Nina Sawczuk, MS, MBA - Co-Founder and CEO

Nina Sawczuk co-founded Zygogen in 1999. Sawczuk has a Masters in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard Medical School, an MBA from Duke University's School of Business and experience in drug discovery (Genetics Institute, Cambridge, MA), biotechnology consulting (BioAbility, RTP, NC) and business development (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA). Her position prior to Zygogen was with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) in Atlanta, GA where she established the foundation for EmTech BIO. Sawczuk serves on the Georgia Biomedical Partnership's Board of Directors.

Virginia Herndon, PhD - Vice President

Dr. Herndon joined Zygogen in 2000. Herndon earned her Ph.D. at Yale University where she studied the molecular genetics of Drosophila. She received her postdoctoral training at Bristol Myers Squibb in Immunology. Prior to joining Zygogen she was Vice President of Scheer & Company, Inc. where she spent over ten years engaged in a variety of activities including due diligence on private companies for venture capital clients and on public companies for fund managers; evaluation of potential product/technology acquisitions for pharmaceutical companies; strategic analysis of emerging technologies; new company origination; and business development/ corporate partnering for several companies in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Peter Eimon, Ph.D. – Director of Research

Dr. Peter M. Eimon earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology where he studied germ layer formation and early embryonic patterning in Xenopus laevis. Dr. Eimon’s post-doctoral training was at Genentech, Inc. in the Molecular Oncology Department. While at Genentech, he carried out the first characterization of the cell-extrinsic apoptosis pathway in zebrafish and studied the role of apoptosis in erythropoiesis.

Timothy Baranowski, PhD – Director of IT and Automation

Dr. Baranowski joined Zygogen in 2004 to direct the automation of Z-TagSM and Z-LipotrackSM assays for high throughput compound screening in zebrafish. He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Georgia State University, where he synthesized heterocyclic CNS compounds for a structure-activity analysis to identify novel serotonin receptor binding agents. Before receiving his doctorate, Dr. Baranowski obtained a master's degree in chemistry from Emory University, studying the oxidation of organic polymers using metal oxide catalysts. Dr. Baranowski also has experience developing aqueous polymer chemistries with Georgia-Pacific Corporation.

Alok Deoraj, PhD - Director of Operations

Dr. Deoraj joined Zygogen in 2007. Dr. Deoraj earned his Ph.D. from the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi in India and a certificate of management from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. During his postdoctoral work at the Center of Marine Biotechnology in Baltimore, MD, Dr. Deoraj studied molecular and neuroendocrine control of reproduction in a variety of fish species; characterized G-protein coupled receptors, developed cell-based assays to screen fertility enhancing small molecule analogs and manufactured their controlled delivery devices for species important to biomedicine and aquaculture. Prior to joining Zygogen, Dr. Deoraj led a team of researchers at Genus PLC. (Formerly Sygen International) to work in the area of reproductive biotechnology and he also studied interactions between genetics and environment using marine invertebrate model. In his supervisory role at Genus PLC., he designed, developed and operated Bio-Secure Aquatic Research Facilities in California and Kentucky.