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The SRF team is composed of mission-driven individuals who work tirelessly toward our goal of ending age-related disease. Our team size fluctuates during the year with the addition of SRF Educational Summer Scholars and Post–Baccalaureates, however our full-time employees are listed below.
Previously serving as SRF’s Executive Director, Lisa worked closely with the organization’s preceding CEOs for more than a decade, dedicating her expertise towards building all aspects of the organization. With an educational background in Life Sciences and industry experience in microbiology, stem cells, and flow cytometry, Lisa joined SRF in 2010 as a volunteer in the laboratory. She transitioned into organizational administration in early 2012, and with a strong focus on finance and operations advanced into greater roles that balanced the financial, research, educational, and outreach operations of the organization. A Bay Area transplant from the Midwest, she is fully dedicated to advancing rejuvenation biotechnologies and guiding SRF forward as a significant and leading-edge contributor in this rapidly growing field.
Dr. Miguel E. Moreno-Garcia is a Cell Biologist and Immunologist with more than 15 years of combined experience in Academia and the Biopharmaceutical Industry. He received his MSc and PhD from CINVESTAV-IPN in Mexico City and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and The University of Washington in Seattle, working and publishing in fields of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cellular Immunology. As a pharmaceutical hunter he joined the ranks of the Immunology & Respiratory Department at Boehringer-Ingelheim Inc., the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) at Pfizer Inc., and the Immunology group at Federation Bio, functioning in leadership and director roles on early drug discovery campaigns to define new therapies against autoimmune, fibrotic, and immuno-oncology indications.
Dr. Moreno-Garcia joined SRF in 2023 as a Director of Research, in this role he provides the strategic vision, and direction of the research department, and functions as the primary spokesperson on matters pertaining to the value, impact and conduct of SRF’s scientific research.
Maria is a radical-change believer and spends most of her multifaceted life working on facilitating disruptive change to the way we currently treat aging. You can find her giving a talk about the future of aging, singing live for thousands of people, composing and acting for a Hollywood film or flying an airplane. Her passion and strong involvement in science and technology, combined with her skills in Public Relations, positioned her as Director of Development in charge of building new relationships for SRF, spreading the word about its work and driving donations.
Lilli joins SRF following her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Davis. There, as a USDA NIFA Fellow, she investigated the activation of the embryonic genome in hopes to identify better embryos and eventually improve in vitro fertilization to more efficiently produce cattle for the beef and dairy industries, and improve development rates in clinical embryology settings. She completed her Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology at the University of Toledo. She led an international team of scientists to discover a second, atypical centriole in human and cattle sperm, which functions during fertilization and development.
Lilli founded the UT Careers in Science Committee, held executive roles in the UT Graduate Student Association, and participated in the Frontiers in Stem Cell and Cancer training program. These experiences have fueled her passion for building equitable representation in advanced training opportunities, in order to inspire and support the next generation of pioneers in the field of anti-aging. Lilli is thrilled to harness her passion with SRF’s forward-focused mission of mitigating and preventing damage caused by aging.
Kelly joined SRF in early 2018 after completing her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland in 2017. She recently moved from the Bay Area back to her hometown – Baltimore, Maryland. While in California, she volunteered at a Wig Bank for cancer patients. She currently volunteers as a Crisis Counselor with the Crisis Text Line, which she has been doing since 2017. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, cuddling her two cats, and baking (especially pies)!
Dr Amutha Boominathan is the Group Lead for the MitoSENS program at SENS Research Foundation. She joined SRF in 2013 as a Senior Research Scientist and became the Group Lead for the program in 2016. She completed her graduate studies from the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India with a PhD in Biochemistry. Subsequently, through an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellowship, she obtained further training at the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University where she studied mitochondrial biogenesis with a focus on protein import and the fusion and fission mechanisms in the organelle. She has over 20 years of experience in mitochondrial biology.
Dr. Amit Sharma was awarded a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Delhi University, India. He received his PhD in 2009 in Biotechnology from University of Pune for his work demonstrating microRNA regulation of cytokines invovled in allergic inflammation in mice models. Dr. Sharma’s postdoctoral research at the Buck Institute, Novato, California involved investigating novel molecular regulatory pathways in regards to genotoxic stress and cellular senescence in invertebrate and mammalian models.
Dr. Sharma has recently joined SENS Research Foundation as Group Lead in the Senescence Immunology Research Group. His research focus involves studying how aging and senescence affects the immune system and his research group will also investigate strategies to harness the immune system in mitigating deleterious effects of senescent cells with translational focus.
