Work with thought leaders and academic experts in ecology evolution behavior systematics

**During my career as an ecologist, I have established myself as an international authority on plant-pollinator interactions, with more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, more than 20 invited presentations, and research collaborations across 19 countries. My projects have taken me from the farmland of Ohio to the rooftops of Philadelphia to the endangered grasslands of Europe. Along the way, I have developed advanced skills in Bayesian statistics, causal inference, and scientific writing.**

Hi! I'm Andrew, a recent Ph.D. graduate in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. I have experience in statistical modeling and data visualization in R, climate change, tropical forest ecology, field research, conservation, and environmental science. My professional strengths include organizational skills, being a quick learner, critical thinking, adaptability, science communication, and both independent and collaborative work. For fun, I love to scuba dive, hike, woodwork, read, and do puzzles!

I am a dedicated Scientist-I at Garuda Therapeutics, where I specialize in computational biology and genomics within the R&D department. My work primarily revolves around developing and optimizing pipelines for variant calling using Strelka2 and GATK4 with Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to identify oncogenes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This involves extensive work in the qualification and validation of these pipelines for regulatory filings, as well as leveraging databases such as ClinVar, COSMIC, and DepMap to craft targeted oncogenes panels for deep sequencing. I also apply Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for downstream sequencing to validate CRISPR knockouts, including the identification and validation of CRISPR off-targets using techniques like rhAMPseq and Induce-seq. Additionally, my expertise extends to single-cell sequencing analysis and understanding structural variants with Optical Genome Mapping (Bionano). Prior to joining Garuda Therapeutics, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in computational biology at Pennsylvania State University, where I honed my skills in identifying climate-adaptive variants and conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to uncover resistance genes against parasites and other stressors. My academic journey began at the University of Vermont, where I explored abiotic stress resistance genes using transcriptomics and developed a robust understanding of RNA-seq data analysis, from assembly to gene annotation. My work is driven by a passion for leveraging computational and genomics tools to address pressing challenges in biology and healthcare, combining my rigorous academic training with a practical, solution-oriented approach to research and development.

Tali Reiner Brodetzki is a highly accomplished scientist with a strong background in zoology. She received her Ph.D. in Zoology from Tel Aviv University in 2018, where she focused on the study of animal behavior and evolutionary ecology. During her graduate studies, she published several papers in top scientific journals and received numerous awards for her research. After completing her Ph.D., Tali went on to work as a Postdoctoral Fellow at both the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University. During this time, she continued to conduct research on animal behavior and evolution, and also gained valuable experience in teaching and mentoring students. In 2020, Tali joined the faculty at La Salle University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology. She is currently conducting research on the effects of human activities on animal behavior and adaptation, and is also teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in zoology, bioinformatics, genomics, and evolutionary biology. Tali's research has been widely recognized and she has received numerous grants and awards, including the prestigious European Molecular Biology Organisation's postdoctoral award. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology and the Animal Behavior Society. In addition to her academic and research accomplishments, Tali is also passionate about science outreach and communication. She regularly presents her research at conferences and seminars, and also participates in science fairs and other community events. She is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and promoting the importance of studying and protecting our natural world. Overall, Tali Reiner Brodetzki is a highly skilled and dedicated scientist who is making significant contributions to the field of zoology. Her education and experience have prepared her to continue making important discoveries and advancements in the study of animal behavior and evolution.

Jeffrey Townsend is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2002 and his Sc.B. from Brown University in 1994. He has been a teacher at St. Ann's School and an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut. He is currently the Elihu Professor of Biostatistics at Yale University.

My interests broadly lie in the fields of bioinformatics and genomics. My particular areas of emphasis are primate comparative genomics in the context of both evolutionary mechanisms and applications to developing nonhuman primate models of human diseases.

I am a generalist with a strong background in research and a passion for exploring new ideas and contributing to business development. My journey as a researcher began in 2009 at the University of Aveiro. Over the years, I progressed from a PhD student to a postdoctoral researcher and ultimately became a researcher, funding my positions through competitive calls. My technical background spans across several areas and with different degrees of expertise. These include microbiology, microbiome analysis, molecular biology, bioinformatic and biostatistics. I have authored and co-authored over 35 articles, some of which have been published in high profile scientific journals (https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/2119-2C29-3E33). I have co-founded two startups and was involved in all the process, including IP protection, prototype development, and engaging potential customers. I possess a comprehensive understanding of day-to-day business operations, including marketing, sales, and finance. I am driven by curiosity to learn and thrive in dynamic environments that foster innovation and growth.

