Team
Nadir Mahmood, Ph.D.
Nadir Mahmood, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of Rezo Therapeutics. His experience spans corporate development, operations, finance, project management and fundraising. Prior to joining Rezo, Nadir was Chief Financial and Business Officer at Nkarta, where he played a critical role in building the company and raising over $600 million across private and public financings. Earlier in his career, Nadir served as Senior Director, Corporate Development at Second Genome, and as Staff Scientist at Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan). He has also worked in equity research at Goldman Sachs.
Nadir received a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in cell regulation from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and completed postdoctoral studies at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and President of Rezo. Nevan is a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and a Senior Investigator at Gladstone Institutes. Nevan has authored over 350 papers in the fields of genetics and molecular and systems biology and has given over 400 lectures and seminars around the world. He is a Searle Scholar, a Keck Distinguished Scholar, a recipient of the Roddenberry Prize for Biomedical Research as well as the Louis Pasteur Medal, and was recently elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). In recognition of his collaborative work bringing scientists across the globe to work together on SARS-CoV-2, and most notably French scientists, Nevan was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2022. Nevan received a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from University of Toronto and a M.Sc. in Biology and B.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and the Chief Technology Officer at Rezo. Sourav is also a Professor of Bioengineering & Therapeutics Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Co-Leader of the Molecular Oncology Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He serves as an Associate Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF and his lab develops new platforms for the application of personalized medicine and cancer therapies. Sourav received a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology from University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Computer Science from University of Wisconsin Madison.
Ali Bashir, Ph.D.
Ali Bashir is Head of Computational Biology and AI at Rezo. Ali is a data scientist with over 15 years of experience building and leading long-term research programs in both industry and academia. Most recently, Ali worked at Google Research, developing AI-based active learning approaches on large biological datasets, and as an Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, pioneering new methods to study large-scale human variation and infectious disease. His work has led to over 50 publications in leading journals.
Ali has a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from the University of California, San Diego.
Outside of work, Ali likes to build LEGOs, play sports, and bike with his two boys.
Deidre Johns, Ph.D.
Deidre Johns is Vice President of Chemistry at Rezo. Deidre has over 20 years of experience in small molecule medicinal chemistry and is passionate about helping patients through drug discovery. Prior to joining Rezo, Deidre served as a Scientific Project Team Leader and Director of Medicinal Chemistry for targeted oncology efforts at Turning Point Therapeutics, which was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb. Deidre has held chemistry leadership roles at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company, driving cross-functional scientific progress across multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, neuroscience, liver disease, and gastrointestinal diseases. She has contributed to the discovery of multiple clinical assets, development candidates and project-enabling tools.
Deidre received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder, followed by an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship at Colorado State University.
Outside of work, Deidre enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter working on home projects, gardening, and hiking.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and the Chief Technology Officer at Rezo. Sourav is also a Professor of Bioengineering & Therapeutics Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Co-Leader of the Molecular Oncology Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He serves as an Associate Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF and his lab develops new platforms for the application of personalized medicine and cancer therapies. Sourav received a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology from University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Computer Science from University of Wisconsin Madison.
Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D.
Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and board member at Rezo. He is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kronos Bio. Previously, Norbert was the Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer at Gilead Sciences. During his 28-year tenure at Gilead, Norbert presided over the development and approval of more than 25 medicines for a range of serious conditions which led the transformation of the treatment of diseases such as HIV, HCV and lymphoma. Norbert was part of the core management team that grew Gilead from less than 50 employees with no revenues to 10,000 employees with $25B in revenue. Norbert received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Zurich’s Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, an honorary doctorate in Natural Sciences from The University of Innsbruck, and an honorary doctorate in Letters in Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine.
Natalia Jura, Ph.D.
Natalia Jura, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder of Rezo. She is also a Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Investigator at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Natalia’s group applies X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM to investigate mechanisms of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, and non-canonical functions of atypical protein kinases, called pseudokinases. In addition to her research activities at UCSF, Natalia serves as an Associate Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF. Natalia was recently awarded a UCSF Byers Award and 2020 Women in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Leadership Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Natalia received a M.S. in Biochemistry from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Stony Brook University followed by postdoctoral training in structural biology at University of California, Berkeley.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and President of Rezo. Nevan is a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and a Senior Investigator at Gladstone Institutes. Nevan has authored over 350 papers in the fields of genetics and molecular and systems biology and has given over 400 lectures and seminars around the world. He is a Searle Scholar, a Keck Distinguished Scholar, a recipient of the Roddenberry Prize for Biomedical Research as well as the Louis Pasteur Medal, and was recently elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). In recognition of his collaborative work bringing scientists across the globe to work together on SARS-CoV-2, and most notably French scientists, Nevan was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2022. Nevan received a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from University of Toronto and a M.Sc. in Biology and B.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.
