BOARD
Johannes Holzmeister, MD
Executive Chairman
Dr. Johannes Holzmeister is a physician and serial biotech entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in clinical research and venture building.
Dr. Johannes Holzmeister is a physician and serial biotech entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in clinical research and venture building. Trained in cardiology, he held senior roles at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the University Hospital Zurich, where he led the heart failure device group. His research has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and other top journals. He earned his MD from Humboldt University of Berlin. Johannes is Co-Founder and majority shareholder of DiNAQOR, a Swiss life science company-building platform. He led the creation of DiNAMIQS, a next-gen gene therapy manufacturing platform, and builds DiNABIOS into a leader in human tissue-based drug discovery and toxicology. At DAiNA, he combines expertise in translational medicine, AI, and oncology to advance personalized cancer therapies.
BOARD
Frank Binder
Frank Binder comes from a distinguished lineage rooted in global pharma leadership, being part of a family with a longstanding legacy in the pharmaceutical industry.
Frank Binder comes from a distinguished lineage rooted in global pharma leadership, being part of a family with a longstanding legacy in the pharmaceutical industry. Building on this heritage, he has forged his own path as a successful entrepreneur, with a proven track record in company building, strategic investment, and scaling ventures across biotech and healthcare. With deep industry insight and a sharp instinct for innovation, Frank combines tradition with transformation -bridging legacy and future in the life sciences.
BOARD
Jan Lichtenberg, PhD
Dr. Jan Lichtenberg is Co-Founder and CEO of InSphero Inc., a Swiss- and US-based biotech company leading in 3D cell-culture technologies for drug discovery and safety.
Dr. Jan Lichtenberg is Co-Founder and CEO of InSphero Inc., a Swiss- and US-based biotech company leading in 3D cell-culture technologies for drug discovery and safety. Since founding InSphero in 2009, he has scaled the company to 75 employees and established partnerships with all top 15 global pharma companies. Jan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Neuchâtel and previously led a research group at ETH Zurich. His prior roles include VP R&D and Product Management at Hocoma AG and Uwatec. He served as President of SLAS in 2023 and sits on the boards of Tessara Therapeutics, Scailyte Bioscience, and Venturekick.
BOARD
Reto Wittwer
Reto Wittwer combines extensive financial expertise with a global outlook, backed by over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.
Reto Wittwer combines extensive financial expertise with a global outlook, backed by over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. As a seasoned board member and CFO, he has a demonstrated history of fostering growth and generating value in the pharmaceutical sector. He is a co-founder of DiNAQOR and currently serves on its Board of Directors as CFO. His career features executive roles at Sandoz, where he was SVP & CFO for North America, and at Novartis, where he held positions as VP & CFO for NIBR and as Global Head of Tax. Reto spent the first decade of his career at PwC and Deloitte. He holds a MLaw from the University of Zurich, an Executive MBL from the University of St. Gallen, and completed executive education at Harvard Business School.
EXECUTIVE
Josef El Andari, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Josef El Andari holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, where his early research centered on the genetics of microorganisms—driven by a deep fascination with how small genetic elements shape complex biological systems.
Dr. Josef El Andari holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology, where his early research centered on the genetics of microorganisms—driven by a deep fascination with how small genetic elements shape complex biological systems. Following his doctoral studies, he pursued postdoctoral studies at Heidelberg University, where he specialized in gene delivery. He became an expert in the engineering of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, with a particular focus on enhancing tissue specificity and transduction efficiency. Building on this expertise, Josef transitioned to DiNAQOR, where he took on successive key roles as Senior Scientist and later Vice President of Genomic Medicine. In this role, he played a central part in shaping the company's therapeutic pipelines and in developing next-generation delivery platform—integrating medical devices with precise payload delivery systems. His translational research spans multiple disease areas, most notably rare neuromuscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Pompe disease, alongside a growing interest in the biology of aging and tumor evolution. Throughout his career, Josef has consistently worked at the interface of discovery science and clinical application, advancing technologies that aim to make genetic medicine safer, more efficient, and organ-specific.
EXECUTIVE
Marcel Grunert, PhD
Chief Data Officer
Dr. Marcel Grunert is a leader in computational biology with deep expertise in bioinformatics, systems biology, and integrative data analysis.
