Meet Our Team
Nicholas is a biophysicist with expertise in computational and experimental methods. His past academic work focused on several areas of protein biophysics including molecular mechanisms of disease, membrane proteins, misfolding and aggregation, and evolution and design. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Rice University, was a Postdoc at Aarhus University, and is a visiting scientist at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics. As CEO and co-founder of Constantiam Biosciences.
Nicholas Schafer, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & CSO
As a scientist by training, he has held multiple technology transfer and business development roles in academic, venture, incubator and large corporation settings. He holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and was doctoral dissertation and Larry L. Hillblom Foundation fellow. He is also a certified licensing professional (CLP) and has closed over $90M worth of licenses and service contracts.
Norman Ong, Ph.D, CLP
Co-Founder & CCO
Daniel is a biochemist with broad expertise in the biomedical sciences, including gene therapies, gene editing, RNA biology, and protein folding. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and was a Damon Runyon Cancer Research fellow at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As CSO and co-founder of Constantiam Biosciences, Daniel is focused on developing core technologies to advance genomic medicine.
Daniel Goldman, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and CSO
Nicole is a functional geneticist with a rich background in protein engineering, precision medicine, and deep mutational scanning screens. She holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Brandeis University where she studied DNA replication and repair and was a Postdoc at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in crystallography. She subsequently held positions at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as a research scientist in the Cancer Program and Genetic Perturbation Platforms with a focus on Deep Mutational Scanning.
Nicole Persky, Ph.D.
Director, Functional Genomics
Zainab is a Marketing and Communications Strategist at Constantiam Biosciences. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and a Master’s degree in Public Health. Additionally, she is Meta Certified Creative Strategist and holds a certification in Digital Health by Harvard Business School. With a strong interest in health tech and biotech advertising and marketing, Zainab combines her scientific background with strategic marketing skills.
Zainab Waseem, M.S
Marketing & Comms Strategist
Advisors
Frederick (Fritz) Roth is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Computational and Systems Biology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is a pioneer in the development and clinical application of massively-multiplexed functional assays and computational variant effect predictors. As Founding Scientific Advisor at Constantiam Biosciences, Fritz works directly with the co-founders on developing technology, setting research goals, and enhancing product offerings.
Frederick Roth, Ph.D.
Founding Scientific Advisor University of Pittsburg
Eric J. Evans is an experienced life sciences senior executive. After beginning his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble and in strategy consulting at the Boston Consulting Group, he went on to be Managing Director of Growth Analytics LLC, an international consulting firm specializing in early-stage life sciences technologies. He subsequently served as CEO for several biomedical companies, including Targeted Cell Therapies, Abazyme, Lumos Catheter Systems, Mulleris Therapeutics, Follica Biosciences, Primatope Therapeutics and Pykus Therapeutics.
Eric J. Evans, M.B.A.
Business Advisor harvard Kennedy School
Victoria (Vicki) Parikh is the Director of the Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University. As an expert in clinical applications of high-throughput functional assays, her time is divided between the clinic and the laboratory. As Clinical Advisor at Constantiam Biosciences, Vicki works directly with the co-founders to ensure that Constantiam’s product have the maximum positive clinical impact.
Victoria Parikh, M.D.
Clinical Advisor Standford University
Jeanne Morin-Leisk is a trained Clinical Genomic Scientist and experienced Product Manager who has led efforts to develop new products and integrate new technologies for multiple genetic testing companies. As Product Advisor at Constantiam Biosciences, Jeanne works directly with the co-founders to ensure that Constantiam’s product offerings and future product roadmap are aligned with the most acute needs of the industry.
Jeanne Morin-Leisk, Ph.D.
Product Advisor
Emil Pedersen is an experienced data scientist and engineering leader who has built four teams from the ground up across multiple industries. He holds a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Aarhus University.
Emil Pedersen, M.S.
Engineering Advisor
Managing Director at FHF Ventures MBA from the University of Chicago Decades of experience selling high value data assets in a B2B setting Experienced advisor to executive teams.
Frank Feenstra, M.B.A.
Sales Advisor
Intern
Andy is a student majoring in computer science with a primary interest in machine learning and artificial intelligence. He utilizes his passion for these topics in working on Constantiam’s systems which bring understanding to genetic variants. He is currently pursuing a degree at Rice University.
Andy Negrut
Machine Learning Intern
MEET OUR TEAM
Nicholas is a biophysicist with expertise in computational and experimental methods. His past academic work focused on several areas of protein biophysics including molecular mechanisms of disease, membrane proteins, misfolding and aggregation, and evolution and design. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Rice University, was a Postdoc at Aarhus University, and is a visiting scientist at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics. As CEO and co-founder of Constantiam Biosciences.
