Chris Bahl, MS, PhD

Christopher D. Bahl, PhD co-founded AI Proteins in November 2021 and serves as President, Chief Scientific Officer, and Director.  Chris is a protein designer, biochemist, structural biologist and entrepreneur. 

Prior to founding AI Proteins, Chris joined the Institute for Protein Innovation in Boston as one of the founding faculty members, with co-appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He pioneered the ability to computationally design miniproteins de novo as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. David Baker at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design in Seattle. In recognition of his innovative approach to creating therapeutics with the potential to tackle long-standing challenges in medicine and human health, Chris was selected as a 2019 TED Fellow.

In addition to his role at AI Proteins, he is the Founder and Co-Organizer of the Boston Protein Design and Modeling Club, a community of computational protein engineers and modelers from both academia and industry and sponsored project of the Open Molecular Software Foundation. He also sits on the Executive Council of The Protein Society, a non-profit scientific and educational organization that provides forums for scientific collaboration and communication and supports the professional growth for early-career investigators. Chris also serves as a Scientific Advisor for Applied Photophysics, Ltd. and BioLoomics, Inc. 

Chris holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and received his MS in Biochemistry and BS in Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology from the University of Maine.

Drew Dennison

Drew Dennison is Managing Director at Lightchain Capital, LLC, the family office for Scottrade Founder and former Chief Executive Officer Rodger Riney, and previously served as Chief Executive Officer for AI Proteins from January 2022 – July 2023. Drew is responsible for venture capital investments in the life science and technology sectors. He also assists the Riney Foundations with their philanthropic endeavors.

Previously, Drew served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Scottrade Financial Services, Inc. He led the Company’s operations, technology, operations, finance, and strategic planning functions and worked at the Company for over a decade. Drew led the sale of Scottrade to TD Ameritrade ($4B acquisition in 2017), then co-led the integration project, successfully combining the two companies. In addition, he serves on the board of Wugen, Geneoscopy, Dynamic Cell Therapies, SimpleRose and CareVet Holdings.

Drew received his BBA in accounting from University of Iowa – Henry B. Tippie College of Business where he graduated Cum Laude. He also is a graduate of the Wharton School’s Securities Industries Institute Executive Education Program.

Bruce Evans

Bruce Evans is Managing Partner of Evans Capital and a Senior Advisor with Summit Partners, a venture capital and growth equity investment firm with more than $35 billion in capital under management.  He joined Summit Partners in 1986 and was Chairman of the firm’s Board of Managers from 2011 to 2019, served as Co-Managing Partner/Executive Committee member from 1999 to 2011, and held various technology industry-focused investment roles from 1986 to 1999.  

 Bruce has served as a director of 39 companies, including fourteen public companies. Current directorships include Casa Systems (NASDAQ: CASA), a provider of next generation broadband network technologies for communications carriers and Clockworks Analytics, a provider of cloud–based fault detection and diagnostics applications for facilities management.  His former public company directorships include Analog Devices, FleetCor Technologies, Hittite Microwave Corporation, OPNET Technologies, optionsXpress Holdings, and Pediatrix Medical Group.  

He is also Chairman of Vanderbilt University’s Board of Trust, a former Chairman of Vanderbilt’s Investment Committee, a former member of the National Venture Capital Association Board of Directors, and a four-time member of the Forbes Midas List. 

Bruce holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BE in mechanical engineering and economics from Vanderbilt University.

Malcolm Salter

Malcolm Salter is the James J. Hill Professor, Emeritus, at the Harvard Business School (HBS). Since joining the Harvard Business School faculty in 1967, his teaching and research has focused on issues of corporate strategy and governance. In addition to teaching at HBS, he has held teaching positions at the Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government.

Malcolm currently serves on the following boards of directors: C4 Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on targeted protein degradation, since 2015; NextRNA, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing the next generation of RNA-directed therapeutics, since February 2021; and Raqia Therapeutics, Inc., a CAR-T cell therapies company for cancer and other diseases, since September 2020. From 1986 to 2006, he served as president of Mars & Co., a global strategy-consulting firm. He is a former Trustee of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Malcolm holds an A.B., M.B.A., and a D.B.A. from Harvard University.

Noah D. Beerman, MBA

Noah D. Beerman joined AI Proteins in April 2023 and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Director. Noah has over 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry including extensive experience managing, advancing, and financing pipelines and companies, and completing a broad range of transactions to expedite corporate growth.

Prior to joining AI Proteins, Noah served as President US Operations, and EVP, Business Development for Poxel SA, a multinational biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic and serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology. Prior to this, from 2011 to 2013, he served as EVP and Chief Operating Officer for Coronado Biosciences, Inc. (now Fortress Biotech, Inc.) a biopharmaceutical company focused on immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. Prior to Coronado, from 2009 until 2011, Noah served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biotech company developing novel RNAi-based therapeutic candidates. Prior to RXi, he spent over 10 years at Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., serving as Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer from 2004 until the company’s acquisition by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2009.

