The Team at LabCentral

Maggie O’Toole is the executive vice president and chief operating officer at LabCentral. She provides overall direction and guidance to the operational activities of the company and oversees expansion projects including the Harvard Life Lab, a branch of the Harvard Innovation Labs operated by LabCentral as well as MIT's The Engine. Maggie has more than 20 years of experience in business start-ups working with the founders to establish a company’s infrastructure and ultimately is responsible for business management and daily operations. Prior to LabCentral, she served as director of operations for Pervasis Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech acquired by Shire. Previously, she has held management positions with Reputation Technologies; acquired by Security Source, Inc., Synetics, Inc.; acquired by ACS, and Elephant Engineering; acquired by Syntronics, LLC. Maggie earned her bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Favorite school science project: Fifth grade, protect the falling egg challenge – maybe it was just that we all got to go outside and drop things off the side of the building but I loved this – my winning technique…Rice Krispies!

In his role as Chief Business Officer, Mike helps lead the value that LabCentral offers its industry partners, as well as its corporate and governments partners, focusing on the intersection of entrepreneurship, science, design thinking and innovation.

Prior to LabCentral, Mike was Chief Business Officer, at New Lab with its 140+ member startup companies in residence at their 84,000SF facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He also served as President of MassChallenge, Inc, a global network of accelerator programs for early stage startups, headquartered in Boston, MA. Mike helped expand the impact of MassChallenge on a global scale to 7 programs in 5 countries. He drove the revenue, marketing, and talent strategies for the organization, as well as building its community of over 2,000 high impact alumni startup companies.

Prior to MassChallenge he was a Principal with Collective Next, a collaborative design firm based in Boston. He has also held senior leadership roles at AchieveGlobal, Korn Ferry, Symantec, and Sapient Corporation. He holds an undergraduate degree from Boston College and a Masters from Boston University.

Mike has spoken extensively on accelerating innovation through entrepreneurship at forums like the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, the Chief Innovation Officer Summit, Innovfest Singapore, Smart Philanthropy Conference, NYC Innovation Collective Panel on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems.

Favorite school science project: High school physics – building a rocket and predicting its landing spot once launched. The science was interesting, but running a poker game during the down time was even more fun!

Abby Johnson is the VP of Operations at LabCentral where she oversees day-to-day operations across the six locations in the LabCentral network, as well as IT and Finance departments. She was previously Sr. Director of Business Strategy at LabCentral, where she's held numerous leadership roles in Strategy and Accounting over the last eleven years. Prior to joining LabCentral, Abby worked as a financial analyst, specializing in budgeting, forecasting, and tracking of programs as well as the implementation of new financial and HR systems. Her previous experience includes Science Applications International Corporation, where she supported a variety of telecommunications projects ranging from one-person support agreements to programs with over 1000 employees. Abby earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Illinois.

Favorite school science project: For my seventh-grade science fair project, I tested the relationship between yellow and white paint and how they conduct heat. After many years of overheating on the school bus, I wanted to prove that they should all be painted white on top! While my lab setup was much what you would expect from a middle school kid, I did get the results I wanted.

Abby Johnson is the VP of Operations at LabCentral where she oversees day-to-day operations across the six locations in the LabCentral network, as well as IT and Finance departments. She was previously Sr. Director of Business Strategy at LabCentral, where she's held numerous leadership roles in Strategy and Accounting over the last eleven years. Prior to joining LabCentral, Abby worked as a financial analyst, specializing in budgeting, forecasting, and tracking of programs as well as the implementation of new financial and HR systems. Her previous experience includes Science Applications International Corporation, where she supported a variety of telecommunications projects ranging from one-person support agreements to programs with over 1000 employees. Abby earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Illinois.

Favorite school science project: For my seventh-grade science fair project, I tested the relationship between yellow and white paint and how they conduct heat. After many years of overheating on the school bus, I wanted to prove that they should all be painted white on top! While my lab setup was much what you would expect from a middle school kid, I did get the results I wanted.

Adam Kohlbus is the Operations Lead at the Bayer Co.Lab. In this role, he works to assist with all operational and events needs. Whether it’s stocking a café, onboarding a new company or resident, coordinating the logistics to make an event a success, or just cracking a joke, Adam is your guy! Adam previously worked in Operations within the field of Artistic Administration, where he worked for organizations such as the New England Conservatory of Music, Curtis Institute of Music, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Adam earned his Bachelor’s in Viola Performance from Temple University and his Master’s in Viola Performance from McGill University. Outside of work, he enjoys exercising, cooking and baking, playing video games, trying new breweries, and seeing live music.

Favorite school science project: For my high school AP Physics science fair, I did an experiment where I investigated the effect that torsion (twisting) waves play on a bowed string instrument. I took a bass string, attached copper coils with epoxy, and positioned it in within an electromagnetic field in such a way that when the string was bowed, the torsion waves caused the coils to move and exhibit flux. Although I learned that epoxy is not necessarily my friend, I had a blast combining science and my musical side.

Alex is on the Facilities team and is primarily focused on shipping and receiving. He receives packages from different couriers and will sort and log them for all of our resident companies and LabCentral employees. His job is to make the resident’s experience with packages run as smoothly as possible. He also helps with the maintenance of the building at 700 Main Street, from painting and patching to helping with lab turnovers. He received his bachelors from Boston College with a focus in Criminal & Social Justice. In his free time, he enjoys being with friends and family, traveling to new places, and trying out new foods from the many different cultures that the Boston area has to offer!

Favorite school science project: My favorite science project was when we got to dissect an octopus in middle school. I was able to learn about how interesting their bodies are and discovered that they have 3 hearts and a beak!

Allison is the Sr. Director of Marketing and Business Development, working across the Marketing and Partnerships teams to bring LabCentral’s story and vision to the outside world. She came to LabCentral from the tech world, having built and grown go-to-market capabilities in early-stage startups. She has a background in communications, product management and customer engagement. Favorite hobbies are hiking and getting out for live music. Allison holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Boston University. 

Favorite school science project: It’s a tossup between raising, tagging, releasing and tracking monarch butterflies in elementary school and wetlands ecology research about the impact of saltwater incursion on Louisiana’s coastal erosion and delicate brackish ecosystems. 

Ami is a Senior Lab Operations Associate at LabCentral 700. Her main tasks revolve around upkeep and maintenance of the Open Lab space & shared lab rooms on the 2nd Floor and is an engagement lead for the Lab Ops for Unchained Labs and Elemental Machines.  

Ami graduated from UMass Boston with a Bachelor’s in Biology and Minor in Music in 2022. During college, she was involved in a research internship at Dr. Shrike Zhang’s lab working on biomaterial and bioprinting projects, particularly focusing on building cost-effective 3D bioprinters that were capable of in-vitro printings of cell-infused structures. Outside of lab, Ami has volunteered in various NGO’s revolving around the Albanian American communities in the US and abroad, such as Albanians Fighting Cancer and Building Bridges in Healthcare, that aim to expand knowledge about Albanian culture, build connections, and provide opportunities for new and current Albanian American students and migrants. She is passionate about medicine and patient care, currently fascinated with the ENT field, and is hopeful to further continue studies in medicine in the future!

In her free time, Ami loves reading fiction/science fiction/mystery novels and light gaming. She also loves music and has performed in school choirs during high school and continued to study music theory and history while in college.

Favorite school science project: I think my favorite science experiment was during high school, in our Biotech class we extracted DNA from our cheek cells and then collected them in small vials which we could carry around with us like a necklace (very vampiresque)! 

Andrew is a Lead in Lab Operations at LabCentral, where he supports resident scientists at the 700 Site by maintaining equipment and ensuring the lab is ready for research. His work helps create an environment where science can thrive. Previously, Andrew worked in lab operations and conducted research on the tumor microenvironment of neuroblastoma. He went to Boston University where he got a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Favorite school science project: My most memorable high school project was to test the effects of different sodas and energy drinks on the growth of lima beans. Most of the beans didn’t survive. I think it taught me that if something isn’t good for the beans, it might not be good for us either.

Aron is a Procurement Associate at LabCentral and works closely with the residents and LabCentral departments to meet their equipment and materials purchasing needs. Aron also works with external vendors to ensure they are familiar with our purchasing policies and e-procurement system, the Stork.

Previously Aron worked as a Vendor Management Specialist at AlerisLife and as a Logistics Intern at Luggage Forward.

He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2020 with a BS in Business Administration concentrating in Information Systems and Analytics & Operations Management.

Outside of work, you can find Aron cheering on the local sports teams, playing disc golf, cooking, swimming, skiing, or learning guitar.