George Scangos, Ph.D.
George Scangos, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and chairperson of the board at Rezo. He has served as a member of the board of directors of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. since January 2017 and was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Vir from 2016 to 2023. Previously, George served as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the board of directors of Biogen Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious diseases. From October 1996 to July 2010, George was the President and Chief Executive Officer at Exelixis, Inc., a drug discovery and development company. From 1993 to 1996, George served as President of Bayer Biotechnology, where he was responsible for research, business development, process development, manufacturing, engineering and quality assurance of Bayer Biotechnology’s biological products. George received his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts and a B.A. in Biology from Cornell University.
Kevan Shokat, Ph.D.
Kevan Shokat, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder at Rezo. He is also an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco, and Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Kevan’s research group is focused on the discovery of new small molecule tools and drug candidates targeting protein/lipid kinases, GTPases, and RNA helicases. His laboratory utilizes the tools of synthetic organic chemistry, protein engineering, structural biology, biochemistry and cell biology. He was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences (2010), the National Academy of Medicine (2011), and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2011). He has commercialized discoveries from his laboratory through co-founding several biotechnology companies including Intellikine, Araxes, Wellspring Biosciences, Kura Oncology, eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Mitokinin, Revolution Medicines, Erasca and Kumquat Biosciences. Kevan received his B.A. in Chemistry from Reed College and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He carried out his post-doctoral work in Cellular Immunology at Stanford University.
Vineeta Agarwala, M.D., Ph.D.
Vineeta Agarwala, M.D., Ph.D., is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz where she leads investments for the firm’s Bio + Health fund across therapeutics, life sciences tools/diagnostics, and digital health. Previously, Vineeta held many different roles in the healthcare space: as a physician taking care of patients; as an operator at healthtech startups; and as a venture investor on the Google Ventures life sciences team. She was an early data scientist at Kyruus; a management consultant at McKinsey & Co; and a Director of Product Management at Flatiron Health, where she led the company’s partnership with Foundation Medicine. Vineeta holds a B.S. in biophysics from Stanford University, and M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard Medical School / MIT. She completed her clinical residency at Stanford, and is board certified in internal medicine. Vineeta continues to see patients at Stanford as an adjunct clinical Professor in the Division of Primary Care and Population Health.
Tiba Aynechi, Ph.D.
Tiba Aynechi is a General Partner of Norwest Venture Partners’ healthcare team with 20+ years of research and investment experience. Prior to joining Norwest, Tiba spent over ten years at Novo Holdings A/S, one of the top life sciences investment firms, with offices in the US and Europe. She has served on various public and private boards including iRhythm Technologies, Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Nkarta Therapeutics, Arcellx, Spruce Biosciences, and MDLive. Earlier in her career Tiba was a banker focused on M&A, licensing, and financing transactions involving biotech/pharma. Tiba attended the University of California Irvine where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics with a Biomedical concentration. She also holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California San Francisco, where she also did her Postdoctoral Fellowship. Tiba is also a published author of scientific articles and book chapters in rational drug design.
Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D.
Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and board member at Rezo. He is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kronos Bio. Previously, Norbert was the Executive Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer at Gilead Sciences. During his 28-year tenure at Gilead, Norbert presided over the development and approval of more than 25 medicines for a range of serious conditions which led the transformation of the treatment of diseases such as HIV, HCV and lymphoma. Norbert was part of the core management team that grew Gilead from less than 50 employees with no revenues to 10,000 employees with $25B in revenue. Norbert received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Zurich’s Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, an honorary doctorate in Natural Sciences from The University of Innsbruck, and an honorary doctorate in Letters in Medicine from Baylor College of Medicine.
Simeon George, M.D.