Dr. Rebbaa received his PhD from Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France. He held research and faculty positions at Northwestern University, the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia University. Over the course of his career, his research encompassed target and drug discovery and development in the fields of cancer, stem cells and aging. He served as a Principal Investigator on multiple grants, published over 40 manuscripts and reviewed manuscripts for several high impact scientific journals.
In his recent role at Ichor Therapeutics, he oversaw the discovery and preclinical testing of small molecule senolytics and biomarkers of aging. He will build on this knowledge and experience to take over an innovative project at the RepleniSENS program to study the effect of a combination therapy using senolytics and stem cell transplantation on reducing the functional decline caused by aging. He will also be using various in vitro and in vivo models to help advance translation of promising anti-aging therapeutics discovered at SRF.
Katie started out as a writer and editor for a nutrition and health trade publication and transitioned to managing communications, marketing, websites, and conferences in a variety of fields including: electrical and electronics engineering, chemical engineering, photonics, climate science, and earth and space science. She believes that combining effective communications and experiences with STEM skills is a critical aspect for progress in areas that will benefit humanity. Katie enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, camping, gardening and cooking, and spending time with animals. Currently living in New Jersey, Katie is a world traveler and only has one continent left to visit.
Katrina got her B.S. in biology from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She joined SRF at the start of 2022, after time spent working in quality control in the pharmaceutical industry. She is a Baltimore native, but recently moved to Harford, MD, just north of her hometown. She enjoys spending her free time with her fiancé and their cats and ferrets.
Dr. Marcela Atzori graduated in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from UNAM, and received her Ph.D in Molecular Biology from IPICyT. Throughout her carrier in Canada and Mexico, she studied neurophysiology of inflammatory diseases and the mechanisms of synaptic transmission rearrangements in response to stress. Since senescence is mainly caused by endogenous and exogenous stress, Dr. Atzori is interested in studying this cellular process using her knowledge and experience to help her research team to reach our scientific goals. She is highly grateful for the opportunity to work at SENS Research Foundation and to be part of Dr. Rebbaa’s team.
Jonathan received his B.S. in Bioengineering from Santa Clara University in 2023 with a focus on Biomolecular studies. During his senior year, he took on a senior design project validating a new drug delivery platform using extracellular vesicles as scavengers to remove protein aggregates in the brain. As a part of the MitoSENS team, he wishes to develop his skillset and learn more about the field of gene therapy and how it can be used to help people live healthier lives. Jonathan likes to spend his free time woodworking and tinkering with electronics.
Anna has completed her masters and Ph.D. in molecular biology at the Institute for Cancer Research in Oslo, Norway. This inspired her to pursue studies in the field of microenvironment and treatment resistance in cancer. With that goal, she joined UCSF as a postdoctoral fellow in 2019 to study mechanosignaling and matrix remodeling in aggressive brain tumors. This experience has led her to appreciate the potent role of systemic tissue changes that enable and promote cancer growth, aging – chief among them. Anna is excited to apply her knowledge from the cancer field to dissect and exploit molecular mechanisms of cellular senescence as a part of Apopto-SENS team at the SENS Research Foundation.
A graduate of Florida State University, Jessica comes to us from the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, CA. She has years of experience in nonprofits, and a Diversity and Inclusion Certification from eCornell. Her passion for social justice is matched by her desire to combat diseases that afflict the aging. Having witnessed the effects of Parkinson’s disease on a close family member, she is committed to teaming with SRF to fund and research regenerative medicine. Jessica hopes to see future generations avoid these degenerative diseases of the aging.
As an aspiring science communicator with a long-time interest in longevity, Nick started with SRF to help increase public awareness of the great future that these technologies can bring. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications and has experience in clinical, biotech, and sales positions. Prior to working for SRF, he led studies for a non-profit that examined the immune system in adults. He believes that biogerontology will one day be at the forefront of healthcare infrastructure with pathology and therapeutics to help better the lives of individuals by allowing them to circumvent age-related disease and reverse aging.
Anne Corwin is the Facilities Manager at SENS Research Foundation. She joined SRF full time in 2011, primarily to repair, maintain, and troubleshoot equipment as well as provide editorial, messaging, and graphics support. Her current responsibilities still include equipment maintenance, however, she now also manages building utilities, safety training and hazardous materials. Prior to joining SRF, Anne earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and then worked in the aerospace industry for several years as an EE. She lives with her partner and their cats in Santa Clara.