Favorite school science project: I was always fascinated with Oobleck and how such a simple mixture of cornstarch and water forms a non-Newtonian fluid and can hold properties of both a solid and a liquid. It also makes for a great stress reliever!

Ashley is a senior operations associate at the LabCentral 238 office. She helps new companies that have been accepted get started in the office by giving them tours of the space and completing their onboarding, as well as assisting with LabCentral’s operational needs such as concierge, cafe stocking, and event assistance to name a few. Ashley went to school for fashion merchandising and marketing at Mount Ida College in Newton, then moved to Canada to study Biology at Concordia University in Montreal. Ashley has a heavy retail background in luxury retail which includes retail operations, accounts representative, sales advisor, stylist, and personal assistant. On her free time, she enjoys traveling to new cities and experiencing new foods, thrift shopping to find some fun vintage pieces, and working on some ongoing oil paint projects.

Favorite school science project: My favorite science project would be the earliest one I could remember, the volcano eruption. My class had a science fair, and we all worked on the creations of our own volcanos and had to present our own volcanic eruption by mixing baking soda and vinegar to create a chemical reaction

Bedphiny is the Lab Operations Assistant at LabCentral 238. As she embarks on this new chapter, she is committed to delivering exceptional service, aligning with LabCentral’s core mission, and sharing its story and vision with the world.

She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a minor in African American Studies. Beyond the lab, Bedphiny is deeply involved in community work as the Co-President of the White Nile Youth Association, a nonprofit dedicated to uniting and empowering Sudanese and South Sudanese youth through cultural celebration, historical education, and advocacy for justice and reconciliation.

In her free time, Bedphiny loves traveling, dancing, trying new foods, collecting vinyl records, engaging in activism, photography, and more!

Favorite school science experiment: My favorite project was my 12th-grade aquaponics experiment, where I used goldfish to grow various plants over several weeks. This sparked my passion for finding sustainable ways to grow food in underprivileged communities, ensuring access to nutritious, homegrown food.

Brian Madrigal is a lead program specialist, supporting Educational Programming at LabCentral. Previously, Brian has been involved in the tech community through an organization called Resilient Coders - a program that trains young people for tech careers. He has completed a Web Design Bootcamp, held positions as a UX design intern and apprentice, and has lived in Los Angeles while working at Bird as an operations specialist. His background exemplifies his passion for applied learning and innovation, which is why he naturally gravitated toward LabCentral. During his free time, Brian plays soccer and produces short films. In the future, Brian wants to build a startup.

Favorite school science project: I tested which environment a seed sprouts the fastest. I planted the same type of seeds in soil, a water container, and a humid sponge then added the necessary nutrients to all environments and the seeds that sprouted the fastest were in a humid sponge.

Claire is the Senior Marketing Associate at LabCentral, where she focuses on building brand visibility through social media. Claire seeks to disrupt the typical social media noise by telling LabCentral’s unique story with meaningful creative content. Before joining the team, Claire worked in social media & email marketing for a start-up in women’s health. She attended Suffolk University where she got her degree in Public Relations. In her free time, Claire enjoys traveling, watching documentaries, and singing (poorly) at karaoke.

Favorite school science project: "My favorite science experiment was one we did in 6th grade where we used red frosting to represent magma and graham crackers as the earth’s crust. As we shifted the graham crackers we were able to see how different land formations are created through tectonic plate shifts. I loved it because it was a visual (and yummy) experiment."

In her role as the Site Head of the Harvard Life Labs, Courtney oversees operations at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab and the Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab. She leads both teams to ensure venture companies are provided with the resources and tools to be successful within the lab and office space.

Prior to her role at the Harvard Life Labs. Courtney gained experience working on the lab operations team at 700 and as the Operations Lead at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, where she focused on managing the application process and venture programming.

She holds an MBA with a health sector management concentration from Boston University and a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Connecticut.

Favorite school science project: We got to build our own catapults and spent the day launching marshmallows down the third-grade hall.

Damla Cehreli is a Lab Operations Lead at 700 Main Street, focusing on instrument and operations in the Bioanalytical Chemistry Lab as well as general assistance for the lab operations team. Prior to LabCentral, they worked as a quality control analyst in multiple pharmaceutical companies in the Boston area and briefly as a technical writer. They studied chemistry and criminal justice at Northeastern University. When they’re not in the lab, they’re reading stacks and stacks of library books or working on fiber crafts.

Favorite school science project: I was always a fan of the experiments that incorporated color changes. My favorite was the iodine clock reaction because it’s such a quick and dramatic color change.

Daniel is a Lab Operations Lead and his main tasks involve asset management and cold storage allocation. He's in charge of ensuring lab equipment is running properly, making calls to our sponsors and vendors when things need to be serviced, and providing maintenance. Daniel also keeps track of residents' cold storage and ensures that their needs are well taken care of. He's held a few different lab positions in past roles, each one focusing on something different, so those broad experiences led him to enjoy all aspects of lab work. He has his Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Natural Resource Conservation from UMASS Amherst. Wildlife and Sustainability is also a great professional interest of his.

Outside of work, Daniel really enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking in new places and bird watching. Another passion of his is live music. He's always going to concerts or weekend-long festivals, or heading to bars to enjoy live local music.

Favorite school science project: One of my favorite science experiments is actually one I performed for the science fair in middle school. It was determining the effect that music has on people’s resting heart rate. The combination of music as well as the formulation of scientific thinking has always made this experiment stick with me. Simple, yet informative and fun!

Danielle is the Operations Lead for both the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab and the Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab. She splits her time 50/50 between Allston and Longwood, so at any given time you can find her and her trusty CRV on the road. As the Operations Lead, she manages any incoming companies, the Selection Committee, and oversees venture success for all companies at any stage in their Life Lab journey.

Before joining LabCentral, Danielle worked at some Boston landmarks including the TD Garden and Encore where she focused on marketing and consumer relationships. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys nothing more than a good trivia night, quality time with friends and family, and taking pictures of her cat, Salem.

Favorite school science project: My favorite science experiment when I was in high school was when we got to dissect a frog. While I had up until them only thought of it as a horror based on TV shows and movies, the up close experience of really seeing the ins and outs of biology was something that was worth every second of the less than pleasant smell.

Darrell joined LabCentral in 2017 and currently serves as our Associate Director of Facilities. His career journey includes roles as a gelatin lab technician, an environmental field engineer, and as wastewater services division manager at LabCentral founding sponsor, Triumvirate Environmental.

Darrell's responsibilities include managing our diverse facilities team across multiple sites, overseeing day-to-day building systems operations and maintenance, and leading complex projects. With expertise in project management, electrical systems, HVAC, and plumbing, Darrell has been instrumental in LabCentral's success especially when it comes to fostering strong relationships with residents, contractors, and landlords.

Passionate about sustainability, Darrell leads initiatives for LabCentral’s energy efficiency improvements and programs, which reduce environmental impact and costs.

Outside of LabCentral, Darrell enjoys attending his daughters' soccer games, anything bicycle-related, homebrewing beer, tending to his vegetable garden, rooting on the Tufts Jumbos, and indulging his love of antique cars.

Favorite school science project: We were given only wire and magnets to build a speaker, then had to find our own materials to wrap the coil and build the woofer cone. You wouldn’t consider the sound of my speaker as high fidelity, but it was neat to listen to the radio on something I made myself.

Elli is the Director of Information Technology at LabCentral. In this role, he leads both the strategic vision and the day-to-day functions of Information Technology. Prior to LabCentral, Elli worked for more than 24 years in various industries and companies including Amazon, MIT, Schlumberger, and Motorola. He held many roles including System Engineer, Systems Architect, Virtualization Engineer, Sr. Cloud Technical Account Manager and DoD cleared IT Technical Lead Manager. Elli earned his bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Favorite school science project: My current project is my favorite! I’m working with Raspberry Pi devices to measure the moisture of my garden soil and sending that data to the cloud to determine when to water the garden beds at home. I love it when technology can be practical and fun.

Elsy Sanchez is a Lab Operations Lead at 700 Main Street. She supports our team by maintaining general laboratory equipment and helping resident scientists. Before coming to LabCentral, she worked as a BioBank Technician. She graduated from Salem State University in 2021, earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Spanish. She loves to travel with her family and volunteer in the community during her free time.

Favorite school science project: One of my favorite science experiments was making a volcano in elementary school. My best friend and I had to present it in front of the whole school.

