The team behind the vision
Stephanie Venn-Watson, DVM, MPH
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully launched Epitracker, Seraphina Therapeutics,two clinical research programs within the Department of Defense and non-profit sector, and founded public health education programs in the community and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her novel approach to discovering therapeutic candidates for animals and humans has been featured on NPR’s Science Friday, CBS, BBC, National Geographic, Biocom’s Annual Dinner (2014), J&J Innovations: Powerful Ideas Series (2015), San Diego Venture Group’s Hot Topic Series (2015) and Cool Companies (2017), LA BioMed Innovation Showcase (2016), and San Diego’s Innovation Showcase (2017). She has over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications and book chapters and is the lead inventor on over 40 issued and pending patents. For her entrepreneurial work in the health industry, Stephanie was awarded the Department of Human and Human Services Secretary’s Award for Innovations in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Stephanie received her B.S. in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience from UC San Diego, D.V.M. from Tufts University, M.P.H. from Emory University, and was a National Research Council Associate with the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center. Stephanie has worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. She is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow for Life.
Did you know?
Beyond Epitracker and Seraphina, Stephanie has dedicated her career to improving animal and human health, including leading investigations on the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on wild dolphins, chairing investigations into unusual marine mammal stranding events, founding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Pets, Healthy People program, and founding the Gap Junction STEM program for veterinary students and middle school kids.
Literature
Venn-Watson S, Schork N (2023) Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0), an essential fatty acid, shares clinically relevant cell-based activities with leading longevity-enhancing compounds. Nutrients (in review).
Venn-Watson S, Butterworth CN (2022) Broader and safer clinically-relevant activities of pentadecanoic acid compared to omega-3: evaluation of an emerging essential fatty acid across twelve primary human cell-based disease systems. PLOS ONE 17:e0268778.
Venn-Watson S, Reiner J, Jensen ED (2022). Pentadecanoylcarnitine is a newly discovered endocannabinoid with pleiotropic activities relevant to supporting physical and mental health. Sci Rep 12:13717.
Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Schork NJ (2020) 25-year longitudinal dolphin cohort supports that long-lived individuals in the same environment exhibit variation in aging rates. PNAS.
Venn-Watson S, Lumpkin R, Dennis EA (2020) Efficacy of dietary odd-chain saturated fatty acid pentadecanoic acid parallels broad associated health benefits in humans: could it be essential? Sci Rep 10:8161.
Venn-Watson S, Baird M, Novick B, Parry C, Jensen ED (2020) Modified fish diet shifted serum metabolome and alleviated chronic anemia in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Potential role of odd-chain saturated fatty acids.PLOS ONE 15:e0230769.
Barratclough A, Gomez FM, Morey JS, Deming A, Parry C, Meegan JM, Carlin KP, Schwacke L, Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Smith CR (2020) Pregnancy profiles in the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Clinical biochemical and hematological variations during healthy gestation and a successful outcome. Theriogenol 142:92-103.
Le-Bert CR, Smith CR, Poindexter J, Ardente A, Meegan J, Wells RS, Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Sakhaee K (2018) Comparison of potential dietary and urinary risk factors for ammonium urate nephrolithiasis in two bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) popualtions. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 315:F231-F237.
Eberle KC, Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, LaBresh J, Sullivan Y, Kakach L, Sacco RE (2018) Development of testing of species-specific ELISA assays to measure IFN-γ and TNF-α in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). PLOS ONE 13:e0190786.
Standorf K, Cortex-Hinjosa G, Venn-Watson S, Rivera R, Archer L, Wellehan Jr JFX (2018) Phylogenetic analysis of the genome of an enteritis-associated bottlenose dolphin mastadenovirus supports a clade infecting the cetartiodactyla. J Wildlf Dis 54: 112-121.
Borras E, Aksenov AA, Baird M, Novick B, Schivo M, Zamuruyev KO, Pasamontes A, Parry C, Foutouhi S, Venn-Watson S, Weimer BC, Davis CE (2017) Exhaled breath condensate methods adapted from human studies using longitudinal metabolomics for predicting early health alterations in dolphins. Anal Bioanal Chem 409:6523-6536.