Greg joined SRF in 2022 managing Human Resources functions for the organization. He brings a background of success in leading HR teams and operations across multiple industries including technology, healthcare, and financial services. Previously supporting multi-state and global organizations, he enjoys the opportunity to support a diverse workforce. In his free time, he can be found volunteering in his community, spending time with family and friends and traveling. Greg completed his MBA in Human Resources Management from the University of Evansville, Hampden and is an active SHRM member.
Esmeralda received her B.S. in Veterinary Science from the University of Arizona in 2018. She has a strong passion for animal care and has volunteered in various wildlife centers over the years. She joined SRF in 2022 to contribute to the research goal of finding viable treatments for age related diseases. She hopes to implement her knowledge and experience to provide optimal care for the lab animals at SRF. In her spare time, she enjoys learning about nature and going bike riding with her husband.
Kathlene Joyce (Kate) finished her Ph.D. in Genetics and Neuroscience at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2022. During that time she collaborated with researchers both at UAB and at Southern Research, a research institute, to understand the mechanisms of transcription factors related to mitochondrial and neuronal programs in order to generate leads for neurodegenerative therapies. This involved RNA-seq, proximity-tagging and mass spec, and follow up on interactors in mouse models. Working at SRF is the next step in a career to find ways to improve people’s lives.
Elena received her Ph.D. in 2006 in Microbiology from the National University of Tashkent, Uzbekistan for her work demonstrating biological features of entomopathogenic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis as a pest control agent. Elena has broad biological research experience in such areas as soil rhisosphere and soil restoration, insect pathology, bio-insecticides, proteomics, and protein crystallization.
Marek Pinto is a sophomore at Boston University studying Computer Science, Math, and Biomedical Engineering. He was a 2022 SRF Summer Scholar working in the MitoSENS lab, and is continuing to work in the lab as a Research Tech. His interests lie in bioinformatics and using computational methods to optimize the mRNA stability of allotopically expressed gene constructs.
Michael Rae is the author of seven scientific articles peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as four book chapters in academic volumes. He is a member of SRF’s Research Development Committee and performs internal scientific reviews and analyses, as well as elucidating the SENS platform for anti-aging biomedicine for a popular audience. He is a long-time member and one-time Board Member of the Calorie Restriction Society and its Vice President for Research from 2014.
Shortly after completing his undergraduate and graduate coursework, Leo earned the opportunity to continue his scientific career at SRF in 2023. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 2021 at the University of California, Riverside. There, he conducted research in an ecology laboratory studying the effects of effluent water flow on California’s endangered species. Leo decided to move back to the Bay area and earn his Master of Science degree in Biology with a concentration in physiology and behavioral biology at San Francisco State University. His thesis work focused on how high ambient daytime temperatures influence behavior and torpor in Anna’s hummingbirds.
He is eager to empower and positively influence the next generation of scientists here at SRF in the multi-faceted role as a Science Education Specialist. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, working out, taking care of his dog, Charlie, and watching baseball and formula 1.
Dr. Manikandan Samidurai did a master’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Madras, India, and received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Chonnam National University, South Korea. His postdoctoral research at the Iowa State University has focused on Protein misfolding and neuroinflammatory mechanisms in neurodegeneration. At the SRF-RC, Dr. Mani is investigating novel approaches to remove misfolded protein aggregates like tau to alleviate normal age-dependent dementias and tauopathies like Alzheimer’s disease.
Apoorva received her M.S. in Biotechnology from San Jose State University in 2020. She has been working in the industry since with a major focus on age-related diseases and stem cell research. As part of RepleniSENS, she wants to better understand the mechanisms of aging and cellular senescence. She is excited to be part of SENS Research Foundation and is looking to apply her knowledge and skills to improve human health and lifespan. Apart from science, she loves movies, painting and cooking.
Sam is currently pursuing a B.A. in Networking and Digital Systems from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He previously worked during the Summer of 2019 as an IT Technician Intern and is pleased to be rejoining the SRF team as the in-office IT Technician. In his free time, Sam enjoys playing tennis and hiking.
Gary is a creative director with over two decades of experience in design, branding, interactive development, content creation, and video production. His professional passion is empowering disruptive technologies with creativity, and he’s been working with SRF since 2012. Gary received a BS in Finance from the University of Florida in 1993 and graduated from Miami Ad School’s Art Direction program in 1998. A licensed pilot, his primary interests include technology, aerospace, nature, futurism, and traveling the world with his wife Maria.
SRF is at the center of the rejuvenation biotechnology industry and supports the mission to end age-related disease through Research, Education, and Outreach. Make your career something you can believe in – something that can change the world.
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