Emma is an Operation Associate where she advocates for current and new residents at our Harvard Life Lab Location. She also manages the Café areas and common spaces for LabCentral residents. Before coming to LabCentral Emma was at Enterprise Mobility in a customer service and sales-based role. Emma did five years at Plymouth State University where she acquired her undergrad in Business Administration and a Minor in Communications. In her fifth year, Emma received her MBA in Business Administration. Emma has volunteered at her local St. Mary’s church where she taught a CCD class and has begun coaching for the Melrose Youth Hockey Program.

Emma enjoys going to the gym, reading, and going to the beach. She also loves to walk the Charles River and go to Red Sox games.

Favorite school science experiment: One of my favorite sciences experiments that I have doe was growing butterflies in the first grade. This was my favorite because not only did it teach me about the life cycle of a butterfly, but it taught me how patient one must be to see the beautiful outcome in the end.

Felicia Gullotta is an Operations Associate at LabCentral. In this role, she helps support the day-to-day functioning of LabCentral. Prior to joining the team at LabCentral, Felicia worked for several years in academic publishing. Felicia graduated magna cum laude from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. When she’s not in the office, Felicia enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and beginning way too many hobbies. The most recent additions to her hobbies include knitting tiny dinosaur plushies and sewing tote bags.

Favorite school science project: My favorite scientific experiment happened in the fifth grade. We were having a lesson on sound waves and a few of us of were asked to bring in our instruments to play for the class. I brought in my trumpet. We made predictions on what we thought the notes from the different instruments would look like as sound waves. It was so cool being able to see sound visualized in this way and testing our predictions!

Fiona Wada-Gill is an Operations Associate at the Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab in Longwood where she works to support and be a point of contact for the residents’ operational needs. Before joining the team, Fiona trained and danced ballet professionally along the East Coast before pursuing an education at Boston University’s Graphic Design Department. Outside of work, she enjoys creating digital drawings, editing videos, and is actively dancing with a K-pop dance cover group.

Favorite school science project: I distinctly remember dissecting owl pellets in 5th grade. It was fascinating yet gross as I had to scavenge out the little bones and match them to a picture bone diagram. My teammate pushed me to take the lead as the smell wasn’t great, and in the end, we identified that the owl had eaten a very small mole… I may have teared up after that realization.

Gary is an Operations Manager at LabCentral. He oversees daily operations which include resident onboarding, facility amenities, and resident support. Gary works collaboratively with residents to provide them with a positive LabCentral experience so they can grow their science and change the world!

Gary earned his bachelor's degree in Business Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and he has over 17 years of operations management experience. Activities he enjoys outside of work include cooking, home improvement projects, tennis, and nerdy interests such as Star Wars!

Favorite school science project: The one that stands out to me was a high school project we did for biology. We were tasked with creating yogurt by gathering bacteria and growing it in a petri dish. Where would a high school boy think to find bacteria to swab you ask?? Of course the restroom! Little did we know, we were offered the chance to eat our homegrown yogurt at the end of the project. I politely declined.

Harold Escobar is the Associate Manager at LabCentral. He supports the facilities team by maintaining the appearance, cleanliness, and functionality of LabCentral’s core infrastructure, responding to daily facilities requests and performing preventive maintenance around the building. Harold has over 14 years of experience working as a lab technician and coordinator in the pharmaceutical and research fields and has expertise in managing chemical and lab consumables. Harold brings with him vast experience with lab equipment and LN/Co2 cylinders, and can also assist with carpentry, plumbing, and electrical or mechanical equipment.

Harold studied Business Administration at the University of Guayaquil in Ecuador and continues studying English as a second language. Recently, he started taking courses on HVAC-R to diversify his ability on the facilities. In his free time, Harold enjoys climbing and cycling, dancing salsa and merengue, and discussing nutrition and politics.

Favorite school science project: When I had 12 years old, I remember to brighten a dark area of my home, I can use a potato and light bulb with a few other elements to create light. I placed two pennies, two zinc-plated nails into the potato and connect to three pieces of copper wire and a very small light bulb. Now I practice this experiment with my child to power a clock making the potato act as a battery.

James is the Senior Manager of Operations at LabCentral 700 Main Street. The Operations team handles the day-to-day building operations outside of the laboratory space and is there to assist residents with any issue that may arise on site. James and the operations team are the main points of contact for company on/off boarding, resident programming, tours, conference room management, and café operations. James is also on the space management team and assists companies as they grow within the LabCentral space.

Prior to LabCentral, James spent over 15 years in hospitality industry. Most recently, James led the reopening of North Andover Country Club’s clubhouse where he directed daily operations as their food and beverage manager. He has also managed and bartended at a few locals’ favorite restaurants in Somerville. Outside of work, James is an avid sports fan and enjoys playing music as well as hitting new local eateries with his wife Allison and son Nolan.

Favorite school science project: In school, I remember burning cashews and other foods to measure the calories in various foods. It still surprises me that they trusted a bunch of teenagers with fire! In adult life, I enjoyed creating new cocktails for seasonal beverage menus and experimenting with different flavor profiles and combinations. Sometimes flavors that you would never associate with one another turned out to be manna from heaven!

Jean is a Manager of Lab Operations at LabCentral’s CoLab. Originally from Somerville Massachusetts, he received a BA in Chemistry from Amherst College and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. Prior to LabCentral, Jean was briefly a healthcare growth strategy consultant and an automation engineer at the Broad Institute for several years.

In his free time, Jean enjoys training his border collie, BBQ, and picnicking by the Charles River.

Favorite school science project: In an undergrad Physical Chemistry class, we incinerated a gummy bear using a bomb calorimeter to calculate its calorie content.

Jenry is a Lead in Facilities at LabCentral 238 where he oversees the location to ensure mechanical equipment is running properly, as well as performing maintenance of the space to keep it looking as pristine as possible. He also helps residents with any electrical, plumbing, and off-site storage requests. When not at work, Jenry can often be found playing paintball and going out to eat, especially for sushi and ramen.

Favorite school science project: My favorite science experiment was creating a small volcano and adding the following solutions: water, baking soda, a small squirt of dish soap, and a few drops of food coloring and finally I added some white vinegar to activate the solution and simulate the volcano’s eruption.

Jessica Cole is an Associate Manager in Accounting & Finance at LabCentral. She leads the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions for the team, supporting both resident companies and LabCentral staff. She also helps maintain other Accounting and Finance operations such as credit card and month end reconciliations. Prior to joining LabCentral, Jessica worked in both Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable with a combined 7+ years of experience. She is currently working on her B.S. in Accounting. As she continues her work with LabCentral, she hopes to provide exceptional service in line with LabCentral’s core mission. In her free time, she enjoys reading and being outdoors.

Favorite school science project: In my high school freshman year of Biology, our teacher had us do an experiment with a plant. We each took a plant home and had to talk to the plant, as well as document its growth. The experiment was to prove that plants respond to the stimuli of our voices and would grow faster!

Jessica Sgrignuoli is the Associate Director of EH&S at LabCentral. In her role, she helps to enable science through safe and compliant EHS programs. She works to ensure safety systems and programs are easy to use and available for all who work at or visit LabCentral. Before joining the LabCentral team, Jessica worked at Amgen expanding environmental initiatives while supporting multiple safety programs. Prior to that, Jessica worked at Environmental Health and Engineering providing EHS support at local biotechs, universities and hospitals. Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Boston University. In her free time, you will most likely find Jessica outdoors hiking, biking or kayaking.

Favorite school science project: In high school biology we were asked to dissect squid. If we were careful enough to remove the ink sac without damaging it, our teacher allowed us to spend some time writing with the ink.

Founder, President and CEO, Seismic Therapeutic, Inc.

Dr. Viney received her BSc in Biophysics at the University of East London and her PhD in Gut Immunology at the University of London (St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School). She went on to a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer Research UK), followed by a second Postdoctoral position at Genentech.

Dr. Viney currently serves as the founder, president, and chief executive officer at a new biotechnology start-up – Seismic Therapeutic, the machine learning immunology company. Prior to Seismic Therapeutic, she was founder, president and CSO of Pandion Therapeutics, a company focused on modular biologics for treating autoimmune diseases. Pandion was acquired by Merck in 2021.

Before Pandion, Dr. Viney served as Biogen’s Senior Vice President of Drug Discovery. Earlier in her career she was Amgen’s Executive Director for Inflammation Research and was the Director of Autoimmunity and Inflammation Research at Immunex prior to its acquisition by Amgen. In addition, she sits on the Board of Directors for Harpoon Therapeutics, Finch Therapeutics, and Graphite Bio. An advocate for diversity in the STEM field, Dr. Viney was also on the board and president of the non-profit, WEST (Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology), which aims to help early career women reach their full potential.

