Molecular Biology Professionals to Know 2025

With a PhD in molecular genetics and as a specialist in data science, Céline Chantry-Darmon has over twenty years of experience in biomedical research and complex data analysis. As Scientific Director at Tekkare, she works on developing trustworthy artificial intelligence for healthcare. She is also committed to promoting inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence, and to advancing women in science and technology.

Dr. Robert Abraham is a regenerative medicine consultant and healthcare strategy advisor with more than a decade of experience operating multi-location healthcare practices. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Biology from the University of Central Florida before pursuing advanced training in clinical operations and regenerative-focused program development. Based in Florida, Dr. Abraham has worked with healthcare organizations throughout the Orlando region and nationwide, advising clinics on structured implementation, operational systems design, revenue forecasting, and compliance-conscious growth within regenerative medicine and wound care services. In addition to his consulting work, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of Cross Biotech, a biologics distribution company supporting providers in aligning product access with disciplined operational frameworks. His work emphasizes infrastructure-driven expansion, leadership accountability, and sustainable healthcare systems.

Dr. Giovanni Abbadessa is a seasoned oncology developer with over 20 years of experience in advancing innovative therapies across biotech, pharmaceutical, and nonprofit sectors. He joined ModeX Therapeutics as Chief Medical Officer, where he leads the development of the company’s multispecific biologics for cancer and infectious diseases. Prior to ModeX, Dr. Abbadessa was Vice President and Head of Oncology Early Development at Sanofi, where he spearheaded the clinical development of 16 experimental oncology drugs, guiding them from first-in-human studies through to Phase 2 trials. He established a dynamic team of 25 professionals and played a pivotal role in in-licensing 10 clinical assets. Dr. Abbadessa contributed to strategic oversight across multiple portfolios, including Phase 3 assets and partnerships, and collaborated with Investor Relations on oncology-focused initiatives.

I am a Bioinformatician with extensive experience of analyzing Genomics and Transcriptomics data from Next Generation Sequencing Platforms. I enjoy designing, implementing and automating computational pipelines for Biological Data Analysis using multiple programming languages. I also possess over three years of experience working in wet lab with several Molecular Biology tools. I have worked as teaching assistant for both undergrads and grad students.I enjoy solving problems independently as well as by being part of a collaborative inter-disciplinary team.

Dr. James Utley is a pioneering scientist at the forefront of cellular therapy, AI, and data science. A Johns Hopkins-educated Immunohematology expert and Certified Advanced Biotherapies Professional (CABP), he also holds advanced certifications in data science and machine learning. While serving as Technical Director at a major healthcare organization, Dr. Utley oversaw more than 150,000 successful cellular transfusions and spearheaded advancements that significantly improved patient outcomes. This experience included leading initiatives for the Department of Defense, where he revolutionized cellular transfusion practices. His innovative approach is further exemplified by his FDA-approved work and numerous publications in leading scientific journals. Dr. Utley is also known for his bold, hands-on approach to research, embodying the spirit of a "biohacker" by pushing the boundaries of CRISPR and genetic engineering through self-experimentation. This unique blend of rigorous scientific training and unconventional methods has earned him the moniker "the pirate" within the biohacker community.

Clinical trial management of two stem cell clinical trials. I have a passion for data science analytics and rigorous pattern-seeking. I believe in leading from the front and making sure the team is well taken care of. *Managing 2 stem cell clinical trials, NCT02838316 and NCT05421689*30 peer-reviewed publications.*>12,000 citations.*2 provisional patents.*Co-founded startup.*Co-developed departmental leadership program.*Strong track record of grant funding and collaboration building.* Associated Editor for two flagship scientific journals (Stem Cells, Journal of Extracellular Biology).GOOGLE SCHOLAR PROFILEhttps://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3uQtjEEAAAAJ&hl=en

Food safety expert and PhD graduate in Food Microbiology from ETH Zurich, Mario Hupfeld joined the NEMIS Technologies co-founding team as CSO in 2018. He's lived and worked in Germany, UK, Italy and Switzerland, and developed 7 products from ideation to commercialization since NEMIS Technologies' inception.

Co-Founder of CellX, an evidence-based supplement company in Mexico. Author of The Everyday Blueprint (forthcoming), a longevity protocol based on 400+ scientific studies. Background in digital strategy (Kellogg, Queen Mary MBA). Expertise: supplement quality standards, longevity science, functional nutrition, the Mexican health market, evidence-based supplementation, and building health brands in emerging markets.

Ilya J. Finkelstein, PhD is a Professor of Molecular Biosciences at The University of Texas at Austin specializing in gene editing, biophysics, and biotechnology. He has published 100+ peer-reviewed papers, holds multiple patents, and has served as an expert witness and technical consultant. His work appears frequently in scientific and popular press.

I am the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Mantalys, an AI start-up based in Toulouse, France dedicated to bringing lightweight, high-performance AI solutions to biomedical image analysis. With a PhD in neuro-immunology and five years of post-doctoral research experience in tumor immunology, I bring deep biomedical expertise to the computer vision team - bridging science and technology to unlock real world insights and extract actionable intelligence from biomedical images.

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Sergio Occhipinti, PhD, is a medtech founder and scientist dedicated to advancing urine-based diagnostics for prostate cancer. As CEO of NIB Biotec since 2017, he has driven the company’s scale-up, closing two investment rounds and obtaining competitive public grants, enabling faster R&D, validation, and market access for innovative in vitro diagnostics. Sergio earned his PhD in Molecular Medicine at the University of Turin and brings 15+ years of preclinical and clinical research experience. His work has focused on urinary liquid biopsy, immuno-oncology, and the design of novel clinical protocols. He is an inventor on patents related to prostate cancer biomarkers and diagnostics, underscoring his commitment to rigorous, translational science. To bridge lab and market, he completed a Master in Project Management of Multimedia for Communication and SDA Bocconi’s Impact Your Talent – Impactful Entrepreneurship & Finance, with additional training in social entrepreneurship and impact investing. His work in innovation and tech transfer has been recognized by international programs and awards.