Earlier in his career, Noah was Vice President responsible for health care at Technology Management and Funding (TMF), and also served in a variety of business development and scientific capacities at Creative BioMolecules, Sandoz AG, and Repligen. Noah holds an M.B.A. from Northeastern University’s High Technology Program graduating Beta Gamma Sigma, and a B.S. in molecular genetics from the University of Rochester graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude.

Todd Kaloudis

Todd Kaloudis has 25 years of experience at disruptive technology companies as an investor and operator. He is a general partner at Cobro Ventures, and serves on the boards of multiple portfolio companies including AI Proteins and Techsomed. He was instrumental in leading private financings for C4 Therapeutics and Frequency Therapeutics prior to their IPOs in 2020 and 2019, respectively, and as a board advisor to Platform Science prior to its Series C in 2022.

Previously he led global sales and business development teams at Dynatrace leading up to its acquisition by Thoma Bravo and merger with Keynote Systems in 2015. He led global business development at OPNET through its IPO and subsequent acquisition by Riverbed in 2012.

Todd studied computer science at MIT as an undergraduate, where he was admitted to the HKN honors society.

Bobby W. Sandage, PhD

Bobby W. Sandage, Jr., Ph.D. has over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in drug development and senior management and over 10 years in venture capital investing. Bobby currently holds positions in the St. Louis area as Managing Director of the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation and Lightchain Capital, a venture fund, and is a General Partner in Cultivation Capital Life Sciences Fund II, also a venture fund. In addition to serving as Interim Head of Development for AI Proteins, Bobby is the acting CEO for one of Cultivation Capital’s other portfolio companies, Euclises Pharmaceuticals.

Previously Bobby was President and Chief Executive Officer of Coronado BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNDO), an immunotherapy company where he took the company public in 2011. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Covidien (Mallinckrodt) Pharmaceuticals’ oncology research and development program. For 19 years, Bobby was the Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development, Quality and Manufacturing at Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDEV) (successor to Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), which was acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2009. Prior to Indevus, he held senior drug development positions at DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company, DuPont/American Critical Care, Merrell Dow and Dow Pharmaceuticals.

Bobby has extensive experience guiding numerous life sciences companies as a Member of the Board of Directors of NextRNA (Lead Director), Microbial Machines, Immunophotonics (chairman), Geneoscopy and Endevica Bio. He was previously Board Director at Mateon (NASDAQ: MATN), Arch Oncology, Gentium S.r.l. (NASDAQ: GENT), Osteologix, Inc. (NASDAQ: OLGX), and Genta (NASDAQ: GNTA).

Bobby holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacy from Purdue, and received his undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from the University of Arkansas.

Chris Bahl, MS, PhD

Christopher D. Bahl, PhD co-founded AI Proteins in November 2021 and serves as President, Chief Scientific Officer, and Director.  Chris is a protein designer, biochemist, structural biologist and entrepreneur. 

Prior to founding AI Proteins, Chris joined the Institute for Protein Innovation in Boston as one of the founding faculty members, with co-appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He pioneered the ability to computationally design miniproteins de novo as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. David Baker at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design in Seattle. In recognition of his innovative approach to creating therapeutics with the potential to tackle long-standing challenges in medicine and human health, Chris was selected as a 2019 TED Fellow.

In addition to his role at AI Proteins, he is the Founder and Co-Organizer of the Boston Protein Design and Modeling Club, a community of computational protein engineers and modelers from both academia and industry and sponsored project of the Open Molecular Software Foundation. He also sits on the Executive Council of The Protein Society, a non-profit scientific and educational organization that provides forums for scientific collaboration and communication and supports the professional growth for early-career investigators. Chris also serves as a Scientific Advisor for Applied Photophysics, Ltd. and BioLoomics, Inc. 

Chris holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, and received his MS in Biochemistry and BS in Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology from the University of Maine.

Noah D. Beerman, MBA

Noah D. Beerman joined AI Proteins in April 2023 and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Director. Noah has over 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry including extensive experience managing, advancing, and financing pipelines and companies, and completing a broad range of transactions to expedite corporate growth.

Prior to joining AI Proteins, Noah served as President US Operations, and EVP, Business Development for Poxel SA, a multinational biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for chronic and serious diseases with metabolic pathophysiology. Prior to this, from 2011 to 2013, he served as EVP and Chief Operating Officer for Coronado Biosciences, Inc. (now Fortress Biotech, Inc.) a biopharmaceutical company focused on immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. Prior to Coronado, from 2009 until 2011, Noah served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biotech company developing novel RNAi-based therapeutic candidates. Prior to RXi, he spent over 10 years at Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., serving as Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer from 2004 until the company’s acquisition by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2009.

Earlier in his career, Noah was Vice President responsible for health care at Technology Management and Funding (TMF), and also served in a variety of business development and scientific capacities at Creative BioMolecules, Sandoz AG, and Repligen. Noah holds an M.B.A. from Northeastern University’s High Technology Program graduating Beta Gamma Sigma, and a B.S. in molecular genetics from the University of Rochester graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude.