Joan is a Procurement Associate on the Purchasing Team at LabCentral. Joan has a passion for putting things in order, and putting in orders! Joan enjoys working with nonprofits, and received a Bonner Scholarship that supported volunteer-work while obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies and Cinema Studies at Oberlin College. Joan enjoys baking, photography, and reading during free time. Feel free to ask for Joan’s lemon ricotta cake recipe!

Favorite school science project: I crafted the Golgi body, also known as the Golgi apparatus, for a high school biology class. The Golgi body is an organelle, or a membrane-bound specialized sub-structure within a cell, that modifies and packages proteins and lipids. I made the Golgi apparatus by folding a newspaper into an origami hat and lining it with clear plastic from a trash can liner. The folds of the origami represented the folds and compartments of the Golgi apparatus, and the liner represented the membrane that hugs it. Then I used a folded up sticky note under the plastic and tape to represent a transport vesicle carrying a protein or lipid being pinched off. My hard work paid off and my project was voted most creative by the class!

CEO, Cambridge Biolabs and ViThera Pharma; Cofounder, Cequent Pharmaceuticals

Johannes Fruehauf (MD PhD) has a background as a physician working in diverse health systems. In his 15+ years as a serial biotech entrepreneur, Dr. Fruehauf has dedicated much of his professional endeavors to the mission of re-defining life science entrepreneurship and building start-up ecosystems.

He is the Founder and President of LabCentral, the preeminent private/public partnership model for life science incubator space, while also serving as CEO for BioLabs, the largest provider of laboratory co-working space for startups nationwide. LabCentral and Biolabs currently are home for over 300 startups in 8 cities and companies started within this network now routinely account for over 20% of all Seed and Series A venture capital invested in life sciences in the US.

Johannes is founder and General Partner of Mission BioCapital (MBC). In his role at MBC, he sources, diligences, and leads new life-science investment transactions and represents the fund on the board of a number of MBC portfolio companies.

Dr. Fruehauf studied medicine in Germany and France, while also conducting field work in Africa (Zimbabwe and Guinea). He graduated from University of Frankfurt and received his doctorate from the University of Heidelberg. Johannes is the author of over 30 peer reviewed publications and is named inventor on 9 patents.

CEO, MassChallenge; Bain & Company

John Harthorne is the Founder & Managing Director of Two Lanterns Venture Partner, a $25M seed fund investing in US and Israeli software startups poised to create massive impact.

Prior to launching Two Lanterns, John founded and then ran MassChallenge as CEO for a decade. MassChallenge is the most startup-friendly accelerator on the planet. No equity and not-for-profit, MassChallenge is obsessed with helping entrepreneurs across all industries. Through MassChallenge’s global network of accelerators in Boston, Israel, Switzerland, Mexico, Rhode Island, Austin and Houston, and unrivalled access to corporate partners, MassChallenge entrepreneurs are creating a massive impact - driving growth and creating value the world over. To date, 2,900+ MassChallenge alumni have raised over $8.5 billion of funding, have generated over $3.5 billion of revenue, and have created over 186,000 jobs.

John earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2007. While at school, John won Grand Prize in the 2007 MIT $100K Business Plan Competition and received the 2007 Patrick J. McGovern Award for impact on quality and visibility of entrepreneurship at MIT. The Boston Business Journal identified John as one of Boston's 50 Most Influential Business Leaders alongside the CEOs of Akamai Technologies, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Boston Celtics. The World Economic Forum also elected John as a Young Global Leaders alongside Chelsea Clinton and Tony Hsieh, and Ernst & Young voted John as Social Entrepreneur of the Year in New England for 2013.

Bio coming soon

Jonathan is the Events & Community Lead and oversees events across LabCentral and LabCentral 610. Jonathan helps create and execute events at the 700 and 610 Main St. sites. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2022 with a BS in Business Administration concentrating in Marketing and Management. Outside of work, Jonathan likes to spend his time collecting shoes from brands like Nike and Jordan. He also enjoys exploring new places, playing guitar and  playing video games with friends.

Favorite school science project: My favorite science experiments have always been ones where we got to build things. Things like the egg drop, building straw towers, or even building a bridge out of toothpicks and marshmallows had always piqued my interest growing up. I guess I liked the idea of building things and then seeing them work…or catastrophically fail.

Josh Smith is a Procurement Associate at LabCentral, ensuring that residents have the necessary supplies for their scientific research. With previous experience as a life sciences project manager, Josh brings expertise in lab furniture and equipment. Josh also has a background in business development, and in college, served as the waterfront director at a summer camp, maintaining the emergency action plan and a stellar tan.

Outside of work, Josh loves to spend time outdoors skiing, hiking, and playing disc golf. He can also be found cheering on the Celtics and playing pickup basketball in the North End. Josh holds a BSBA in general management from Thomas Edison State University.

Favorite school science project: In high school I became friends with an eccentric scientist who hired me as his part-time lab assistant. He was working on navigating the spacetime continuum using only a sports car, a flux capacitor, and some stolen plutonium. It turned out the machine worked perfectly as I accidentally jumped 30 years into the past where I witnessed mind-bending paradoxes and experienced the thrill of altering history. This experiment ignited my passion for the wonders of science and the possibilities it holds for our future.

Jules McCoy is the Marketing Lead for LabCentral, where she helps create events and communications and builds client relations. She studied biology and film at Colgate University, where she spent most of her time alternating between labs and watching movies. Before joining LabCentral, Jules spent her professional time in the cybersecurity space, with marketing & operations positions for both start-ups and large corporations. In her spare time, she enjoys long-distance running, attending concerts of all genres, and producing films within the local Boston community. If you see Jules, please ask her about her ardent love of disco music, true crime stories, or any A24 films.

Favorite school science project: In college, I took an invertebrate zoology course where we would use a lab period each week to sketch a different organism or microscope slide intricately. By the end of the semester, I had a journal filled with beautiful ink drawings of sea creatures, insects, corals, and other invertebrate animals.

Kamila De Andrade is a Lab Operations Associate for the Bayer Co.Lab. She works with the lab team to maintain shared lab spaces, troubleshoot technical issues, and be a resource to residents on site. Prior to LabCentral, Kamila studied Biomedicine in Brazil before returning to the United States in 2021. Since then, she has earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Salem State University, has helped publish research on Quasi-Palindrome mutations, and has interned at various biotech companies throughout Cambridge.

In her free time, Kamila loves to travel, skate, and generally just be outdoors! 

Favorite school science project: During my first biotech internship, I got to dissect the cortex of a mouse! I'm not a huge fan of in-vivo work, but that time I felt like a surgeon!

Karla Lopez is the Concierge Assistant at LabCentral. In this role, she welcomes guests and residents into the building and assists with various Operations needs. Prior to joining the team at LabCentral, Karla worked for several years in the retail space, working as the Assistant Manager and Events person for Filson. Karla grew up in Boston and graduated from Bridgewater State University with a BS in Management. When she’s not at the front desk, Karla enjoys film/digital photography, skateboarding, vintage/thrifting, going to shows and listening to silly podcasts.

Favorite school science project: In college, as part of my required Science courses, I took an intro to Geology class (rocks are cool!) One of my favorite experiments was a group project where we had to create our own soil formations in a big tank. We observed how water flows through the various layers of different sized rocks, sand, and silt. It was fun getting to create our own environment and was cool to see how water flows through the ground right below us!

Ken Cook is a Lab Operations Lead at LabCentral. He provides general laboratory equipment maintenance as well as management of the supplies provided to shared laboratory spaces. Ken assists in the development and modification of standard operations procedures for the lab. Before coming to LabCentral Ken worked for many years at Grass Instrument/Astro-Med/Natus Neurology which manufactures clinical and research neurodiagnostic recording equipment and supplies. He was involved in many facets of this company including product development and testing, service/tech support, sales management, marketing, production management, purchasing and regulatory affairs. Ken earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Anna Maria College. He also has an AS degree in marketing and a diploma in electronics.

Favorite school science project: In the 8th grade a friend and I designed and built a multi-station, portable model rocket launcher. Single or groups of rockets could be launched simultaneously, and we included audio/visual safety alerts.

Lauren is a Senior Associate on the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) team at LabCentral and can provide guidance on safety procedures, hazardous material storage and handling, and answer any EHS related questions. Before joining the LabCentral team, she worked with Triumvirate Environmental as an Environmental Specialist and grew her knowledge on biologically and chemically hazardous materials and foundational EHS procedures. Lauren graduated with a major in Environmental Science & minors in GIS and International Business and competed as a college athlete in swimming all through her undergrad. Being South African, she loves to travel to new places and experience different foods, cultures, and people. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, being active in the outdoors or curling up with a good book.

