Advisors

Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor

Dr. Younis is a translational scientist with 15+ years of experience spanning immunology, virology, and computational biology. He received his MSc and PhD degrees in Medical Science from Uppsala University. 

Shady is the inventor on multiple patent applications for diagnostics and targeted therapies. His key research achievements include developing an EBV-sequencing platform that enables direct identification and molecular characterization of EBV-positive B cells in autoimmune diseases. He has spearheaded groundbreaking research elucidating host factors critical for the replication of several nuclear-replicating viruses, including herpes simplex virus, HIV, and adenoviruses. Shady has directed cross-functional programs in translating these insights into novel therapeutic strategies, including small-molecule inhibitors and biologics for autoimmune and virus-associated pathologies, with a focus on accelerating bench-to-bedside pipelines

Co-Founder, Scientific Advisor

Tobias Lanz, MD, is an assistant professor at the Institute for Immunity, Transplantation, and Infection (ITI) and the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford. His research focuses on B cell biology in autoimmune and neuroimmunological diseases. He uses high-throughput screening technologies, next-generation animal models, and methods from structural and cell biology to identify new autoantigens and to understand how self-reactive B cells escape tolerance. He is an expert in molecular mechanisms that explain the association between Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and autoimmunity. Together with Bill Robinson, he identified molecular mimicry between EBV EBNA1 and the glial cellular adhesion molecule GlialCAM as a driver of neuroinflammation (Lanz et al., Nature, 2022). Together with the Ebvio Team, he strives to further understand how viruses contribute to autoimmunity and to develop the next generation of targeted therapeutics to treat EBV-associated autoimmune diseases.

Scientific Advisor

Tim Behrens is a physician-scientist who has studied the biology and human genetics of autoimmunity for over 35 years.  After Rheumatology subspecialty training and a postdoc at the NIH cloning B cell genes, he served on faculty at the Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota for 14 years.  In 2006, he began work at Genentech, where he held a number of positions including head of exploratory clinical development for non-oncology therapeutic areas, and led groups in biomarkers and human genetics.  At Genentech, he contributed to the development of the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab, the anti-CD20 ocrelizumab for MS and the anti-IL-13 lebrikizumab for atopy.  In 2017, Tim served on the founding team of Maze Therapeutics,using human genetics to identify novel targets.  In 2021, he co-founded Human Immunology Biosciences (acquired by Biogen), which licensed the clinical stage anti-CD38 mAb Felzartamab for clinical development in autoimmunity; Tim resides in Seattle with his family and is a consultant for several early stage biotech companies.

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Baker is the Associate Division Chief in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University and an internationally renowned expert in IgG4-related disease, as well as the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Stanford Multidisciplinary Sarcoidosis Program. He received his bachelor's degree from Pomona College, his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and his master's degree in Epidemiology and Clinical Research from Stanford University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and his Rheumatology fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Baker's clinical research program is focused on clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and bench-to-bedside translational research. He has designed and led investigator-initiated and industry sponsored clinical trials in IgG4-related disease, sarcoidosis, Sjogren's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. His epidemiological work aims to better understand disease mechanisms and identify novel drug targets, with a particular interest in repurposing existing drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis.