  Palo Alto, CA In the Wyss-Coray lab at Stanford, Dr. Yousef elucidated molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to both a decline in brain function with aging and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on understanding the interactions between aged blood and the blood-brain barrier. Her first author discoveries on a mechanism underlying inhibition of brain function by aged blood through the blood-brain barrier were published in Nature Medicine (May 2019), Cell Reports (March 2020)… Show more In the Wyss-Coray lab at Stanford, Dr. Yousef elucidated molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to both a decline in brain function with aging and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on understanding the interactions between aged blood and the blood-brain barrier. Her first author discoveries on a mechanism underlying inhibition of brain function by aged blood through the blood-brain barrier were published in Nature Medicine (May 2019), Cell Reports (March 2020) with an issued patent (No. 10,947,311, issued March 2021). Dr. Yousef won two consecutive Spark grants to translate her discovery into the clinic for neurodegeneration and vascular dementia and has a pending patent from Stanford. Dr. Yousef spearheaded collaborations across departments that led to numerous discoveries, grants and high-profile publications. Achievements during postdoc include: 1st author full research article published in Nature Medicine May 2019, 1 co-first research publication Cell Reports March 2020, multiple co-authorships in top journals including Nature, 1 issued patent (No. 10,947,311); NIH F32 Fellowship, SPARK scholar and grant recipient (twice)

• Mentor for Undergraduate Honors Thesis and Masters Thesis Students

  • Jan 2015 - May 2017

  Mentored 3 undergraduate students and 1 masters student during my postdoctoral fellowship. One highly motivated undergraduate researcher received an honors thesis: Title: VCAM1 is upregulated by an aged systemic milieu and regulates hippocampal neurogenesis through brain endothelial cell-mediated interactions. May 2017 (Thesis paper, lab presentation, and oral presentation at Biology Undergraduate Honors Research Symposium). Master's Thesis: Title: VCAM1 is a mediator of… Show more Mentored 3 undergraduate students and 1 masters student during my postdoctoral fellowship. One highly motivated undergraduate researcher received an honors thesis: Title: VCAM1 is upregulated by an aged systemic milieu and regulates hippocampal neurogenesis through brain endothelial cell-mediated interactions. May 2017 (Thesis paper, lab presentation, and oral presentation at Biology Undergraduate Honors Research Symposium). Master's Thesis: Title: VCAM1 is a mediator of brain inflammation and decreased neurogenesis caused by an aged systemic milieu. May 2016 (thesis paper and lab presentation)



PreScouter, Inc.

• United States
• Business Consulting and Services
• 100 - 200 Employee

• PreScouter Global Scholar

  • Dec 2014 - Dec 2016

  Consult for Fortune 500 companies. PreScouter strives to connect the academic world to assist clients in the creation of new innovations throughout several scientific and technological fields. The PreScouter Global Scholars Program recruits the brightest minds from top tier universities to develop and report on cutting edge technologies that Fortune 500 companies can use to create innovative new products or implement cost cutting technologies.



UCSC Extension Silicon Valley

• United States
• Higher Education
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Instructor, Drug Discovery

  • Aug 2014 - Jan 2016

  Santa Clara, California I designed and taught a post-graduate course on drug discovery during the first 2 years of my postdoc. It is a required course for the Biotechnology Certificate Program. This introductory course provides a framework for understanding the process of drug discovery, from target selection and validation to lead optimization and preclinical studies. I address fundamental and translational principles and cutting-edge approaches to the tools, technologies and methods used in discovery and… Show more I designed and taught a post-graduate course on drug discovery during the first 2 years of my postdoc. It is a required course for the Biotechnology Certificate Program. This introductory course provides a framework for understanding the process of drug discovery, from target selection and validation to lead optimization and preclinical studies. I address fundamental and translational principles and cutting-edge approaches to the tools, technologies and methods used in discovery and development, along with strategies for integrating current scientific approaches into the drug discovery process. We review pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicology and personalized medicine in drug discovery, including the OMICS technologies, biomarkers and single nucleotide polymorphism analysis in patient diagnosis, and emerging therapies and techniques including iPSCs, gene therapy and tissue regenerative medicine. Show less



Genentech

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 700 & Above Employee

• Intern, Neuroscience Division

  • Jun 2013 - Sep 2013

  South Sanfrancisco, CA Studied the role of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease. Analyzed inflammatory cytokine signaling in glial and neuronal cell types and studied the ability of these cytokines to cross the blood brain barrier. Identified specific markers of microglia for cell sorting by flow cytometry from primary murine cortex. Assessed mass spectrometry and single cell RNA-sequencing technologies for characterization of microglia in animal model of Alzheimer’s Disease.