Favorite school science project: In Physics, we had to build a bridge using only popsicle sticks and a glue gun. The class was split into groups and the aim was to build the sturdiest bridge which could withstand the most added weight. It was fascinating to see the variation of bridge designs in an attempt to “win” the experiment (spoiler: my group didn’t win).”

Layne Kasprzyk is the Associate Manager of Lab Operations at LabCentral, focusing on instrument and operations support in the Bioanalytical Chemistry Lab, as well as providing general assistance to residents and the lab ops team. He brings over ten years of experience working in multiple scientific fields that range from bioanalytical testing support, environmental analysis of water and soil, and, most recently, quality control of precious metals and alloys. Layne holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Ithaca College and in 2019, was certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt through Kent State.

Favorite school science project: During a summer research project after my junior year of college, our professor unexpectedly called us into the lab on a Saturday. We didn’t know what it was about but when we arrived, she told us that we would be “synthesizing ethanol” and proceeded to teach us how to brew beer! I loved learning this new way to utilize chemistry in a creative way and have been homebrewing ever since. I even went on to earn a certificate in brewing science in 2016 and took on part-time work in several breweries around Buffalo to stay involved in the local brewing community.

Lesly Lamothe is a part of the Information Technology team at LabCentral. He supports & enhances the systems used by fellow employees and residents at LabCentral. In addition to this he assists his team with making processes more efficient & user friendly. He spent 2 years working for BestBuy as a Geek Squad Agent gaining experience with customer service & computer hardware/software troubleshooting. Lesly earned his bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Outside of work he enjoys working out, playing basketball, playing video games, & watching anime.

Favorite school science project: In high school I had a science fair project about the Bystander Effect, a social psychological theory about how people are less likely to help others in public because they believe someone else will help them. My friends and I would go out in different areas of Boston and put this theory to the test by pretending to need help and record how many people helped us compared to how many did not. Let’s just say not a lot of people helped us! But that’s okay! We had a lot of fun during our experiment, and we learned that this theory is in fact a real philosophy that people use when in a crowd. We also learned for ourselves to take the initiative and help someone in need even if we think someone else might help.

In her role as Associate Operations Manager, Lindsey provides support in leading the Operations Team. Her primary focus as an Associate Manager is scheduling and training. She handles training and onboarding for new Ops Team hires, as well as keeps up with concierge coverage at both sites and planning for future coverage scenarios. You’ll also see Lindsey giving a Public Tour from time to time.

Prior to LabCentral, Lindsey was the Training & Professional Development Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club where she handled onboarding, training, and development for Site Directors and also evaluated programs across the organization to streamline best practices across sites.

Lindsey holds an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Samford University.

Outside of work, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her family and friends from her community. She also spends a lot of time outside of work running her photography business, shooting film and digital photography, reading, and being outside.

Favorite school science project: My favorite science project has to be my senior research project in college. My research partner and I both enjoyed rock climbing and were interested in the electrical signals sent from the brain all the way to the forearm muscles when doing pull-ups, which is a similar enough movement to rock climbing that we could apply our findings to real life scenarios. Using electromyography, we were able to see that certain pull-up grips can be utilized when trying to achieve goals of endurance vs. strength.

Luke Wallrich is the Associate Director of Business Strategy & Partnerships at LabCentral. His work focuses mainly on strategy and business operations related to sponsor programs – including the crafting of our partnerships with new and renewing sponsors, relationship management for our sponsor network and other external organizations, and the development of special engagements for our community of industry partners. For more than 15 years, Luke has worked in strategic development, event development/management, and company operations. From founding his own company while revamping existing large-scale festivals and conferences, to production management and facility operations, his experience is comprised of time spent at multiple levels of the business and hospitality industries. Luke has a background in music and holds a degree in Opera Performance from the University of Minnesota – Duluth.

Favorite school science project: Developing, building, and racing an experimental single-person vehicle, capable of an average speed of nearly 40mph, powered by two 12v car batteries assisted by a small photovoltaic array.

Lyndsey Rissin is the Director of Science Strategy & Partnerships where she supports LabCentral’s community of scientists, innovators, and partners. Passionate about science and how it can be harnessed to help patients, Lyndsey is a connector of resources that enable scientific success in and outside of the lab. In short, Lyndsey translates feedback and insights into LabCentral’s scientific offerings to improve residents’ success.

Previously, Lyndsey led the launch of LabCentral 238 and lab operations at LabCentral. Lyndsey also spent time at the bench at Quanterix Corporation where she worked on process development and technology transfer for ultrasensitive diagnostic assays. She is a Tufts University “double Jumbo”, with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Engineering Management.

Favorite school science project: Transforming silk cocoons into tissue engineered bone structures using stem cells, for the study of breast cancer metastasis to bone.

Lynn Walder is the Director of Executive Programming & Community at LabCentral, where she creates and manages executive-level programming in support of biotech CEOs and their unique business building journey. In her previous roles of Director of Business Administration (LabCentral) and Executive Administrator & Brand Manager (FORMA Therapeutics), she was able to blend her innate drive to build inclusive cultures through internal employee engagement branding & communication activities with her obsessive need to increase efficiencies across business departments and C-Level leadership teams. A self-proclaimed “Career-Meanderer” Lynn found her soul purpose of supporting Founder CEOs after working in a variety of administrative and project management roles across 10 different industries over a span of 20 years (the past 12 years in the biotech sector). A continuous learner, Lynn attributes much of her professional happiness to her cooperative education experiences at Northeastern University where she secured a Bachelor of Science for Business Administration with a triple major in International Business, Management and MIS (Management Information Systems).

Favorite school science project: My favorite science experiment is the one I completed with my best friend in high school – we travelled to NYC (without parents!) to conduct velocity experiments on the elevators of the Twin Trade Towers. It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time, riding that speedy elevator to the 100th floor, and then experience a building swaying in the city winds! We obviously didn’t realize at the time what a blessing it was for us to experience that, I will always be grateful for that memory.

Maggie O’Toole is the executive vice president and chief operating officer at LabCentral. She provides overall direction and guidance to the operational activities of the company and oversees expansion projects including the Harvard Life Lab, a branch of the Harvard Innovation Labs operated by LabCentral as well as MIT's The Engine. Maggie has more than 20 years of experience in business start-ups working with the founders to establish a company’s infrastructure and ultimately is responsible for business management and daily operations. Prior to LabCentral, she served as director of operations for Pervasis Therapeutics, an early-stage biotech acquired by Shire. Previously, she has held management positions with Reputation Technologies; acquired by Security Source, Inc., Synetics, Inc.; acquired by ACS, and Elephant Engineering; acquired by Syntronics, LLC. Maggie earned her bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Favorite school science project: Fifth grade, protect the falling egg challenge – maybe it was just that we all got to go outside and drop things off the side of the building but I loved this – my winning technique…Rice Krispies!

Mathew is an Operations Associate with LabCentral, specifically Café Operations. This pertains to ordering and stocking a diverse supply of snacks, drinks and produce to the four Café areas within LabCentral to accommodate LabCentral’s employees and residents. Additionally, Mat assists with general operations throughout the building. Mat’s background is in food service where he learned many of the skills that he uses today at LabCentral. He is a graduate from UMass Lowell where he earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration, focusing on Management and International Business.

Outside of work, Mat is an avid dancer and has been for most of his life. He is proficient in various styles such as Hip Hop and Contemporary, and always enjoys learning new ones. He hopes to continue to teach dance as he develops his professional career. He also enjoys gaming to relax and be social with friends and family.

Favorite school science project: My favorite experiment was from elementary school where we created "Oobleck", a non-Newtonian fluid made with cornstarch and water. I really loved playing around with it when I was younger, and I loved that I could never quite wrap my head around it. It was the perfect introduction to how astounding and fun science can be.

Megan Rivera is a senior manager of operations at LabCentral. She works on LabCentral’s expansion projects, including the buildout and design of the space as well as managing ongoing construction. Once sites are ready, Megan helps to ensure operational readiness and transition responsibilities to the site operations teams. She also works with companies looking to join LabCentral to help determine their fit for various sites and runs the Selection Committee process. Megan joined the team in 2014 after receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Rhode Island and is currently working on her MBA from Boston University.

Favorite school science project: In one of my marine biology courses we got to collect samples from tide pools by Narragansett Bay, take them back to the lab and grow and study our own small scale ecosystems!

Michelle Chen is an Associate Manager of Lab Operations and provides equipment and operations support for the shared BL2 tissue culture rooms, as well as the general lab spaces. This consists of maintaining and troubleshooting equipment, hosting BL2 trainings, resolving resident issues, and managing TC cold and dry storage allocations. Before coming to LabCentral, Michelle worked in the biotech industry collaborating closely with research scientists in designing and executing experiments for IVD development, including blood stability projects and SOP validation. Fun fact, Michelle used to be a LabCentral resident!