Dr. Marcel Grunert is a leader in computational biology with deep expertise in bioinformatics, systems biology, and integrative data analysis. He combines a strong scientific track record with advanced software engineering skills, driving innovation at the intersection of biology, data science, and technology. Marcel earned his PhD in Bioinformatics from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and the Free University of Berlin, focusing on high-throughput sequencing and regulatory genomics. He also holds MSc and BSc degrees in Bioinformatics from the same institution and contributed to several publications in genomics, systems biology, and gene regulatory networks during his time at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In addition, he holds a professional qualification as an IT Specialist in Application Development, earned at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and certified by the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
FOUNDING SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Kurt Schalper, MD, PhD
Dr. Kurt Schalper is an Associate Professor of Pathology and Medical Oncology at Yale University and Director of the Advanced Diagnostics Tests CLIA Lab and the Translational Immuno-oncology Lab at Yale Cancer Center.
Dr. Kurt Schalper is an Associate Professor of Pathology and Medical Oncology at Yale University and Director of the Advanced Diagnostics Tests CLIA Lab and the Translational Immuno-oncology Lab at Yale Cancer Center. A trained cell/molecular biologist and surgical pathologist, he leads a translational research lab focused on tumor microenvironment drivers of cancer progression and immune evasion. Kurt has 15+ years of experience in clinical molecular diagnostics and has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications in translational oncology, immunology, and biomarkers. He serves as a lead translational investigator in 10+ clinical trials, and holds leadership roles in the AACR, NIH/NCI, and SITC. He is also a Senior Editor at Clinical Cancer Research and Section Editor at JITC. Honors include the NIH/NCI R37 MERIT Award, Yale Cancer Center Prize for Excellence, and the Michaele C. Christian Oncology Drug Development Lectureship.
FOUNDING SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Jasmin Fisher, PhD
Professor Jasmin Fisher is a founder of the field of Executable Biology and a leader in the use of symbolic AI to model biological systems.
Professor Jasmin Fisher is a founder of the field of Executable Biology and a leader in the use of symbolic AI to model biological systems. She is a Professor of Computational Biology at the UCL Cancer Institute, where her team develops digital twins of tumors to study cancer progression and resistance mechanisms. Previously, she was a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge and held faculty roles at the University of Cambridge and EPFL. Jasmin earned her PhD in Neuroimmunology from the Weizmann Institute and has led groundbreaking collaborations with clinicians, pharma, and biotech to drive novel cancer therapies. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and was named one of the UK's Top Outstanding Female Healthcare Leaders by BioBeat.
FOUNDING SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Trevor Graham, FMedSci
Professor Trevor Graham is Director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), in London, UK, where he leads the Genomics and Evolutionary Dynamics laboratory.
Professor Trevor Graham is Director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), in London, UK, where he leads the Genomics and Evolutionary Dynamics laboratory. His research focuses on the evolutionary dynamics of cancer development, with the goal of improving early detection, treatment response, and prevention of drug resistance. Prior to joining ICR, he led the Evolution and Cancer Laboratory at the CRUK Barts Cancer Institute and co-founded the Centre for Genomics and Computational Biology at QMUL. Trevor holds an MSci in Mathematics and a PhD in Mathematical Biology from UCL, and his work integrates mathematical modeling, bioinformatics, and molecular pathology. His research is supported by CRUK, the Wellcome Trust, NIH, MRC, and others.
FOUNDING SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Emanuel Petricoin III, PhD
Dr. Emanuel F. Petricoin is Co-Director of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) at George Mason University, where he is a Distinguished University Professor.
Dr. Emanuel F. Petricoin is Co-Director of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) at George Mason University, where he is a Distinguished University Professor. A pioneer in precision oncology and molecular diagnostics, his work focuses on proteomics-driven biomarker discovery, personalized therapy, and the development of companion diagnostics. Prior to joining GMU, he served as Co-Director of the FDA-NCI Clinical Proteomics Program and held senior roles at the FDA. Emanuel has co-authored over 500 publications and holds more than 40 patents. He has co-founded three life science companies and served on national precision medicine initiatives including SU2C Dream Teams and the I-SPY2 TRIAL. His research is supported by the NIH, DoD, and numerous industry partners.
FOUNDING SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Timothy A. Yap, MBBS, PhD, FRCP
Ransom Horne, Jr Endowed Professor for Cancer Research and Vice President and Head of Clinical Development in the Therapeutics Discovery Division at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. (MD Anderson Policy does not allow a detailed bio or headshot on corporate websites)
Ransom Horne, Jr Endowed Professor for Cancer Research and Vice President and Head of Clinical Development in the Therapeutics Discovery Division at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. (MD Anderson Policy does not allow a detailed bio or headshot on corporate websites)