✉️ [email protected]
Daniel is a biochemist with broad expertise in the biomedical sciences, including gene therapies, gene editing, RNA biology, and protein folding. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and was a Damon Runyon Cancer Research fellow at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As CSO and co-founder of Constantiam Biosciences, Daniel is focused on developing core technologies to advance genomic medicine.
✉️ [email protected]
As a scientist by training, he has held multiple technology transfer and business development roles in academic, venture, incubator and large corporation settings. He holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and was doctoral dissertation and Larry L. Hillblom Foundation fellow. He is also a certified licensing professional (CLP) and has closed over $90M worth of licenses and service contracts.
✉️ [email protected]
Nicole is a functional geneticist with a rich background in protein engineering, precision medicine, and deep mutational scanning screens. She holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Brandeis University where she studied DNA replication and repair and was a Postdoc at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in crystallography. She subsequently held positions at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as a research scientist in the Cancer Program and Genetic Perturbation Platforms with a focus on Deep Mutational Scanning. As Director of Functional Genomics at Constantiam Biosciences, Nicole is focused on leveraging massively-multiplexed experiments to improve variant interpretation.
✉️ [email protected]
Zainab is a Marketing and Communications Strategist at Constantiam Biosciences. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and a Master’s degree in Public Health. Additionally, she is Meta Certified Creative Strategist and holds a certification in Digital Health by Harvard Business School. With a strong interest in health tech and biotech advertising and marketing, Zainab combines her scientific background with strategic marketing skills.
✉️ [email protected]
ADVISORS
Frederick Roth, Ph.D.
Founding Scientific Advisor
University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
Frederick (Fritz) Roth is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Computational and Systems Biology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is a pioneer in the development and clinical application of massively-multiplexed functional assays and computational variant effect predictors. As Founding Scientific Advisor at Constantiam Biosciences, Fritz works directly with the co-founders on developing technology, setting research goals, and enhancing product offerings.
✉️ [email protected]
Eric J. Evans, M.B.A.
Business Advisor
Harvard Kennedy School
Harvard Kennedy School
Eric J. Evans is an experienced life sciences senior executive. After beginning his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble and in strategy consulting at the Boston Consulting Group, he went on to be Managing Director of Growth Analytics LLC, an international consulting firm specializing in early-stage life sciences technologies. He subsequently served as CEO for several biomedical companies, including Targeted Cell Therapies, Abazyme, Lumos Catheter Systems, Mulleris Therapeutics, Follica Biosciences, Primatope Therapeutics and Pykus Therapeutics.
✉️ [email protected]
Victoria Parikh, M.D.
Clinical Advisor
Standford University
Standford University
Victoria (Vicki) Parikh is the Director of the Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University. As an expert in clinical applications of high-throughput functional assays, her time is divided between the clinic and the laboratory. As Clinical Advisor at Constantiam Biosciences, Vicki works directly with the co-founders to ensure that Constantiam’s product have the maximum positive clinical impact.
✉️ [email protected]
Jeanne Morin-Leisk, Ph.D.
Product Advisor
Jeanne Morin-Leisk is a trained Clinical Genomic Scientist and experienced Product Manager who has led efforts to develop new products and integrate new technologies for multiple genetic testing companies. As Product Advisor at Constantiam Biosciences, Jeanne works directly with the co-founders to ensure that Constantiam’s product offerings and future product roadmap are aligned with the most acute needs of the industry.
✉️ [email protected]
Emil Pedersen, M.S.
Engineering Advisor
Emil Pedersen is an experienced data scientist and engineering leader who has built four teams from the ground up across multiple industries. He holds a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Aarhus University.
✉️ [email protected]
Frank Feenstra, M.B.A.
Sales Advisor
Managing Director at FHF Ventures MBA from the University of Chicago Decades of experience selling high value data assets in a B2B setting Experienced advisor to executive teams.
✉️ [email protected]
Brian Shirts, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Consultant
Brian Shirts, M.D., is a board-certified physician and the assistant director of UW Medicine Genetics and Solid Tumor and Informatics at UW Laboratory Medicine. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh and is board-certified in Clinical Pathology and Molecular Genetic Pathology. Dr. Shirts specializes in genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk and other complex hereditary traits. His clinical and research interests include improving the detection and classification of rare mutations, particularly in familial cancer genes, and the clinical classification of rare genetic variants of uncertain significance.
Interns
Andy Negrut
Machine Learning Intern
Andy is a student majoring in computer science with a primary interest in machine learning and artificial intelligence. He utilizes his passion for these topics in working on Constantiam’s systems which bring understanding to genetic variants. He is currently pursuing a degree at Rice University.