Favorite school science project: My Master’s consisted of SCUBA diving in Panama to collect samples of Caribbean corals. I observed how temperature affects the health of various coral species in one project and in another project I extracted and amplified microbial DNA to compare the differences in microbiomes of healthy and unhealthy coral.

In his role as Chief Business Officer, Mike helps lead the value that LabCentral offers its industry partners, as well as its corporate and governments partners, focusing on the intersection of entrepreneurship, science, design thinking and innovation.

Prior to LabCentral, Mike was Chief Business Officer, at New Lab with its 140+ member startup companies in residence at their 84,000SF facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He also served as President of MassChallenge, Inc, a global network of accelerator programs for early stage startups, headquartered in Boston, MA. Mike helped expand the impact of MassChallenge on a global scale to 7 programs in 5 countries. He drove the revenue, marketing, and talent strategies for the organization, as well as building its community of over 2,000 high impact alumni startup companies.

Prior to MassChallenge he was a Principal with Collective Next, a collaborative design firm based in Boston. He has also held senior leadership roles at AchieveGlobal, Korn Ferry, Symantec, and Sapient Corporation. He holds an undergraduate degree from Boston College and a Masters from Boston University.

Mike has spoken extensively on accelerating innovation through entrepreneurship at forums like the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, the Chief Innovation Officer Summit, Innovfest Singapore, Smart Philanthropy Conference, NYC Innovation Collective Panel on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems.

Favorite school science project: High school physics – building a rocket and predicting its landing spot once launched. The science was interesting, but running a poker game during the down time was even more fun!

Na'Shantéa Miller is an Associate Program Manager of Educational Programming at LabCentral. In her role, she supports our workforce development program, Biotech Ready.

Through various work experiences in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Na’Shantéa has developed an interest in workforce development, corporate responsibility and mentoring. Before joining the Ignite team, Na'Shantéa worked at Year Up, which focuses on moving young adults from minimum wage to entry-level roles in Fortune 500 companies.

Na'Shantéa received her undergraduate degree from University of Ottawa where she studied Political Science and Economics the French Immersion program. She also received a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in business and government from Harvard University.

Outside of work, Na'Shantéa likes to spend quality time with family and friends. This could include playing board games, watching moves, going for "walk and talks" and more. She also loves the color purple and being cozy (hence her picture on the website ).

Favorite school science project: My favorite science experiments are the ones that I do with my younger siblings at home. There are so many to choose from, but if I had to pick my favorite, it would be making slime because they never get tired of that.

Nathan C. Donelson is the biology lab operations manager and bio safety officer at LabCentral. He provides managerial support to the lab operations associates, oversees equipment process development, and interfaces with sponsor and resident companies to ensure that they have the resources they need to meet their unique goals. Nathan previously worked as a scientist at Biogen, with a research focus on sleep disorders and Alpha-synuclein clearance in Parkinson’s Disease cell models. He previously studied as a postdoc at Harvard Medical School and Brandeis University where he developed novel methods for collecting and analyzing long-duration locomotor and circadian rhythm data with Drosophila. He earned a PhD in neuroscience from Bowling Green State University and has extensive research experience in animal behavior, genetics/molecular/cell biology, and biostatistics. Nathan’s diverse background also includes teaching as an adjunct professor at Brandeis University and developing curricula for middle school inquiry-based science lessons.

Favorite school science project: My favorite experiment from middle school was when we used acid to dissolve the zinc core of a penny, leaving only the thin copper jacket behind. It was amazing to see the solid metal bubble away.

Nivedita is the Senior Manager of Lab Operations at the Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab. She manages the operational workflow of the lab space to maximize its efficiency and oversees lab practices to ensure safety of all residents involved. Nivedita formerly worked as an associate scientist with a focus on early detection of cancer markers, oncoproteins and pre-clinical model development in oncology. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Biotechnology from PESIT and graduated from University of Hartford with a Masters in Neuroscience. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading books istening to some true crime podcasts and putting some puzzle pieces together!

Favorite school science project: My first experiment ever was the Golden Rain Experiment- It involves the precipitation of lead iodide from lead nitrate and Potassium Iodide. Watching the golden particles form was mesmerizing and has left an imprint in my memory to this day!

Pete Donovan is the Director of Finance and Accounting at LabCentral. He oversees the accounting and procurement departments and is responsible for the oversight of day-to-day finance and accounting operations at all our locations.

Prior to his role at LabCentral, Pete worked in various finance roles within both the non-profit space and the medical device industry, with experience in finance operations, budgeting and forecasting, and financial reporting. Most recently, Pete was the finance director at the Greater Boston Food Bank, and prior to that he held various finance director roles at Cardinal Health supporting medical supply distribution, supply chain automation, and commercial operations. Pete earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Boston College, and his Master’s degree in Accounting from UConn.

Favorite school science project: I was always interested in building things and figuring out ways to make them stronger. One of the few science projects that I remember was an earlier one where we were tasked with building a bridge out of toothpicks. I don’t think we won the contest, but it was fun working with a group and thinking through the construction process!

Managing General Partner, Mission BioCapital; Previously General Partner, Ampersand Ventures, and CEO, Cequent Pharma and Boston Heart Diagnostics

Peter Parker is a co-founder and director of LabCentral. In 2013, Johannes Fruehauf, Peter Parker, and Maggie O’toole created a vision for LabCentral and the resulting ecosystem which is still vibrant nearly a decade later. Mr. Parker is active in company selection processes and organizes board activities. He is also Secretary of MainStPBC, Inc, LabCentral’s for-profit subsidiary which manages spaces at 238 and 610 Main St. Outside of LabCentral, Mr. Parker conducts seed and early-stage life-sciences investing activities through Mission BioCapital based in Cambridge, Mass. 

Prior to LabCentral, Mr. Parker assisted the staff at MassChallenge where he was the healthcare/life sciences ‘Champion’ for five years. He is also a co-founder of BioLabs and several other local firms. Peter spent almost two decades as a general partner at Ampersand Capital Partners, Wellesley, Mass. He has been a board member and investor in more than 35 life sciences companies.

Favorite school science project: Watching a tooth dissolve in Coca-Cola

Prayush Pokharel (Pray for short) is an EHS Lead at LabCentral. They help enable residents to work safely, serve as an EHS resource, provide emergency response, and support the other members of the LabCentral team. Pray’s previous roles include various lab operations/EHS responsibilities at Mori, Greentown Labs, Ginkgo Bioworks, and the University of Massachusetts (where he also got his degrees in Physics, Math, and Film). Their highest career achievement however, was winning a mixology award during their time at Fuji at Assembly. Feel free to reach out to them to ask about it, or anything related to mixology or the food/drink industry as a whole!

Favorite school science project: A few classmates and I had to try and recreate an experiment where we used sound waves to make a bubble form and pop repeatedly, this creates light and is known as sonoluminescence. Easily the hardest experiment I’ve ever done, but the most fascinating! And we were one of only a few groups to replicate the results!

Rachele Ryan is the Senior Director of Partnerships, Programming, & Community at LabCentral. In this role, she is responsible for business development strategy, resident company growth and development, and oversees all events and programming such as our social impact and educational initiatives.

Prior to joining LabCentral, Rachele led the MassCONNECT mentoring program at MassBio, the Massachusetts biopharma industry association. In that role, she matched life sciences entrepreneurs and founders with seasoned life sciences professionals to catalyze and commercialize innovation. Previously, as part of the International Business Development team at the Consulate General of Canada in Boston, she assisted Canadian companies with their expansion efforts into New England and supported fast-growing startups participating in the Canadian Technology Accelerator in Boston (CTA@Boston).

She holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MA from Middlebury College.

Favorite school science project: Anything marine biology! I grew up on the Long Island Sound, and we were fortunate to have many field trips that took us exploring all things on or near the Sound – from measuring the salinity of the water to studying horseshoe crabs and tide pools.

Randy Echavarria is the Facilities and Lab Lead at LabCentral 238. He helps oversee the coordination and organization of inbound and outbound shipments. He also helps maintain facility and lab appearance and ensures optimal functionality and cleanliness. Prior to joining LabCentral, Randy worked as a shift manager where his primary goal was to enhance the customer experience. As he starts a new chapter with LabCentral he hopes to continue to deliver great service and strive to be in line with LabCentral’s core mission. Randy earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Boston. In his free time, Randy enjoys playing sports.