Simeon George, M.D., is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of SR One, with overall responsibility for the fund and is Chair of the Investment Committee. Simeon joined SR One in 2007 and established its San Francisco office in 2010. Previously, he worked in management consulting (Bain & Co.) and investment banking (Goldman Sachs). Simeon led SR One’s investments in several marquee deals including CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), Principia Biopharma (PRNB), Turning Point Therapeutics (TPTX), Progyny (PGNY), and Nkarta Therapeutics (NKTX), which he co-founded. Simeon has a B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University and an M.D./M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine/The Wharton School.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and President of Rezo. Nevan is a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and a Senior Investigator at Gladstone Institutes. Nevan has authored over 350 papers in the fields of genetics and molecular and systems biology and has given over 400 lectures and seminars around the world. He is a Searle Scholar, a Keck Distinguished Scholar, a recipient of the Roddenberry Prize for Biomedical Research as well as the Louis Pasteur Medal, and was recently elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). In recognition of his collaborative work bringing scientists across the globe to work together on SARS-CoV-2, and most notably French scientists, Nevan was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2022. Nevan received a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from University of Toronto and a M.Sc. in Biology and B.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Nadir Mahmood, Ph.D.
Nadir Mahmood, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of Rezo Therapeutics. His experience spans corporate development, operations, finance, project management and fundraising. Prior to joining Rezo, Nadir was Chief Financial and Business Officer at Nkarta, where he played a critical role in building the company and raising over $600 million across private and public financings. Earlier in his career, Nadir served as Senior Director, Corporate Development at Second Genome, and as Staff Scientist at Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan). He has also worked in equity research at Goldman Sachs.
Nadir received a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in cell regulation from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and completed postdoctoral studies at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA.
George Scangos, Ph.D.
George Scangos, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and chairperson of the board at Rezo. He has served as a member of the board of directors of Vir Biotechnology, Inc. since January 2017 and was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Vir from 2016 to 2023. Previously, George served as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the board of directors of Biogen Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious diseases. From October 1996 to July 2010, George was the President and Chief Executive Officer at Exelixis, Inc., a drug discovery and development company. From 1993 to 1996, George served as President of Bayer Biotechnology, where he was responsible for research, business development, process development, manufacturing, engineering and quality assurance of Bayer Biotechnology’s biological products. George received his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts and a B.A. in Biology from Cornell University.
Peggy Ackerberg
Peggy Ackerberg is an Executive Assistant at Rezo. She is also an Executive Assistant at the University of California San Francisco’s Quantitative Biosciences Institute and has more than 20 years of EA experience in the Angel Investing/Venture Capital sector in the SF Bay Area.
Peggy received a B.A. in French Literature from the University of California, Irvine and holds an A.M. degree in Romance Languages & Literatures (French) from Harvard University.
In her spare time, Peggy enjoys rooting for the Golden State Warriors, the San Francisco 49ers, and her hometown favorite, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Chris Adams, Ph.D.
Chris Adams is Director of Proteomics at Rezo. Chris has over 15 years experience in mass spectrometry-based proteomics in both industry and academia. Prior to joining Rezo, Chris was the Director of Bioinformatics Business Development at Bruker Corporation. Chris held the role of Director of Proteomics at Stanford University Mass Spectrometry, leading the SUMS and Stanford Cancer Center proteomics core, where his work led to more than 40 publications.
Chris received a B.S in Biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a Ph.D. in Biological and Medical Mass Spectrometry from Uppsala University, Sweden.
Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, two daughters and two dogs including camping, water skiing and hiking.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and the Chief Technology Officer at Rezo. Sourav is also a Professor of Bioengineering & Therapeutics Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Co-Leader of the Molecular Oncology Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He serves as an Associate Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) at UCSF and his lab develops new platforms for the application of personalized medicine and cancer therapies. Sourav received a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology from University of California, San Diego and a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Computer Science from University of Wisconsin Madison.
Ali Bashir, Ph.D.
Ali Bashir is Head of Computational Biology and AI at Rezo. Ali is a data scientist with over 15 years of experience building and leading long-term research programs in both industry and academia. Most recently, Ali worked at Google Research, developing AI-based active learning approaches on large biological datasets, and as an Assistant Professor of Genetics and Genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, pioneering new methods to study large-scale human variation and infectious disease. His work has led to over 50 publications in leading journals.
Ali has a B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from the University of California, San Diego.
Outside of work, Ali likes to build LEGOs, play sports, and bike with his two boys.
Hannes Braberg, Ph.D.
Todd Daigle
Krystal Fontaine, Ph.D.
Krystal Fontaine is Head of Operations and Program Management at Rezo. Krystal has over 15 years of experience in designing and implementing scientific strategy, ensuring project and program success, and playing key leadership roles in both academic and industry settings. Prior to joining Rezo, Krystal was Director of Program Management at Janux Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company developing next generation immunotherapies to treat cancer. There, she established the program management function to help drive the company’s initial development programs to IND. Krystal was also the first Early-Stage Research Program Manager for 4D Molecular Therapeutics, a clinical-stage gene therapy biotech company. Before transitioning to industry, she was the Scientific Program Leader and Operational Manager for BioFulcrum II, a multi-institutional research initiative that interfaced with industry to accelerate discoveries with therapeutic potential.
