About us
"The most curious fact is the perfect gradation in the size of the beaks in the different species of Geospiza, from one as large as that of a hawfinch to that of a chaffinch, and ... even to that of a warbler"
- Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle
Beagle Scientific is named after the H.M.S. Beagle, the ship that carried the naturalist, Charles Darwin, around the world as he formulated the theory of evolution.
The ship represents movement, direction, collaboration, proficiency, and adaptability – all necessary components for driving the success of biotechnology innovations.
The Team
Jen Huen, PhD - Founder, CEO
Jen obtained her PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and completed a post-doctorate fellowship in structural and molecular biology at Academia Sinica. She was an antibody scientist at AbCelex Technologies, a clinical-stage company, and led efforts in developing lead nanobody candidates resulting in the publication of the team's work in a peer-reviewed journal. Her experience in protein folding and antibody engineering for infectious diseases and immuno-oncology has garnered awards and fellowships from the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Southern Ontario Smart Computing for Innovation.
Derek Tea - Market Research Intern
Derek is a senior undergraduate student at the University of Toronto with a specialist in neuroscience, a major in molecular genetics, and a minor in psychology. He has a deep interest in studying the biology of the brain and has extensive experience in biochemical, genetic, and clinical research. He is currently working at the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning where he utilizes stem cell technology to investigate the role of microglia in fetal brain development. In his spare time, he enjoys staying active (e.g. running, badminton, working out), photography, and exploring the city with friends.
Advisory Board
Bernhard Suter, PhD - Business Advisor
Bernhard obtained his PhD in Molecular Biology at ETH Zurich and completed post-doctorate fellowships at UC Berkeley and U of Toronto. With a strong background in proteomics, genetics, and genomics, he has over a decade of experience in R & D, technology and business development, and biotechnology entrepreneurship. He is the founder and CEO of Next Interactions and co-founder and Business Development Director of Stellate DNA. He has extensive expertise in high-throughput interaction screens, next-generation sequencing technologies, and CRISPR genomic engineering.
Usheer Kanjee, PhD - Scientific Advisor
Usheer obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at U of Toronto and completed a post-doctorate fellowship at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he is currently a research associate. Usheer has considerable experience in microbial and cell biology, parasitology, and structural biology. His work on the bacterial acid stress response and host/parasite interactions of malaria infection is exemplified by his extensive track record of peer-reviewed publications.
Supporting your scientific innovations under our guiding principles of scientific rigor, meticulousness, and transparency