Favorite school science project: I took a plant physiology in college where I ran my own research project about Arabidopsis, a small plant. I chose to study the lbd16 mutant, which is a version of Arabidopsis that has lateral root formation deficiency. I studied the effects of having excess phosphorus in the median because I believed it would counteract the deficiency. It resulted with the plant growing lateral roots and proving my hypothesis correct.

At LabCentral, Roland works as the Associate Manager of Information Services. In this role, he collaborates closely with the Director of Information Services to streamline LabCentral's information and technology processes, automate tasks, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure employees enjoy seamless technology services.

Before joining LabCentral, Roland worked in the IT industry for more than 12 years, in various companies, ranging from corporate level to small enterprises. His previous experiences include working with HP and Bank of America, Insight Global, and CSL Seqirus, in the USA, and overseas with Digicom ISP, OSHEE, TV ALSAT, etc. Roland holds a Master of Science in Computer Technology from the University of Tirana, Faculty of Natural Sciences, in his home country. Additionally, he possesses several industry certifications that align with the responsibilities at LabCentral.

Throughout Roland's career, he has held several roles, including Site IT Lead, System Engineer, IT Network Support, and Virtualization Engineer.

Favorite school science project: One of my favorite projects was with the Albanian Blind Association, where I contributed to making a government building more accessible for individuals with visual impairments. After conducting research, I implemented a message-transmitting device that sends voice information to a phone via Bluetooth. When visually impaired individuals approached the building, they could connect to the device using their phones to receive detailed information about the facility they were visiting.

This experience is one of the reasons I love technology—it has the power to improve people's lives!

Ryan is a Senior Operations Associate at LabCentral 238. Whether it’s onboarding new residents into the various systems that coincide with on-site operations, contributing to the smooth functionality of the cafés, or simply striving to brighten your day, he is part of a team that helps create a sense of community and joy among LabCentral staff and residents. Ryan graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and has spent much of his professional career working in social service-oriented work, practicing massage therapy, and teaching English as a second language. He loves spending time with his son, playing guitar, drawing, exploring nature, and, when time avails, watching good movies.

Favorite school science project: I don’t have much of a life science background, but if you call plucking 6 strings made of nickel and then beholding with astonishment that the vibrations can be captured through small magnetic bars with enameled wires called “pickups,” and then have that vibration travel via copper wires wrapped in a dielectric insulator and plastic coating into a device to amplify MUSIC into the ears science, then that’s my fav.

As a Senior Marketing Strategy Manager at LabCentral, Sam is responsible for impactful marketing, design, and communications strategies. She studied Graphic Design at Champlain College and has since contributed creative marketing solutions across insur-tech, risk management, music, and cybersecurity. Sam is passionate about approaching her work with curiosity and empathy and has worked on rebrands, global campaigns and community building. As a long-time service industry worker, she enjoys trying out new restaurants, breweries and coffee shops.

Favorite school science project: I really enjoyed learning about Gregor Mendel and his pea plants! I would often do punnett squares for fun. 

Sara Murji is an Associate Manager on LabCentral's Marketing team, where she leads communications and marketing for the AI BioHub, educational programming, and other strategic initiatives. She focuses on creating clear, engaging strategies to share LabCentral’s work and support innovation in the life sciences.

Prior to joining the team at LabCentral, Sara worked in public education advocacy as the Communications & Public Affairs Director for the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents in Nashville, TN. She studied Human & Organizational Development and Child Studies at Vanderbilt University.

Favorite school science project: I may be shunned for saying this at LabCentral, but science was never my favorite subject. I always loved science projects that allowed me to be crafty and creative, like building and painting a solar system model made of Styrofoam balls, a cardboard box, fishing wire, and aluminum foil.

As the Accounting & Procurement Associate, Sara has a unique opportunity of being able to collaborate with both teams. This includes handling invoices, solving order complications as well as contributing her time as a liaison between our residents and vendors.

Prior to joining LabCentral, Sara worked for several art institutions as well as corporate financial industries. During her time with the Peabody Essex Museum and Montserrat Gallery she focused on integrating these institutions’ creative cultures with local communities. These collaborative-based projects ranged from exhibition openings, public workshops and lectures, to site specific art installations.

Sara holds a BFA from Montserrat College of Art, focusing heavily in abstract painting and art history. During her time with Montserrat she was the recipient of the Irene Michelini Scholarship and the Barnet Painting and Drawing Award. Since graduating from Montserrat, Sara has shown in numerous group exhibitions throughout the North Shore as well as Montserrat’s annual Artrageous benefit auction.

(Even while she’s working) Sara is taking on the new role of Mom! In her free time, Sara enjoys listening to podcasts, trips to the ocean, going out for sushi boats, and playing Lion Cubs with Giovanni.

Favorite school science project: launching bottle rockets off the football field during class – basic, but oh so fun!

Sean is a senior lab operations associate at LabCentral 238. He helps ensure the lab space is maintained for resident scientists by ordering consumables, performing instrument maintenance and trainings, and coordinating equipment repairs. Before joining LabCentral, Sean wrote passages and questions for standardized English-language arts tests. When he is not at work, he spends his time reading, writing, and watching films at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Favorite school science project: In fifth grade, my class was split into groups and had to build a bridge between desks using only newspapers and see how many textbooks our bridge could hold. That activity taught me I should not pursue a career in engineering.

Shazia is LabCentral's Community & Social Impact Strategist. In this role, she organizes and executes community programming and alumni-focused expert panels, serving as the interface between residents, alumni and visitors as part of the community development team. She is an ambassador of LabCentral's culture and leads community-building initiatives, working closely with residents and alumni to foster a collaborative network and create an environment where spontaneous collisions can occur. This includes coordinating meaningful outreach opportunities with high social impact for residents at community organizations around the Kendal Square hub. Additionally, Shazia is the curator and manager of Gallery 1832, LabCentral's in-house art gallery with a rotating exhibit of local artists, offering beautiful and provocative work to spark curiosity, raise societal understanding and spark dialogue. She has a diverse background having worked in Publishing (Blackwell Science), Development (University of Oxford), and Donor Marketing (Oxfam) as well as teaching English to Executives in Japan. Shazia holds a degree in Sociology and Public Media from the University of Leeds, England.

Favorite school science project: A lasting memory from my school days is dissecting a bull's eye during biology class. I can still remember that popping sound as I pierced the surface, the strong lingering stench and the squeals from fellow classmates.

Shelby Flynn is a part of the People Strategy and Culture team at LabCentral serving as the HR and Recruiting Coordinator. She supports the recruiting and talent acquisition needs as well as the Human Resources function. Prior to joining LabCentral, Shelby worked as a Production Assistant for various production companies in Boston and worked as an Administrative Assistant at a local Boston investment consulting firm. She received her B.S. in Communications with a concentration in film and video production from Fitchburg State University. She enjoys discussing all things TV and movies and testing out new recipes.

Favorite school science project: In my high school physics class, I had to build a car out of popsicle sticks, cotton balls and a sheet of paper that would protect an egg during a roll down a 50° ramp. My partner and I were one of two teams whose egg didn’t crack!

As an Accounts Payable Associate at LabCentral, I manage accounts payable processes, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. I handle invoices and resolve discrepancies to maintain smooth operations. Prior to joining LabCentral, I gained experience working for healthcare and investment companies, as well as non-profit organizations, which has helped me develop a well-rounded perspective on financial management. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2019 with a BS in Finance. 

Outside of work, I enjoy spending quality time with my family, exploring new hobbies, and engaging in activities that help me stay connected with my kids. Also, in my free time, I enjoy cooking and experimenting with new recipes.

Favorite school science project: Taking care of a butterfly from worm to the final stage and documenting all its transformations—it was fascinating to observe the process and see the life cycle unfold!

Spencer Plourde is the Manager of Events and Community at LabCentral. His primary function is acting as the main liaison between our many sponsors and the different sites in the LabCentral pipeline. Working closely with our sponsors, Spencer helps plan events across all LabCentral sites to encourage engagement between their teams and our Residents while helping to build out community culture. Spencer is also responsible for planning and executing non-sponsored, companywide LabCentral events throughout the year and supports Resident Success programming.

Before moving to Boston and joining the LabCentral team, Spencer was the Front of House and Events Manager at Real Art Ways, a non-profit art gallery and cinema house in Hartford, CT. He studied Hospitality & Tourism Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Favorite school science project: My favorite experiment that I can remember is working with a team of my fellow 8th graders to create a rocket that we could successfully launch with an air compressor. The rocket also had to have a parachute attached to it that would deploy on its own that would help it land safely in the grass.