Hofstetter AR, Eberle KC, Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Porter TJ, Waters TE, Sacco RE (2017) Monitoring bottlenose dolphin leukocyte cytokine mRNA responsiveness by qPCR. PLOS ONE 12:e0189437.
Elnaggar MM, Abdellrazeq GS, Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Hulubei V, Fry LM, Sacco RE, Davis WC (2017) Identification of monoclonal antibodies cross-reactive with bottlenose dolphin orthologues of the major histocompatibility complex and leukocyte differentiation molecules. Vet Immunol and Immunopath 192:54-59.
De Guise S, Levin M, Gebhard E, Jasperse L, Hart Leslie Burdett, Smith CR, Venn-Watson S, Townsend F. Wells R, Balmer B, Zolman E, Rowles T, Schwacke L (2017) Changes in immune functions in bottlenose dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Inter Endang Spec Res 33:291-303.
Pasamontes A, Askenov AA, Schivo M, Rowles T, Smith CR, Schwacke LH, Wells RS, Yeates L, Venn-Watson S, Davis CE (2017) Non-invasive respiratory metabolite analysis associated with clinical disease in cetaceans: a Deepwater Horizon oil spill study. Environ Sci Technol DOI 10.1021/acs.est6b0b482.
Cortes-Hinojosa G, Gulland FMD, Goldstein T, Venn-Watson S, Rivera R, Archer L, Waltzek TB, Gray G, Wellehan JFX (2017) Development and validation of a qPCR for a rapid and specific diagnosis of California sea lion adenovirus (CSLAdV-1) and prevalence in wild and managed populations. J Vet Diagn Invest 29:193-197.
Fauquier DA, Litz J, Sanchez S, Colegrove K, Schwacke LH, Hart L, Saliki J, Smith C, Goldstein T, Bowen-Stevens S, McFee W, Fougeres E, Mase-Guthrie B, Stratton E, Ewing R, Venn-Watson S, Carmichael RH, Clemon-Chevis C, Hatchett W, Shannon D, Shipee S, Smith S, Staggs L, Tumlin MC, Wingers NL, Rowles SK (2017) Evaluation of morbillivirus exposure in cetaceans from the northern Gulf of Mexico 2010-2014. Endang Species Res 33:211-220.
Seitz KE, Smith CR, Marks SL, Venn-Watson SK, Ivancic M (2016) Use of ultrasonography to establish a technique for hepatobiliary imaging and to evaluate metabolic disease-associated liver changes in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). J Zoo Wildlf Med 47:1034-1043.
Zamuruyev KO, Aksenov AA, Baird M, Pasamontes A, Parry C, Foutouhi S, Venn-Watson S, Weimer BC, Jean-Pierre Delplanque JP, Davis CE (2016) Enhanced non-invasive respiratory sampling from bottlenose dolphins for optimum breath metabolomics measurements. J Breath Res 10:046005.
Sobolesky PM, Parry C, Boxall B, Wells R, Venn-Watson S, Janech MG (2016) Proteomic analysis of non-depleted serum proteins from bottlenose dolphins uncovers a high vanin-1 phenotype. Scientific Reports 6:33879.
Venn-Watson S (2016) Opportunistic pathogens of marine mammals. Hurst CJ (Ed.) The Rasputin effect: when commensals and symbionts become parasitic. Advances in Environmental Microbiology 3. Springer International Publishing Switzerland. DOI: 10.1007.978-3-319-28170-4_6.
Sobolesky PM, Harrell T, Parry C, Venn-Watson S, Janech MG (2016) Feeding a modified diet to bottlenose dolphins leads to an increase in serum adiponectin and sphingolipids consistent with improved insulin sensitivity. Front Endocrinol 7:33.
Colegrove KM, Venn-Watson S, Litz J, Kinsel MJ, Terio KA, Fougeres E, Ewing R, Pabst DA, McLellan WA, Raverty S, Saliki J, Fire S, Rappucci G, Bowen-Stevens S, Noble L, Costidis A, Barbieri M, Field C, Smith S, Carmichael RH, Chevis C, Hatchett W, Shannon D, Tumlin M, Lovewell G, McFee W, Rowles TK (2016) Fetal distress and in utero pneumonia in perinatal dolphins during the Northern Gulf of Mexico unusual mortality event. Dis Aqua Org 119:1-16.
