Pioneer in mammalian expression and genetics with more than 25+ years of experience in biotechnology start-ups, pharmaceutical companies, and premier academic institutions.
She holds a PhD from the University in Strasbourg (France). Her work performed in the laboratory of Prof. Pierre Chambon who is considered as the father of the genetic revolution contributed to a seminal publication on eukaryotic gene transcription (>1100 citations).

She was among the first employees of Transgene SA (France). Her work there led to a series of issued patents. She was subsequently a scientist at Sandoz (Novartis) and at the Biocenter of the University of Basle (both in Switzerland), and at the Beckman Research Center of the City of Hope (California). She later joined Spectra-Biomedical Inc. (California), later acquired by GSK. Prior to founding Selonterra, she was the sole- proprietor of Migraine Therapeutics. Her project was awarded by a commission of experts from the Biovalley Life Sciences Network association.

She has spent recent years on a deep analysis of genetic markers associated with neurodegenerative disorders, culminating in the novel mechanism of how APOE4 and other degenerative disorder mutations cause disease.

Roman Urfer is a scientist and executive with international R&D and business experience in global pharmaceutical (Novartis), public (Genentech) and private biotechnology companies.

Dr. Urfer holds a Master’s degree from ETH Zurich and a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Basle, Switzerland. He has held numerous scientific, operational and executive leadership positions during his career in the industry. He has led drug discovery and development efforts in CNS disorders, inflammation / autoimmune disorders and cancer, and his experience spans from target discovery to clinical development. This includes the discovery and development of a small molecule for stroke recovery, a fully human antibody to treat inflammatory disorders and a neurotrophic factor for the therapy of ophthalmic diseases. He has performed business development and financing activities at several start-up companies and contributed to the successful closing of a US$ 31 MM financing round at one of his previous companies. His scientific and business skills are complemented by extensive intellectual property management experience. Dr. Urfer is committed to scientific excellence and innovation as a named inventor on 20 issued patents and author of publications in peer- reviewed journals.

Karoly Nikolich serves as independent director of Selonterra. He has been a serial entrepreneur of Neurotherapeutics companies. During the 1980s, he led Genentech’s entry into neuroscience and led and participated in the development of numerous protein therapeutics. He was Vice President of Research at Lynx Therapeutics, co-founder of AGY Therapeutics, Amnestix, Neurofluidics, Hummingbird Diagnostics, Chase Pharmaceuticals, Circuit Therapeutics, and Alkahest. He currently serves as Chair on the Board of Directors at Alkahest, a Grifols company. He has served as venture partner with Pivotal BioVentures, and has been on the boards and scientific advisory boards at a number of neurotherapeutics and biotech, biopharma companies, as well. He has been Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School. Dr. Nikolich is a graduate of Eotvos University in Budapest and worked as postdoctoral fellow at Tulane University and UCSF before joining Genentech.

Dr Paolo Pevarello is a medicinal chemist of 30 years’ experience. Specializing in CNS and oncology drug discovery and development, he has managed large medicinal chemistry groups within the biopharmaceutical industry. Dr Pevarello has contributed to and initiated a number of successful drug discovery projects for Pharmacia and Upjohn, Pharmacia, Pfizer, Newron and Axxam. Among these discoveries is Safinamide (NW-1015), which has been registered for the treatment of Parkinson’s in USA and Europe and reached Phase II studies for epilepsy. He has provided the medicinal chemistry leadership for the chemical series that generated Ralfinamide (NW-1029), which has reached Phase II for neuropathic pain and NW-3509, which has also reached Phase II studies for schizophrenia. Oncology successes include CDK2 inhibitors PHA-793887 and PHA-690509 (Phase I) and PHA-848125 (Phase III). Dr Pevarello is the author of 56 patents, over 60 peer-reviewed papers and is a member of the editorial board of Pharmaceutical Patent Analyst.

Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal, JD, is the founder and principal attorney at Esse Law, PC.  She has over 15 years of experience of serving as general counsel to her clients, with additional specialties in equity and debt financings and corporate compliance. She has worked with clients in industries spanning from tech, to wine distribution and retail to biopharma/biotech.  Esse Law, PC., is a boutique corporate firm that, from inception to exit, guides, strategizes with, and propels entrepreneurs and the investors that power their engines. In 2022, she became a Venture Fellow for Strawberry Creek Ventures and is on a mission to get more venture capital into the hands of promising women-founded companies. She holds a B.A. degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley and a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. She is licensed to practice in the states of California and Texas.

Thomas Digby, JD, is a US and Canadian intellectual property and transaction attorney with more than 25 years of experience in global intellectual property asset management. He is the principal attorney at DigbyGlobal. His patenting experience covers a wide range of technologies including small molecule NCEs, biologics, generics and biosimilars, research-tools and therapeutic targets, biofuels, and biomass derived chemicals. His areas of practice include securing patents, freedom-to-operate analyses, intellectual property enforcement strategies and due diligence, international litigation assessments and licensing strategies as well as intellectual property aspects of global tax and transfer-pricing. His past and current clients include a wide range from seed-stage, VC-funded startups through to the global pharma company Novartis.
He holds a Master of Science (Biochemistry) and a Doctor of Law degree from Dalhousie University.