CEO, Forma Therapeutics; Novartis Venture Fund; Novartis Strategic Alliances

Steve Tregay is the founder, president and CEO of FORMA Therapeutics, a company building a robust pipeline of transformative cancer therapeutics directed in areas such as tumor metabolism, epigenetics and protein-protein interactions. Prior to joining FORMA, Steven Tregay was a managing director for the $200 million Novartis Option Fund. He led the fund’s investments in and served on the board of directors of FORMA Therapeutics, Adenosine Therapeutics (acquired by Clinical Data: FRX) and Cequent Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Marina Biotech: MRNA). Prior to joining the venture group, he was the executive director and head of strategic alliances – Oncology, Ophthalmology and Technologies at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. He managed a team responsible for identification, negotiation and management of collaborations for the oncology and ophthalmology disease areas and all the technology areas. Prior to Novartis, he had roles in business development at Array BioPharma and research. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in organic chemistry from Harvard University and a bachelor’s from Davidson College.

CEO, Biomedical Growth Strategies

Dr. Windham-Bannister received her B.A. from Wellesley College, a Doctorate in Health Policy and Management from the Florence Heller School at Brandeis University, and a Doctor of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (honoris causa). She was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School and a Fellow in the Center for Science and Policy (CSAP) at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England. She completed her doctoral work at the Heller School under a fellowship from the Ford Foundation.

Dr. Windham-Bannister currently serves as president and CEO of Biomedical Growth Strategies, where she provides strategic advisory services to life-sciences initiatives in the U.S. and abroad.

Previously, Dr. Windham-Bannister served as the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), an economic development and investment agency dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the life-sciences in Massachusetts. As CEO, she managed a $1B fund designated to invest in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medical diagnostics and bioinformatics/analytics. She is the first African American in the U.S. to lead a life-sciences focused innovation fund of this scale and was responsible for the MLSC's investment strategy, brand management, organizational development, and ROI.

Tera (pronounced teer-ah) is the Director of the People Strategy & Culture team. PS&C empowers the success, growth, and respect for all LabCentral employees. We craft meaningful learning and development opportunities, champion the talent acquisition process for new and existing talent needs, build HR programs that empower organizational and individual success for LabCentral to be a launch pad for personal growth as much as bio-tech and life science innovation. Prior to joining LabCentral, Tera held various positions in HR and Talent Acquisition at technology companies including Microsoft, Redfin, and most recently at AssuranceIQ (a Prudential acquisition).

In 2022 Tera started a non-profit named in memory of her late nephew, who passed from a rare form of AML leukemia just before his 3rd birthday. His namesake foundation raises money to support the care and treatment of pediatric oncology patients facing leukemia diagnosis at Boston Children’s Hospital and supports the grief and bereavement programming at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for families with surviving siblings when the unimaginable happens. May 2025 will mark their 3rd annual fundraiser!

Tera is a proud mom to two young boys, Declan and Theo—who keep my husband and I on our toes! Together as a family, they spend as much time outside in salt water and fresh air and playing with their two mischievous pups: Coco and Chili. 

Favorite school science project: My favorite science experiment? Elephant toothpaste!

In her role, Teresa leads operations across all LabCentral Main Street sites (238, 610 & 700). The mission of LabCentral serves as her inspiration to lead the team with enthusiasm and foster collaboration. Her focus on resident companies fuels her passion for delivering outstanding customer service and optimizing operational practices to effectively meet their needs. Additionally, she actively collaborates with other departments to ensure that residents receive comprehensive support and have access to the necessary resources, driving scientific progress forward.

Prior to her time at LabCentral, she served her family as a stay-at-home mom for 19 years while also providing leadership and support in launching a new church. Teresa received her degree in Business Administration from Mars Hill University.

Favorite school science project: I distinctly remember being slightly disgusted at the thought of dissecting a frog, but once we had begun, I was completely amazed at the anatomical complexity of such a small creature.

Tim’s goal is to be a connector and a maven for the LabCentral community. Tim was previously the Site Head at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, but intends to utilize his learnings in that position to maximize the experience of every Resident that comes through LabCentral, by helping to curate a community where companies can mature and fully realize their potential. Previously, Tim has worked as a scientist and team leader in the drug delivery and medical device spaces. He has held roles within R&D, Preclinical Development, and Clinical, so can appreciate the challenges across the entire spectrum of drug and product development. Tim went to Connecticut College (Go Camels!) where he majored in Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Favorite school science project: It’s so hard to choose between my favorite lab processes (precipitation micronization and dialysis to name a few). But, to me, there’s nothing more satisfying than rotovapping. There is an elegant combination of lab techniques required to execute a flawless rotovap session and powder collection, it’s something I definitely miss about my lab days!

Tony is a Lab Operations Lead at LabCentral. Tony provides general laboratory equipment maintenance as well as supporting resident scientists and maintaining shared equipment. Additionally, he assists in the development and modification of standard operations procedures for the lab. Tony has been in the biotech industry for several years working within calibration, inventory, and asset management. He studied Biology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

He enjoys making visits to zoos and aquariums while travelling. In his spare time, he likes to unwind listening to random YouTube videos and play computer games. He also has a wide collection of shoes and mechanical keyboards.

Favorite school science project: In 10th grade I performed my first gel electrophoreses experiment. Although the lab steps did not seem like much, such as using a microwave to make the gel ourselves, we were ultimately successful and were able to see the DNA bands in the gel with the help of fluorescence. This lab helped inspire me to pursue a career path in the sciences.

Uzochi "Uzo" Erlingsson, M.D., has joined Ignite to lead the educational initiatives "Career Forge" and "What the Heck is Biotech," with a focus on enhancing these programs through partnerships and funding. An expert in biochemical genetics, Uzo has a diverse background that includes clinical and medical research, early-stage investment, and biotech education. She earned her M.D. from Charles University in Prague, completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Utah and holds a certificate in management from Columbia University. 

Previously, Uzo was a founding partner at Haegrun Holdings, contributing to the growth and subsequent acquisitions of companies such as Follain, Fhios Health and Champy Brands. She is also the co-founder of LEAS Lab, a non-profit aimed at advancing biotech workforce development in Massachusetts. Uzo holds various executive board positions, including with the New England Conservatory of Music and The Trustees of Reservations where she is a Trustee and the School of American Ballet. 

In her personal time, she enjoys outdoor activities and cultural pursuits, balancing her interests in nature, family, education and the arts.

Victoria Cardona is an Operations Associate at 700 Main Street. You can find her giving tours, signing people in at the front desk, or generally supporting the rest of the Operations team. Her hodgepodge of experience in customer service, hospitality, and department operations helps Victoria fit in wherever she’s needed.

Victoria graduated from Emerson College in 2022 with a BFA in Creative Writing. Her focus was fiction, but she spent much of college doing competitive spoken word poetry, and even helped run a weekly poetry show.

When she has the free time, she likes to volunteer at Rosie’s Place, the first women’s shelter in the US. Otherwise, she’s painting her nails and watching too much TV.

Favorite school science project: Anytime I’ve ever made slime.

Victoria Ravenelle is the Associate Manager of Procurement at LabCentral. She assists scientists, support staff, and the LabCentral team with their purchasing needs and is a point of contact for the Stork e-procurement system. She also works with vendors and facilitates their integration into the LabCentral system. Prior to LabCentral, Victoria worked at Boston Children’s Hospital for the division of endocrinology. She also spent two years serving as a full-time AmeriCorps volunteer in the cities of St. Louis and Boston. Victoria earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies: arts and sciences from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, with minors in biology, health sciences, and communication studies.

Favorite school science project: I grew up in a home where music, spanning all decades and genres, was always on. In elementary school I heard music could affect the growth of plants, and so I wanted to test the theory. While I did not understand the mechanisms behind it at the time, I was excited to see how classical music resulted in more lush growth, compared to the control plants with no music.

Wallis Goss is the Manager of Training & Hiring at LabCentral. She is responsible for managing trainings for all LabCentral staff covering a wide range of topics. She works with external presenters and leads the creation of new internal trainings to ensure our employees receive the best information and skills. Wallis received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Bucknell University and has spent her career teaching environmental education, working with high school exchange students, and planning trainings for attorneys. In her free time, Wallis enjoys reading, getting outside, crafts, cooking and spending time with family.

Favorite school science project: I took an environmental science class during a semester program in high school. Throughout the semester, we each chose a plot of land on the school’s property in Vermont that became our Science Site. Through all we learned during our classes, we were able to gain an understanding of our site and tell the history of the place from the 1700s to present day. I loved learning how land and nature can tell a story - I still drive down New England roads, see stone walls or trees growing in specific ways and wonder what the history of that place is!