Bik E, Costello C, Switzer A, Callahan B, Holmes S, Wells R, Carlin K, Jensen E, Venn-Watson S, Relman D (2016) Marine mammals harbor unique microbiotas shaped by and yet distinct from the sea. Nature Comm 7:10516.
Eberle KC, Neill JD, Venn-Watson S, McGill JL, Sacco RE (2015) Novel Atlantic bottlenose dolphin parainfluenza virus TtPIV-1 clusters with bovine PIV-3 genotype B strains. Virus Genes 1-11.
Venn-Watson S, Parry C, Baird M, Stevenson S, Carlin K, Daniels R, Smith CR, Jones R, Wells RS, Ridgway S, Jensen ED (2015) Increased dietary intake of saturated fatty acid heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) associated with decreasing ferritin and alleviated metabolic syndrome in dolphins. PLOS ONE 10(7):e0132117.
Venn-Watson S, Colegrove KM, Litz J, Kinsel M, Terio K, et al (2015) Adrenal gland and lung lesions in Gulf of Mexico common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) found dead following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. PLOS ONE 10(5): e0126538. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126538.
Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Smith CR, Xitco M, Ridgway SH (2015) Annual survival, mortality, and longevity of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, 2004-2013. J Am Vet Med Assoc 246:893-898.
Colegrove K, Venn-Watson S (2015) Histomorphology of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) pancreas and association of increasing islet β-cell size with chronic hypercholesterolemia. J Gen Comp Endocrinol 214:17-23.
Venn-Watson S, Garrison L, Litz J, Fougere E, Mase B, Rappucci G, Stratton G, Carmichael R, Odell D, Shannon D, Shippee S, Smith S, Staggs L, Tumlin M, Whitehead H, Rowles T (2015) Demographic clusters identified within the northern Gulf of Mexico common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) unusual mortality event: January 2010 - June 2013. PLOS ONE 10(2): e0117248.
Cortes-Hinojasa G, Gulland FMD, Goldstein T, Venn-Watson S, Rivera R, Waltzek TB, Salemi M, Wellehan JFX (2015) Phylogenomic characterization of California sea lion adenovirus-1. Infect Gen Evol 31:270-276.
Venn-Watson S (2014) Dolphins and Diabetes: Applying One Health for breakthrough discoveries. Front Endocrinol DOI 10.3389/fendo.2014.00227.
Phillips BE, Venn-Watson S, Archer LL, Nollens HH, Wellehan JFX (2014) Preliminary investigation of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for HFE gene-related hemochromatosis. J Wild Dis. 50:891-895.
Smith CR, Poindexter JR, Meegan JM, Bobulescu IA, Jensen ED, Venn-Watson S, Sakhaee K (2014) Pathophysiological and physicochemical basis of ammonium urate stone formation in dolphins. J Urology. 10.1016/j.juro.2014.01.008.
Eberle KC, Waters TE, Jensen ED, Venn-Watson SK, Sacco RE (2013) Development and application of specific cytokine assays in tissue samples from a bottlenose dolphin with hyperinsulinemia. Frontiers Endo doi: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00134
Daniels R, Venn-Watson S, Smith CR (2013) Effects of freeze-thaw cycle on urine values from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquat Mamm 39:330-334.
Smith CR, Venn-Watson S, Wells R, Johnson SP, Maffeo N, Balmer B, Rowles T, Schwacke L, Townsend F, Sakhaee K (2013) Comparisons of nephrolithiasis prevalence in two bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations. Frontiers Endo doi: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00145.
Venn-Watson S, Smith C, Stevenson S, Parry C, Daniels R, Jensen E, Cendejas V, Balmer B, Janech M, Neely BA, Wells R (2013) Blood-based indicators of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Frontiers Endo 4:136.
