Team

Vera Kovaleva, PhD

CEO & Co-Founder

Vera has a background in Medical Physics (MSc) and Biophysics (PhD). As a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki, she has gained expertise in molecular biology and neuroscience methods and technologies, contributing to the development of potential drug candidates for neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. She has discovered the ER-located receptors for neurotrophic factor MANF, which underlies the technology of ERresQ.

Mart Saarma, PhD, Prof.

Chairman of the Board & Co-Founder

Mart is a research director at the Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland. He is a word-leading neuroscientist with tremendous expertise in molecular neurobiology and neurotrophic factors-related research, collaborating with multiple research groups and private companies in Europe, USA and Japan. His team identified several new GDNF family receptors and receptor tyrosine kinase RET, as a signaling receptor for GDNF, as well as a new neurotrophic factor CDNF, efficiently protecting and repairs dopamine neurons in vivo. He was a vice president of ERC, director of Institute of Biotechnology (1990-2008), director of Biocenter Finland (2008-2009). Mart launched three successful biotech companies, one of which Mobidiag was recently sold for $795 Million.