Bobby W. Sandage, PhD

Bobby W. Sandage, Jr., Ph.D. has over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in drug development and senior management and over 10 years in venture capital investing. Bobby currently holds positions in the St. Louis area as Managing Director of the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation and Lightchain Capital, a venture fund, and is a General Partner in Cultivation Capital Life Sciences Fund II, also a venture fund. In addition to serving as Interim Head of Development for AI Proteins, Bobby is the acting CEO for one of Cultivation Capital’s other portfolio companies, Euclises Pharmaceuticals.

Previously Bobby was President and Chief Executive Officer of Coronado BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNDO), an immunotherapy company where he took the company public in 2011. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Covidien (Mallinckrodt) Pharmaceuticals’ oncology research and development program. For 19 years, Bobby was the Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development, Quality and Manufacturing at Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDEV) (successor to Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), which was acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2009. Prior to Indevus, he held senior drug development positions at DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company, DuPont/American Critical Care, Merrell Dow and Dow Pharmaceuticals.

Bobby has extensive experience guiding numerous life sciences companies as a Member of the Board of Directors of NextRNA (Lead Director), Microbial Machines, Immunophotonics (chairman), Geneoscopy and Endevica Bio. He was previously Board Director at Mateon (NASDAQ: MATN), Arch Oncology, Gentium S.r.l. (NASDAQ: GENT), Osteologix, Inc. (NASDAQ: OLGX), and Genta (NASDAQ: GNTA).

Bobby holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacy from Purdue, and received his undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from the University of Arkansas.

Wendy Dwyer, MSM

Wendy Dwyer joined AI Proteins in November 2022 and serves as Chief Business Officer. She brings deep industry and transactional experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and enabling technology fields.

Prior to joining AI Proteins, Wendy spent 25 years providing Business Development leadership at companies including Surface Oncology, Portal Instruments, AstraZeneca, Ipsen BioScience and Endo Pharmaceuticals (formerly Indevus Pharmaceuticals). She has worked across multiple therapeutic areas with a key focus in oncology at Surface Oncology, AstraZeneca and Ipsen. She began her career at Indevus pharmaceuticals and over the years has led many strategic initiatives and transactions including various licensing partnerships, collaborations, co-promotions and M&A deals.

Wendy received her Masters in Management from Lesley University, and BS in Psychology from Endicott College.

Julia Novina, JD

Julia Novina, Esq. joined AI Proteins as a founding executive and serves as Chief Legal Officer for the company. Julia provides and oversees legal operations for the company including corporate formation, financing, board management, equity management, technology licensing, contracting and general company administration.

Julia also serves as founder and Chief Legal Officer to two other preclinical biotechnology companies, Dynamic Cell Therapies, Inc. and Microbial Machines, Inc. She has formerly served as Chief Legal Officer and founder to two other start-up biotechnology companies, NextRNA Therapeutics, Inc. and Courage Therapeutics.

Julia earned her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center and graduated magna cu laude from Connecticut College.

Nicholas Gill, PhD

 Taghreed Hirz, PhD

Vitaliy Andrusyshyn

Michael Krepps, MBA

Mike Krepps joined AI Proteins in 2023 and serves as Head of Corporate Strategy. He brings deep expertise across the full spectrum of biotech, including leadership roles, operations, investing, and scientific research. 

Mike also currently serves as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence with Cobro Ventures and is a Venture Partner with the Global BioAccess Fund. Prior to joining AI Proteins, Mike served as COO of OncoPep, an immunotherapy-based biotech company. Previously, he led the investment team at the American Cancer Society’s VC fund (BrightEdge) and worked as an Associate Principal in the Life Sciences Practice of the CRA consulting group where he led global engagements in therapeutic area strategy, asset strategy, pipeline optimization, pricing & market access, M&A, and corporate strategy, primarily in oncology and immunology.

Mike’s scientific experience includes co-founding SynActive Biosciences (a startup focused on stem cell-derived neuron technologies), and working as a Program Manager/Senior Scientist in the Biosciences Division at the US Department of Defense where he researched immunology and infectious disease with a focus on emerging pathogens and bio-terrorism threat agents. He has authored many publications and has presented his research at leading academic conferences.

Mike received a Master of Science in genetics and a Bachelor of Science in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MBA in finance, strategy, and entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Elise Pritchard

Tessa Howard, MPH

Teal Guidici, MA, MS, PhD

James Bowman, PhD

Edson Cárcamo Noriega MS, PhD

Frank Teets, PhD

Arturo Vera Rodriguez, MS, PhD

María Eugenia Llases MS, PhD

Henry Hochstatter

Daniel Echelman, MD, PhD

Melissa Macasaet

Tharshini Mathew

Nathalia Rodriguez

Ben Meinen, MS, PhD

Mireia Solà Colom, MS, PhD

Rohan Patel

Lara Degani

Ian Truebridge, MS

Isabelle Moczygemba

Xavier Michelet, PhD

Odessa Goudy, PhD

Vanina Chiarpotti, PhD

Kyle Martin

Justin Peruzzi, PhD

Ryan Lane, MA

James Kinnally

Robert Collins

Collin McKenna

Michael Leney-Greene

John Harry Wagner

Alessandro Modica