Diaz MA, Bik EM, Carlin KP, Venn-Watson SK, Jensen ED, Jones SE, Gaston EP, Relman DA, Versalovic J (2013) Identification of Lactobacillus strains with probiotic features from the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). J Clin Microbiol 115:1037-1051.
Argade S, Smith CR, Shaw T, Zupkas P, Schmitt TL, Venn-Watson S, Sur RL (2013) Solubility of ammonium acid urate nephroliths from bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). J Zoo Wildl Med 44:853-858.
Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Jensen ED, Rowles T (2013) Assessing the potential health impacts of the 2003 and 2007 firestorms on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in San Diego Bay. Inhal Toxicol 25:481-491.
Yeates L, Carlin KP, Baird M, Venn-Watson S, Ridgway S (2013) Nitric oxide in the breath of bottlenose dolphins: effects of breath hold duration, feeding, and lung disease. Mar Mamm Sci DOI: 10.1111/mms.12037.
Barbieri MM, Raverty S, Hanson MB, Venn-Watson SK, Ford JKB, Gaydos JK (2013) Spatial and temporal analysis of killer whale strandings in the North Pacific Ocean and the benefits of a coordinated stranding response protocol. Mar Mamm Sci DOI:10.1111/mms.12044.
Venn-Watson S, Carlin K, Andrews GA, Chavey PS, Mazzaro L (2013) Associations of ceruloplasmin and haptoglobin with inflammation and glucose in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) J Comp Clin Path DOI: 10.1007/s00580-013- 1738-0.
Smith CR, Jensen ED, Blankenship BA, Greenberg M, D’Agostini DA, Pretorius DH, Saenz NC, Noll N, Venn-Watson SK (2013) Fetal omphalocele in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 44: 87–92.
Venn-Watson S, Benham C, Gulland FMD, Smith CR, St. Leger J, Yochem P, Nollens H, Saliki JT, Colegrove K, Wellehan JFX, Rivera R (2012) Clinical relevance of novel Otarine herpesvirus-3 in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus): association with juvenile strandings and B cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Vet Research 43:85.
Meegan J, Romano T, Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Sidor I, Jensen ED, Van Bonn WG, Pugh R, Ficht T, Adams G, Dunn JL (2012) Serologic response in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) infected with Brucella sp. using a newly developed dolphin-specific indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. Dis Aquat Org 102:73-85.
Mazzaro LM, Johnson SP, Fair PA, Bossart G, Carlin KP, Jensen ED, Smith CR, Andrews GA, Chavey PS, Venn-Watson S (2012) Iron indices among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): identifying populations at risk for iron overload. Comp Med 62:508-515.
Venn-Watson S, Daniels R, Smith C (2012) Thirty year retrospective evaluation of pneumonia in a bottlenose dolphin population. Dis Aquat Org 99:237-242.Venn-Watson S, Benham C, Carlin K, St. Leger (2012) Hemochromatosis and fatty change: building evidence for insulin resistance in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). J Zoo Wildlf Med 43:S35-S47.
Wellehan JFX, Rivera R, Archer LL, Benham C, JK Muller, KM Colegrove, FMD Gulland, JA St. Leger, S Venn-Watson, HH Nollens (2011) Characterization of California sea lion polyomavirus 1: expansion of the known host range of the Polyomaviridae to Carnivora. Infect, Gen, Evol 11:987-996.
Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Gomez F, Jensen ED (2011) Physiology of aging among healthy, older bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): comparisons with aging humans. J Comp Phys B 181:667-680.
Venn-Watson S, Stamper A, Rowles T (2011) Thinking outside the terrestrial box: how high-priority, emerging, and zoonotic marine mammal pathogens reflect those of human pathogens. EcoHealth 7:S26.
Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Ridgway S (2011) Population health indicators of the Navy Marine Mammal Program bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population, 1988-2007. J Am Vet Med Assoc 238: 356-360.
Venn-Watson S, Carlin K, Ridgway S (2011) Dolphins as animal models for type 2 diabetes: Sustained, postprandial hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Gen Comp Endocrin 170:193-199.
