Li is the founder of ShennonBio. She has a PhD in Applied Physics from Dr. David Weitz’s lab at Harvard University focusing on single cell analysis. ShennonBio’s ultra-high-throughput functional screening platform sprung out of her thesis research. Prior to founding ShennonBio in 2021, Li spent 5 years as a deep tech VC, first starting at Bessemer Venture Partners, later as a Partner at Foundation Capital, evaluating and investing in startups that employ technology innovations to solve critical global scale problems, spanning biotech, robotics, quantum computing, space tech, and the earliest AI applications. She is passionate about technologies that transform human life and bring a lasting positive impact on the world. Li has always been driven by entrepreneurship. Prior to her VC career, she co-founded two other startups, one commercializing a nanophotonics based 3D display she co-invented, the other an internet marketplace for neighbors to buy, borrow and rent from each other. Li also holds a M.Eng in Materials Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Business from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Li loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking with her husband, painting, and gardening.

Kaitao was trained as a T cell biologist. He graduated from the joint Georgia Tech & Emory University Biomedical Engineering PhD program and worked at Georgia Tech as a research faculty before joining Shennon Bio. His research was mainly focused on two arms of T cell biology: T-cell antigen recognition and its regulation by cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms, as well as the biology of immune checkpoint molecule PD-1. Kaitao enjoys hiking and classical music in his spare time.

Ian has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto, and B.A.Sc.in Nanotechnology Engineering from the University of Waterloo. In his Ph.D. work, Ian designed and fabricated microfluidic devices to simulate nano-bio interactions for cancer research. Prior to ShennonBio, Ian worked at Luna Nanotech while designing a COVID-19 diagnostic assay with the government of Canada as part of Canada’s Pandemic Response Challenge. Ian enjoys taking microscopy pictures of biological structures that he fabricates, and one of these images was briefly featured at the French Embassy to Canada. He also enjoys writing science fiction stories, two of which were featured in Medgadget’s Science Fiction Writing Competition.

Kelsy completed her PhD in the Molecular Cell Biology program at Washington University in St. Louis. Her thesis focused on the integration of genomic and transcriptomic data to identify cancer-specific splice altering variants. Prior to that, she graduated from Mercer University with honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She is passionate about using computational approaches to further understand biology and develop better therapeutic approaches for patients. In her free time, she loves visiting new coffee shops, spending time with friends, exploring new cities, and reading.

Tek Hyung holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he focused on synthetic and systems biology in yeast. He also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University and later as a postdoc and staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory focusing on protein engineering. Prior to Shennon, he was a research scientist at BioMap, where he engineered therapeutic antibodies using AI/ML and yeast surface display. At Shennon, he works on TCE engineering. Tek Hyung enjoys playing tennis and piano and spending time with his wife and two children.

Dan completed his PhD in the Computational and Systems Biology program at Washington University in St. Louis. His thesis work, advised by Dr. Alex Holehouse, focused on developing computational methods for understanding the functions of intrinsically disordered proteins. Prior to that, he obtained a B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Molecular Biology and Math. At Shennon, Dan works on developing ML tools to study TCRs. Outside of research, Dan enjoys spending time hiking, biking, playing basketball and trying out new restaurants.

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Paul completed his PhD in Immunology at the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), where he was coadvised by Drs. Valentina Hoyos and Cliona Rooney at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy. Paul’s thesis research focused on TCR discovery and developing TCR T therapies for cancer. Paul conducted a postdoc at BCM in the lab of Dr. Bing Zhang, where he studied mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation and the discovery of new cancer antigens using immunopeptidomics. When he isn’t hunting for TCRs, Paul enjoys listening to podcasts, playing videogames and boardgames with friends, and going on meditative evening walks.

Jon completed his PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of California Los Angeles, where he was advised by Dr. Amander Clark in Eli and Edithe Broad Stem Cell Research Center. Jonathan’s PhD work focused on understanding the transcriptomic regulation of mammalian germline development using a combination of NGS- and microscopy-based approaches. His work aimed to understand how rapid, successive changes to the germline epigenome are controlled during development. Prior to this, Jonathan studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he graduated summa cum laude. Outside of the lab, Jonathan enjoys baking, trying out new restaurants and digging into a good book.

Naomi has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from University of Wisconsin - Madison. During her undergrad, she gained research and lab operations experience in an academic lab focused on elucidating mitochondrial protein mechanisms. Since graduating, she has worked in public health, wine fermentation, and recruiting for small biotech startups. As the operations manager at Shennon, Naomi brings her ‘jack of all trades’ mindset to help with general lab operations, recruiting, and mammalian cell culture. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, drinking good California wine, and spending time outdoors hiking and skiing.

Lauren has a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in biomaterials and medical devices from UC Berkeley, where her research focused on the design and development of a wearable diagnostic tool for neurodegenerative disease. Prior to that, Lauren obtained her BS in Bioengineering from UCLA, where she graduated summa cum laude. During undergrad, she worked in a research laboratory on a microfluidic platform generating hydrogel microparticles for bioreactor and cell selection applications. In her free time, Lauren enjoys getting outside to hike and climb, as well as staying in to read and make crafts.

Sonali (Soni) has a B.S. in biomedical engineering from University of Southern California. During her undergraduate years, she worked in two research laboratories: one focusing on nanoparticle treatment for atherosclerosis and the other on CAR T cell therapy using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to control inducible tumor antigen expression. Soni now works with the immunology team at Shennon, supporting scientists in various experiments, including T cell isolation and engineering. In her free time, Soni enjoys trying new boba tea spots, going on walks with her dog, and playing soccer with friends.

Jackie has a Master of Science in Translational Research & Applied Medicine from Stanford University, where her research projects focused on immuno-oncology and AI applications in HSCT patient screening. Prior to ShennonBio, she worked in strategic analytics at Lyra Health, focusing on clinical quality reporting and evaluating the success of new product launches. She also has experience driving biopharma market research projects at dQ&A, which provided competitive intelligence insights, helped refine target product profiles, support regulatory claims, and forecast the uptake of new drugs and medical devices. Prior to dQ&A, she completed her bachelor's degree in Behavioral Biology at Johns Hopkins University. Outside of work, Jackie enjoys yoga and taking weekend trips to camp or ski.