UC Berkeley

• United States
• Education Administration Programs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Mentor for Undergraduate Honors Thesis Students

  • Jan 2012 - May 2013

  Mentored 9 undergraduate students and research volunteers while pursuing my doctoral thesis at UC Berkeley. Two highly motivated undergraduate researchers received honors theses: Title: hESC-Secreted Factors Enhance Human Myoblast Myogenesis through the Map Kinase and Notch Signaling Pathways. May 2012 (Thesis paper written, lab presentation, and poster presentation at Molecular and Cell Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium). Title: Enhancement of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in… Show more Mentored 9 undergraduate students and research volunteers while pursuing my doctoral thesis at UC Berkeley. Two highly motivated undergraduate researchers received honors theses: Title: hESC-Secreted Factors Enhance Human Myoblast Myogenesis through the Map Kinase and Notch Signaling Pathways. May 2012 (Thesis paper written, lab presentation, and poster presentation at Molecular and Cell Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium). Title: Enhancement of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Aged through Inhibition of TGF-beta and BMP Signaling Pathways. December 2012 (thesis paper written) and May 2013 (Poster presentation at UC Berkeley Stem Cell Retreat).

• Graduate Student Instructor, Stem Cells and Technologies

  • Aug 2012 - Dec 2012

  BioE 113: Stem Cells and Technologies

• Graduate Student Instructor, Genetics, Genomics, and Cell Biology

  • Jan 2011 - May 2011

  MCB 104: Genetics, Genomics, and Cell Biology

• Graduate Student Instructor, Human Physiology

  • Aug 2009 - Dec 2009

  MCB 32: Intro to Human Physiology

• Science Writer for the Berkeley Science Review

  • Jan 2009 - May 2009

  Berkeley Science Review: graduate student and postdoc run science and technology magazine. Wrote a feature article on archaeology research conducted by Berkeley researchers in Greece and Hawaii, published in Spring 2009 issue.



Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

• Intern, Oncology and Angiogenesis Group

  • Jan 2003 - Aug 2008

  Tarrytown, New York Worked within the Oncology and Angiogenesis R&D group for five years to develop multiple recombinant adenoviral, AAV and lentiviral vectors for gene transfer or gene silencing via siRNA. Modified tumor mammalian cell lines for development of VEGF models.



UPMC

• United States
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Undergraduate Researcher

  • Jun 2007 - Jun 2008

  Pittsburgh, PA. Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care Medicine Laboratory of Dr. Naftali Kaminski: Transcriptional regulation of the microRNA let-7d by TGF-β in fibrosis, cancer and development. Undergraduate Research Honors Thesis and authorship on 2 manuscripts and invention disclosure.



Carnegie Mellon University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Academic Development: Supplementary Instruction Leader, Peer Tutor, and Training Assistant

  • 2005 - 2008

  Served as Academic support for Modern Chemistry and Modern Biology. Held weekly review sessions, exam review sessions, and one on one peer tutoring for multiple chemistry courses. Trained new SI leaders and Teaching Assistants for the Carnegie Mellon Doha campus.



The Tartan

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Science and Technology Staff Writer and Editor

  • 2005 - 2008

  Carnegie Mellon's Student Newspaper. Wrote articles on recent scientific breakthroughs and research conducted at CMU and in Pittsburgh. Spring 2006: Served as Science and Technology Editor: Edited science and technology articles for student newspaper. Assigned articles and photograph requests for 4-7 articles weekly. Developed a series of weekly features including profiles of faculty research in science and engineering, and the recurring sections "How Things Work" and "Experiment of… Show more Carnegie Mellon's Student Newspaper. Wrote articles on recent scientific breakthroughs and research conducted at CMU and in Pittsburgh. Spring 2006: Served as Science and Technology Editor: Edited science and technology articles for student newspaper. Assigned articles and photograph requests for 4-7 articles weekly. Developed a series of weekly features including profiles of faculty research in science and engineering, and the recurring sections "How Things Work" and "Experiment of the Week." Held weekly staff meetings, and mentored writers. Organized and conducted interviews with professors, graduate students, and researchers. Aided in layout design. Attended a newspaper conference for student editors, Los Angeles, CA (March 2006). Show less



Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

• Qatar
• Higher Education
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Teaching Assistant: Modern Biology, Physics I for Engineers, and Elementary Spanish II

  • Jan 2007 - May 2007

  Doha, Qatar