Brian O. Bachmann, PhD
Co-founder Brian Bachmann is the Stevenson Endowed Chair in the Vanderbilt University Department of Chemistry and Professor of Biochemistry and Pharmacology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Brian is the Director of the Chemical Biology Training Program and the Vanderbilt Laboratory for Biosynthetic studies, the mission of which is to study and harness the biosynthetic capabilities of living systems to radically accelerate the discovery of new bioactive compounds and revolutionize how molecules are synthesized.
Brian obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Virginia Tech, his Master of Science degree in Chemistry at Southern Methodist University on beta-lactam inhibitor design, his Master of Arts and Doctorate in Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University where he trained in bioactive natural product chemical biology and discovered beta-lactam synthetase in clavulanic acid biosynthesis. Prior to his academic appointment at Vanderbilt, Brian was Director of Discovery at Ecopia Biosciences, leading a team that used genome mining to discover and develop novel natural products.
Michael R. Savona, MD
Empath Biosciences Co-Founder Michael Savona is the Beverly and George Rawlings Director of Hematology Research and the Early Therapy Program, and Professor of Internal Medicine and Cancer Biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He has spent his career studying the etiology and treatment of myeloid malignancies. His laboratory has generated key insights into therapeutic resistance to novel therapies in hematologic malignancies, and he has translated these insights to the clinic where he has led development and approval of several novel anticancer therapies.
Dr. Savona obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree from Davidson College and medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in the USAF and the University of California, and a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at University of Michigan where he did postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Sean Morrison. He served in the United States Air Force and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom.