Krystal received a B.S. in Biotechnology at Florida Gulf Coast University and a Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Washington, followed by postdoctoral training in Virology at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California. Outside of work, she enjoys rock climbing, supporting the performing arts, and dabbling in interior design.
Keelan Guiley, Ph.D.
Keelan Guiley is Principal Scientist and Associate Director, Protein Sciences at Rezo, focusing on structural characterization of novel protein-protein interactions found in disease. Keelan was trained as a Structural and Chemical Biologist, solving protein structures of the key cell cycles regulators CDK4, Cyclin D1, p27, p21, DREAM, Myb, and p53. Moreover, Keelan discovered the first small molecule to rescue wild-type function to mutant p53 through structure-based design.
Keelan received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz followed by postdoctoral training in Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Outside of the lab, Keelan likes to swim, surf, snowboard, eat good food, and drink good wine.
Kevin Hu, Ph.D.
Deidre Johns, Ph.D.
Deidre Johns is Vice President of Chemistry at Rezo. Deidre has over 20 years of experience in small molecule medicinal chemistry and is passionate about helping patients through drug discovery. Prior to joining Rezo, Deidre served as a Scientific Project Team Leader and Director of Medicinal Chemistry for targeted oncology efforts at Turning Point Therapeutics, which was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb. Deidre has held chemistry leadership roles at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company, driving cross-functional scientific progress across multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, neuroscience, liver disease, and gastrointestinal diseases. She has contributed to the discovery of multiple clinical assets, development candidates and project-enabling tools.
Deidre received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Colorado Boulder, followed by an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship at Colorado State University.
Outside of work, Deidre enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter working on home projects, gardening, and hiking.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D.
Nevan Krogan, Ph.D., is a Co-Founder and President of Rezo. Nevan is a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Director of Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and a Senior Investigator at Gladstone Institutes. Nevan has authored over 350 papers in the fields of genetics and molecular and systems biology and has given over 400 lectures and seminars around the world. He is a Searle Scholar, a Keck Distinguished Scholar, a recipient of the Roddenberry Prize for Biomedical Research as well as the Louis Pasteur Medal, and was recently elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). In recognition of his collaborative work bringing scientists across the globe to work together on SARS-CoV-2, and most notably French scientists, Nevan was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 2022. Nevan received a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics from University of Toronto and a M.Sc. in Biology and B.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Nadir Mahmood, Ph.D.
Nadir Mahmood, Ph.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of Rezo Therapeutics. His experience spans corporate development, operations, finance, project management and fundraising. Prior to joining Rezo, Nadir was Chief Financial and Business Officer at Nkarta, where he played a critical role in building the company and raising over $600 million across private and public financings. Earlier in his career, Nadir served as Senior Director, Corporate Development at Second Genome, and as Staff Scientist at Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan). He has also worked in equity research at Goldman Sachs.
Nadir received a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in cell regulation from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and completed postdoctoral studies at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA.
Alejandro Ramirez
Katherine Schutt, Ph.D.
Katie Schutt is a Scientist II, Discovery Biology and Target Validation at Rezo. Katie started her career as a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Vermont, focused on industry and multi-institution academic collaborations. After many years in New England, Katie relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue an opportunity at genome engineering startup Synthego.
Katie received a B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Michael’s College and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from Dartmouth College.
Outside of work, Katie enjoys exploring the Bay Area by gravel bike with her husband and checking out new parks in San Francisco with her golden retriever.
Simranjit Singh, Ph.D.
Sim Singh is a Scientist I in Discovery Biology and Target Validation at Rezo. Prior to joining Rezo, Sim worked as a Research Scientist at Arvinas.
Sim was trained as a cancer biologist, focusing on genetic and metabolic mechanisms of drug resistance in glioblastoma. Sim received a B.A. in Economics from New York University and a Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology/Cancer Biology from Duke University School of Medicine.
Outside of the lab, Sim enjoys playing basketball, rock climbing, and podcasting.
Jenna Triplett
Jenna Triplett is a Senior Research Associate, Protein Sciences at Rezo. Jenna started her career as a Research Technician at the University of Denver and relocated to California to pursue opportunities with BioMarin Pharmaceuticals and Nutcracker Therapeutics.
Jenna received a B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Denver.
In her spare time, Jenna likes to crochet for her nephews, paddleboard, and explore California.