Venn-Watson S, Townsend FI, Daniels R, Sweeney J, McBain J, Klatsky L, Hicks C, Staggs L, Rowles T, Schwacke L, Wells RS, Smith CR (2010) Hypocitraturia in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Assessing a potential risk factor for urate nephrolithiasis. Comp Med 60:149-153.
Ridgway S, Venn-Watson S (2010) Effects of fresh and seawater ingestion on osmoregulation in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) J Comp Phys B 180:563-576.
Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Daniels R, Townsend F (2010) Clinical relevance of urate nephrolithiasis in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Dis Aqua Org 89:167-177.
Rivera R, Nollens HH, Venn-Watson S, Gulland FMD, Wellehan FX (2010) Characterization of phylogenetically diverse astroviruses of marine mammals. J Gen Virol 91:166-173.
Wellehan JFX, Yu Fahong, Venn-Watson S, Jensen E, Smith C, Farmerie WB, Nollens HH (2010) Characterization of San Miguel Sea Lion Virus populations using pyrosequencing-based methods. Infect Genet Evol 10:254-260.
Nollens HH, Rivera R, Palacios G, Wellehan JFX, Saliki JT, Caseltine SL, Smith CR, Jensen ED, Hui J, Lipkin WI, Yochem PK, Wells RS, St. Leger J, Venn-Watson S (2009) New recognition of Enterovirus infections in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Vet Micro 139:170-175.
Johnson SP, Venn-Watson S, Cassle SE, Jensen ED, Smith CR, Ridgway SH (2009) Use of phlebotomy treatment in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins with iron overload. J Am Vet Med Assoc 235:194-200.
Ruiz CL, Nollens HH, Venn-Watson S, Green LG, Wells RS, Walsh MT, Nolan EC, McBain JF, Jacobson ER (2009) Baseline circulating immunoglobulin G levels in managed collection and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Dev Comp Immunol 33:449-455.
Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Jensen E (2008) Clinical relevance of elevated transaminases in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population. J Wildlf Dis 44: 318-330.
Sorensen K, Venn-Watson S, Ridgway S (2008) Association of trace elements with liver function in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). J Wildlf Dis 44: 304-317.
Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Jensen ED (2008) Primary bacterial pathogens in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus: needles in haystacks of commensal and environmental microbes. Dis Aquat Org; 79:87-93.
Venn-Watson S, Rivera R, Smith CR, Saliki JT, Caseltine S, St Leger J, Yochem P, Wells RS, Nollens H (2008) Exposure to novel parainfluenza virus and clinical relevance in two bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) populations. Emerg Infect Dis 14(3):397-405.
Nollens HH, Wellehan JF, Saliki JT, Caseltine SL, Jensen ED, Van Bonn W, Venn-Watson S (2008) Characterization of a parainfluenza virus isolated from a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Vet Microbiol;128(3-4):231-42.
Venn-Watson S, Smith CR, Dold C, Ridgway SH (2008) Use of a serum-based glomerular filtration rate prediction equation to assess renal function by age, sex, fasting, and health status in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Mar Mamm Sci 24 (1), 71–80.
Venn-Watson S, Ridgway SH (2007) Big brains and blood glucose: Common ground for diabetes mellitus in humans and healthy dolphins. Comp Med 57(4):390-5.
Venn-Watson S, Jensen ED, Ridgway SH (2007) Effects of age and sex on clinicopathologic reference ranges in a healthy managed Atlantic bottlenose dolphin population. J Am Vet Med Assoc 231(4):596-601.
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Meet the rest of our team
Stephanie Venn-Watson, DVM, MPH
CEO, Co-Founder
Steph is a serial entrepreneur of for-profit and not-for-profit companies, a veterinary epidemiologist and public health scientist with over 40 patents and 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and previously served as an epidemiologist tracking diseases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization.
Eric Venn-Watson, MD, MBA
COO, Co-Founder
Eric is a practicing physician and entrepreneur. He served over 25 years as a Navy and Marine Corps physician, working with the special forces community to improve their health and fitness. Additionally, Eric founded multiple companies in the drug discovery, healthcare analytics, and medical device industries. He is passionate about developing medical technologies that improve the practice and delivery of healthcare on a global scale.
