HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CellChorus Inc., the leader in applying artificial intelligence to visually evaluate how cells perform and interact over time, announced the formation of a scientific advisory board. The board will advise the company opportunities to apply its TIMING™ platform across a variety of therapeutic areas to improve patient care.
Initial members of the scientific advisory board include Rebecca Berdeaux, PhD, Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, MD, PhD, and Laurence Cooper, MD, PhD.
Rebecca Berdeaux, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (“UTHealth Houston”). Prior to joining UTHealth Houston, she completed fellowships in cancer biology and molecular physiology at the University of California, Berkeley and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, respectively. Professor Berdeaux holds a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and a BS in Biology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
“Single-cell analysis platforms represent an exciting leap forward in advancing our ability to understand the function and performance of individual cells,” said Dr. Berdeaux. “I look forward to working with the CellChorus team as they expand into new clinical indications and use cases across the medical sciences.” Dr. Berdeaux is a paid consultant to CellChorus, Inc. Opinions expressed are her own and do not represent the opinion of UTHealth Houston.
Dimitrios Kontoyiannis, MD, PhD, is the Robert C. Hickey Chair in Clinical Care and Deputy Head in the Division of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (“MD Anderson”) in Houston, Texas. His research group is credited for sustained and impactful contributions to medical and translational mycology through advances in antifungal pharmacology, the study of host defenses against fungi, novel diagnostics, clinical trials, dedicated mentoring, organizational service, and life-saving patient care. Dr. Kontoyiannis has authored more than 540 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has given more than 370 lectures in international conferences and institutions. He is the past president elect of Immunocompromised Host Society (2016-2018). He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, an inaugural fellow of the European Confederation for Medical Mycology, a fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology and a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and member in class II–Medicine of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Dr. Kontoyiannis receives compensation in the form of equity shares as a member of the advisory board. This financial relationship has been disclosed to MD Anderson’s Conflict of Interest Committee in accordance with institutional policy.
Laurence Cooper, MD, PhD, is board certified in pediatric hematology and oncology. He was most recently the Chief Executive Officer of Alaunos Therapeutics (NYSE:TCRT), joining after the company licensed technology for a non-viral approach to genetically modifying T cells from MD Anderson. Prior to joining Ziopharm, his appointments at MD Anderson included tenured professor, Pediatrics and Immunology; Section Chief, Cell Therapy, Children's Cancer Hospital; and Associate Director, Center for Cancer Immunology Research. Dr. Cooper holds an MD and a PhD from Case Western Reserve University. He trained in Pediatric Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
“As the leader in dynamic single-cell analysis, CellChorus is advancing the next frontier of single-cell analysis,” said Daniel Meyer, CEO of CellChorus. “Members of our scientific advisory board have established a track record of innovation across pathogenesis and cellular signaling and behavior in cancer, infectious diseases, diabetes, and tissue regeneration. We are thrilled to have them join us as advisors.”
About CellChorus
CellChorus is the leader in applying artificial intelligence to visually evaluate how thousands of individual cells, such as T cells and NK cells, perform over time. The company applies Time‑lapse Imaging Microscopy in Nanowell Grids (TIMING™) with neural network-based detection to identify cells and evaluate their activity, including how they move, activate, kill and survive. The patent‑protected CellChorus platform links TIMING data and insight with information from other analysis modalities such as single‑cell RNA sequencing and flow cytometry to provide a comprehensive understanding of cellular function, state and phenotype for the life sciences industry. Please visit www.cellchorus.com for more information.
