A Team with 40 Years of Combined Experience in Neurodegenerative Disease Research
Prof. Hilal Lashuel
Co-founder and CSO, is Associate Professor and Director of the laboratory of molecular chemical biology of neurodegeneration at the EPFL since 2005 (Website), and served as executive director of the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) (2014 – 2016). Prof. Lashuel is recognized globally as one of the key opinion leaders in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, with 185 publications in major journals, 5 patents, hundreds of invited lectures, and more than 21000 citations. Dr. Lashuel has received numerous scientific research grants and prestigious awards and was named “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum (WEF), and as one of the “100 Outstanding Personalities” in the French-speaking part of Switzerland by the Swiss business magazine “L’Hebdo.”
Dr. Bilal Fares
Co-founder and director of R&D, completed his Ph.D. in biotechnology and bioengineering at the EPFL (Lashuel lab), where he developed the first preclinical model of Parkinson’s disease reproducing early stages of pathological protein aggregation in neurons. Through R&D experiences at prominent academic and industrial institutions across Switzerland, the USA, and the UK, Dr. Fares has over 10 years of experience in developing and managing international projects in the field of preclinical disease modeling and drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Fares is also experienced in managing different aspects of biotech formation, operation, and business development through his current role at ND Biosciences, and recently completed a selective MBA program from Quantic, USA.
Lara Petricca
Head of biomarkers and diagnostic development, has been working on neurodegenerative disorders since 2006 when she investigated metabolic dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease. During her Marie Curie fellowship in Italy, she worked at different biotech companies as a scientist, senior scientist, and then as head of neuroscience lab and project leader, where she led efforts towards the development of ultrasensitive immunoassays for the detection and validation of post-translationally modified disease-causing proteins, as potential biomarkers for Huntington’s and Parkinson’s Disease. In these studies, Lara deployed different immuno-assay platforms, including ELISA, TR-FRET, MSD, and SMC, and she successfully led the establishment of several fully validated and published immuno-assays.
Marylin Aebi
Lab manager and protein production specialist, is an R&D expert through diverse experiences in academia, industry, and biotech. Following her Masters in medical biology from the University of Lausanne in 2014, Marylin worked as scientific collaborator, and then as regional quality assurance manager at a leading international provider of diagnostic services. Through this position, Marylin gained valuable experience in planning and managing internal audits, surveillance of laboratory accreditation processes, and monitoring of internal documentation and management systems. Following this experience, Marylin joined the EPFL as an associate research scientist, where she mastered the ability to express, purify and characterize diverse proteins and antibodies. Marylin is currently managing ND Biosciences’ laboratory, and leading efforts for protein production and discovery.
DR. Emeline Hamon-kEROMEN
Research Scientist focused on Biologics Screening and Development, is a cellular biologist experienced in investigating pathological mechanisms underlying ALS, Giant axonal neuropathy and Parkinson’s disease. Emeline completed her PhD studies at Sorbonne University in 2020, where she investigated the implication of the PINK1/Parkin pathway and mitochondrial stress responses in different neuronal models of Parkinson’s disease. Emeline also developed a novel probe in collaboration with Servier Pharmaceutics that enables high-throughput assessment of mitochondrial import for drug screening and development. At ND Biosciences, Emeline is developing and implementing different neuronal models of protein aggregation and toxicity for drug discovery, and is leading the cellular screening and development of ND Biosciences’ Biologics.
Dr. Anne-Marinette Cao
Research scientist developing novel biochemical assays for Parkinson’s disease, is a biochemist by training with particular interest in Neurosciences and Molecular Medicine. Anne completed her PhD in 2016 studying the molecular pharmacology of human metabotropic glutamate receptors, and investigated their modulation as a possible therapeutic target for different neurodegenerative diseases. Anne then completed her postdoctoral studies at the EPFL where she combined biochemical assays and single-molecule biophysics to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying chromatin remodeling. At ND Biosciences, Anne has joined as Research Scientist through the BNF program to develop novel biochemical assays for Parkinson’s disease, which would advance ND Biosciences’ biologics development and screening programs, as well as ND Bioscience’s efforts to develop novel diagnostic assays for Parkinson’s disease.
Agata Zaza
Administrative and Operational Coordinator, brings extensive experience in office management, events coordination, international relations, HR, IT and accounting support. Prior to joining ND Biosciences, Agata worked in Switzerland, Belgium and Turkey across a variety of industries including scientific publishing, journalism, art, and venture philanthropy. Agata speaks 4 languages, holds a BA in Information and Communication from ULB Belgium, and a Certificate in International Organization Management from the University of Geneva. At ND Biosciences, Agata coordinates all operational and administrative activities, and ensures smooth information and logistic flow in and out of the company.