NATALIE COOKSON, Founder & CEO
Natalie received a B.A. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. After focusing her undergraduate research on astrophysics studies of forming solar systems, she shifted her interest in quantitative science to the study of biological systems. In graduate school, she was awarded a Computational Science Graduate Fellowship from the US Department of Energy to pursue synthetic biology research in microbial organisms, including yeast, bacteria, and cyanobacteria. Natalie has expertise in physics and synthetic biology as well as in the financial and technical management of projects ranging from biosensor development to waste treatment and renewable energy generation.
Mike Ferry, Founder & CSO
Mike received a B.S. in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. Mike has received several awards for his academic and research pursuits, including a prestigious predoctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation for his graduate work in synthetic biology and the innovation of novel microfluidic platforms. He has invaluable knowledge in a broad range of subjects ranging from molecular biology to civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.
Scott Cookson, Founder & COO
Scott received his B.S. in Engineering Physics from the University of Maine and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. Scott has received several awards for his academic and research pursuits, including being named valedictorian of his undergraduate class and receiving a prestigious fellowship from the Department of Defense for his graduate work. He has expertise and countless hours of hands-on experience in synthetic biology, microfabrication, electrical engineering, microfluidic device development, and optics.
William Mather, CIO
Will received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, after which he shifted his focus to the development of a quantitative understanding of biological systems as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego. He has since developed expertise in computational biology, image analysis, web development, and machine learning. He applies his endless set of diverse computational skills to develop user-friendly computational tools that enable the correlation of complex cellular dynamics with meaningful quantitative outputs.
NICK CSICSERY, SENIOR Scientist
Nick is a bioengineer and synthetic biologist with a passion for all things microbial. He received his B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from UC Davis and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UC San Diego. He has worked on projects spanning bacterial biosensors, laboratory evolution, and anaerobic digestion. Outside the lab, he works to bring his research to the public, developing hands-on STEM activities for K-12 education. At QBI, Nick is excited to leverage his expertise in synthetic biology and microfluidics to build solutions for a better environment.
Estrella Organiz, Scientist
Estrella's passion to explore and understand biological processes was the catalyst to her career in biology. While preparing to transfer from community college, she spent time researching ecology and evolution at UC San Diego. She completed a B.S. in Biology from California State University of Channel Islands where she was able to enhance her skills in molecular biology research. Estrella had the opportunity to present her research at the science conference Society for Advancing Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in 2019. This conference inspired her to continue participating in research and carry on representing minorities in STEM. Her interest in several topics including biotechnology and bioengineering have guided her to pursue a career with QBI where she can be part of an amazing team with a valuable goal.
Angelica lara, Scientist
Angelica received her B.S in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Irvine where she studied Drosophila and Lepidoptera. She completed an NSF sponsored post-baccaluerate in which she discovered a duplicate, sexually dimorphic gene related to Heliconius vision. Her love of science has pushed her to explore even more species and challenges. She has since branched into different fields of study and is excited to grow and be a part of QBI!
Jeff Hasty, FOUNDER
Jeff Hasty is a Professor of Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego and one of the founders of QBI. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he worked with Kurt Wiesenfeld. He was a postdoc with Jorge Vinals at the Supercomputing Research Institute, and a postdoctoral fellow with Jim Collins in the Applied BioDynamics Lab at Boston University. He is considered a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology, with seminal research on the design and construction of synthetic gene-regulatory and signaling networks.
BUD MARX, chairman of the board
Bud Marx has a B.A. from Princeton, an MBA from Northwestern University, and over 40 years in the automotive industry, with strong expertise in strategic planning and financial forecasting. He spent 32 years with the Ford Motor Company, where he last served as Vice President of the Automotive Components Group. Under his leadership, the group expanded its global footprint dramatically, establishing joint ventures in China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and Malaysia. Bud serves as a financial strategist and Chairman for QBI.