Edoardo Airoldi is a Professor in the Department of Machine Learning at Temple University. He is also the Director of the Center for Machine Learning and Health. He is a world-renowned expert in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence, with a focus on applications to health. Airoldi is a member of the prestigious Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the International Machine Learning Society (IMLS). He has published over 200 papers in leading journals and conferences, and his work has been covered by various media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Wired.

Dr. Justin P. Whalley was educated in the UK (M.Sci. Mathematics, University of Bristol) and France (Ph.D. Bioinformatics, University of Évry). He moved to Spain to work as a postdoc at the National Center for Genomic Analysis (CNAG). During his time there, he ran the Quality Control working group for the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes project to assess the data coming in and reduce batch effects. This involved collaboration with researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the German Cancer Research Center and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK. He returned to the UK to work as a [Senior Bioinformatician at the University of Oxford](https://www.well.ox.ac.uk/people/jpw/). His time there coincided with the global pandemic and he was deeply involved in the COvid-19 Multi-omics Blood ATlas (COMBAT) consortium as the lead for the Integration (Tensor) working group. Dr. Whalley became a member of the [faculty of the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science](https://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/academics/faculty/justin-p-whalley/) in January 2023.

Dr. Maurice O’ Sullivan is a sensory scientist and senior lecturer in food science working in the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, UCC. In the past Maurice has worked in the food industry as a sensory scientist and flavour chemist for Diageo Baileys and Guinness. He has worked as a food technologist and process/product development scientist for the processed foods sector in the 1990’s as well as more recently a product development consultant to the dairy, meat and beverage industries. He has a Ph.D. in Sensory and Consumer science from the Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark as well as MSc. and BSc. Degrees in Food Science and Technology from University College Cork (UCC). Currently Maurice works in the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork as a senior lecturer and sensory and product reformulation project coordinator on large scale multi-million euro research projects. For many years he has also managed the “Sensory Unit” at UCC working on sensory and flavour based projects involving a diverse selection of products. This sensory science based service (at UCC) includes testing the difference, affective and descriptive analysis of foods and beverages as well as assessing shelf-life and comparing sensory results to microbiological and analytical (instrumental, physic-chemical) data using multivariate data analysis (MVA). Sensory testing is critical for new product development/optimisation, ingredient substitution and devising appropriate packaging and comparing foods or beverages to competitor’s products. Again, the key to unlocking the hidden secrets of this multimodal data is with MVA (Multivariate Data Analysis). To date Maurice has secured significant research funding of €5,300,000 Gross, €3,843,329.30 to UCC. He has worked in the area of targeted ingredient (salt, fat, sugar) reduction in foods since 1997. The focus of this research has been reduction of negative ingredients linked to civilisation diseases (Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Disease, Anaemia) while maintaining sensory properties, but also improving nutritional quality of developed products. To date this research has produced numerous publications with many more in development. Other research areas include Cross Cultural Sensory Perception of Irish Dairy Products in Asia, Europe and North America as well as Foods for the Elderly, Packaging and Meat optimisation. Maurice has published more than 200 sensory or consumer research based articles (papers, book chapters, proceedings etc.).

Philip has 20+ years experience within the international energy exploration and development, spanning the Oil and Gas, Geothermal, and Natural Hydrogen Industries.  Philip is presently Owner/Director of Geothermal Energy Advisors, LLC (GEA) a consultation group specializing in geothermal exploration and development. He is also an Investor/Partner in Natural Hydrogen Ventures, (NHV), an international, investment fund looking to invest in the emerging natural hydrogen industry. In a voluntary capacity, Philip holds the position of Honorary Senior Researcher at Keele University in the UK. Philip is an advisor for Project InnerSpace, Phase-1, “geothermal resource characterization”, and a Board Member for the EARTHSAFE project Earth’s Critical Resources for Clean Energy and a Sustainable Future, at the University of Twente.  Philip is also a member of the advisory board for the New York Energy Capital Assembly, in collaboration with the Energy Council. In the last 15 years Philip has authored >100 abstracts and \~25 peer reviewed articles. As of today, Philip’s work has been cited \~935 times, his research metrics are: h-index, 15; i10-index 14.  October 2023 Philip was recently (2023) co-awarded, as a member of a research team, the Alejandro Ángel Escobar Award (the Colombian National Prize of Research in Natural Sciences).

Head of Research and Customer Success at NotedSource.

I am a bioinformatician and researcher in computational biology. My research focuses on the application of machine learning and data analysis to understand the molecular basis of disease. I also work on developing novel software tools for data management and analysis.