Kim Kamdar, PhD
Board Chair, Co-Founder
Kim is a Managing Partner of Domain Associates, a life sciences venture capital firm, and has been involved in numerous cutting-edge therapeutic start-ups. She was also a research director at Novartis, where she led a team to uncover small molecules that modulated signaling pathway networks.
Nicholas Schork, PhD
Senior Scientist, Co-Founder
Nicholas is a Distinguished Professor and Director of the Quantitative Medicine and Systems Biology Division at Translational Genomics Institute, an affiliate of The City of Hope. In addition, as a leader in the design and analysis of studies of longevity, Nicholas is Scientific Director for the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Aging-sponsored Longevity Consortium.
Chris Doyle
Chief Financial Officer
Chris is a finance leader focused on driving scale and profitability for high-growth businesses. Throughout his career, Chris has worked with both small and large companies to develop growth strategies, navigate operational hurdles, execute M&A transactions, and raise capital. He is passionate about developing data-driven insights to support long-term, sustainable business expansion. Chris began his career in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and Moelis, and he has held finance roles at Mars Wrigley, KIND and Diggs.
Dennis Bernstein, MBA
VP of Retention & Lifecycle Marketing
Dennis is a marketing and brand builder, with an entrepreneurial mindset. He has 20+ years of experience leading the development of innovative brands and launching successful consumer products into the marketplace, working at some of the most rapidly evolving Omni-channel and DTC companies, including Procter & Gamble and Dollar Shave Club. Dennis developed and led such projects as the Thank you Mom campaign for the London Olympics and global launches for the Crest/Oral B and Gillette brands.
Ali Bernstein
Head of Consumer Experience & Engagement
Ali is an expert when it comes to marketing and community building, with the number one priority of always putting the customer first. Ali's mission is to make customers’ feel like friends and part of the fatty15 family, helping people with any requests. With over 23+ years of marketing experience on both the agency and client side of the business building communities, at companies like Empower MediaMarketing, Ali enjoys bringing her personable nature to the fatty15 family.
Bear Buscher
Head of Healthcare Sales and Wholesale Operations
Bear is a sales leader with over a decade of experience in consistently achieving remarkable results across diverse consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors. Throughout his career, Bear has orchestrated the successful introduction of over 70 distinct consumer products across multiple brands, spanning various consumer industries. In addition, he has guided and mentored multiple award-winning cross-functional teams, fostering a strong foothold and reputation in the wellness industry and beyond.
Kate McMahon
Sr. Account Manager
Kate is a highly motivated professional experienced in non-profit fundraising, event and project management. With her leadership, organizational skills, effective communication, and optimistic attitude, she is an invaluable asset as our project manager. She excels in maintaining a holistic perspective while also paying meticulous attention to detail. Kate proactively seeks opportunities to improve and enhance processes for the benefit of the entire team.
Living abroad as a military family has honed her change management abilities and broadened her global perspective, fueling her desire to work for companies that make a positive impact on people's lives. She finds immense satisfaction in her role at Seraphina Therapeutics, where she actively contributes to their mission of advancing global health through the transformative fatty acid C15:0.
Edward Dennis, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Ed is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology specializing in lipid research at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Ed, who is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard University, was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Lipid Research and has 375 peer-reviewed publications, including roles of fatty acids in health.
Ronald Krauss, MD
Scientific Advisor
Ron is a Senior Scientist and Director of Atherosclerosis Research at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine at UCSF and the Department of Nutritional Sciences at UC Berkeley. Ron is a graduate of Harvard University, is board-certified in internal medicine, endocrinology and metabolism, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Nutrition and American Heart Association. He has 450 peer-reviewed publications, including leading papers on dairy-based fats and health.
Daniel Einhorn, MD
Medical Advisor, Endocrinology
Dr. Einhorn is the president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, medical director of the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSD. He is an editor and contributor to numerous books and articles, including publications from the American Medical Association and the Royal Society of Medicine, and has been a teacher in graduate medical education throughout the world.