The power fueling our big idea

Dr. Nicole Paulk is the CEO, Founder, and President of Siren Biotechnology and has dedicated her career to advancing the field of gene therapy. With nearly two decades of expertise, Nicole has been at the forefront of developing cutting-edge advances to propel the field of gene therapy forward for a wide range of diseases.

Before founding Siren, Nicole held various leadership positions in academia and industry and most notably was an Assistant Professor of AAV Gene Therapy in the UCSF Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics before leaving to found Siren. Nicole has a B.S. in Medical Microbiology, a Ph.D. in Viral Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine from OHSU, and completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship and Instructorship in Human Gene Therapy at Stanford University prior to starting her lab at UCSF. Nicole is a pioneer in the development of next-generation AAV platforms for gene repair, gene transfer and gene editing, directed evolution for novel engineered capsid evolution, and comparative multi-omic approaches to interrogate translational AAV biology.

Nicole is a renowned expert in gene therapy and has consulted extensively for big pharma, written draft CMC guidance for the FDA, and sits on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Sarepta, Astellas, Metagenomi, Dyno Therapeutics, CEVEC, GRO Biosciences, Excision BioTherapeutics, WhiteLab Genomics, Johns Hopkins Gene Therapy Initiative, the Gene Therapy for Rare Disorders Searchlight Program, and several stealth startups. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Boston Globe, Endpoints, STAT, Phacilitate, GEN, BioPharma Dive, Evaluate Vantage, SF Business Times, Wired, Drug Discovery World, MIT Tech Review, C&EN, and is a regular guest on Biotech Clubhouse. She sits on the Scientific Editorial Boards of the journals Gene Therapy, Human Gene Therapy, and Biopharma International Gene Therapy. She is the Chair of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Translational Science Committee and sits on the Biocom California Cell and Gene Therapy Committee. She has invented numerous AAV gene therapy technologies that have been shared or licensed to dozens of gene therapy companies and nonprofit groups working in rare diseases.

Outside of work, you can find Nicole adventure traveling (think whitewater rafting meets backcountry trekking), snowboarding, planning elaborate Halloween parties complete with animatronics and ghoulish menus, tending her vegetable garden, and obsessing over the latest wearable gadgets. If you’re trying to track her down at a conference and can’t find her, it’s because she snuck off to an oyster bar.

Nathalie spearheads all vector manufacturing operations as we work to bring Siren’s clinical candidates to patients. She oversees all Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC)-related activities, including Process Development, Assay Development, and regulatory compliance to support preclinical and clinical needs. Nathalie has unparalleled experience in AAV drug product development, having overseen CMC activities for 10+ INDs as the former Associate Director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center at the University of Florida, and having lead Process Development for a variety of biologics as the Director of Process Development at Resilience. Nathalie’s research has focused on improving viral vectors for a variety of gene therapy applications, with a special emphasis on process optimizations and platform development that enable scalable manufacturing of AAV drug products. Her most rewarding professional accomplishments have been to bring bench-developed AAV vectors to patients for several devastating indications such as AADC (now treatable with the AAV Upstaza), Pompe disease, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Witnessing the growing interest and success of gene therapy keeps her fascinated and engaged with a never-ending curiosity to better understand AAV biology. Outside work, Nathalie enjoys nature walks, traveling, crafting and is an avid collector.

Chris is dedicated to developing specialized in vitro and ex vivo preclinical assays that enable translational decision making at Siren. His interest in assay development was ignited during his research in Dr. Aucoin’s lab at UNR, where he contributed to creating a rapid diagnostic test for the plague-causing bacteria, Y. pestis. Since then, Chris has gained extensive experience at multiple companies in the biotech industry, focusing on the development of assays evaluating therapeutic pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and mechanism of action for both small and large molecules. Beyond his professional life, Chris enjoys staying active with soccer, snowboarding, mountain biking, and lifting weights.

Lauren leads preclinical research and translational development at Siren. She brings 7+ years of experience in nonclinical research covering multiple stages of drug development, disease indications, and biologic modalities. Before Siren, she oversaw early in vivo POC studies for a portfolio of complement degraders at Catalyst Biosciences where she also served as a nonclinical SME for reverse-translational solutions. She began her career at Omniox, where she studied oxygen delivery in animal models of neuro-oncology and acute ischemic indications, culminating in an IND filing for acute ischemic stroke. She is a graduate of Cal Poly’s CIRM-funded Regenerative Medicine MS Program, completing thesis research characterizing CDC exosomes at Capricor Therapeutics. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys pottery and any reason to be out of cell-signal skiing, camping, or traveling.

Justin is a passionate scientist dedicated to the immuno-oncology world. His interest began during his Immunology studies at UC Berkeley and has been refined throughout the years in academia and industry. His previous role at Pionyr Immunotherapeutics helped push their two leading drug candidates, PY314 and PY159, into clinical development. He brings with him a decade of experience in the development of in vitro assays that will enable Siren to further our preclinical development pipeline. Outside of work, Justin enjoys cooking, golf, and photography.

As Chief of Staff, Akela keeps the wheels on the wagon, ensuring everyone at Siren is thriving, our lab and business operations are effective and efficient, and our strategic initiatives get from 0 to 1. Akela received her PhD in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology at UCSF and previously led the single-cell sequencing efforts for gene therapy screening at Gordian Biotechnology. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholar Award for establishing a next generation sequencing teaching curriculum for graduate students in Tbilisi, Georgia. She’s passionate about building things from the ground up, expanding scientific opportunities for young trainees, and creating the space where talented people come together to produce great science. Outside of the office, Akela can be found enjoying the parks, mountains, or coastline of California or getting her hands dirty at the pottery studio.

As Director of Corporate Strategy, Teilo is excited about making Siren the leader of immuno-gene therapies and expanding the potential of AAV therapy to cancer patients. As an accomplished and scientifically-driven drug developer, Teilo has deep experience spanning pipeline strategy, R&D, venture capital, technology innovation, and business development. Prior to Siren, Teilo was Director of Medical Strategy at Kriya Therapeutics. During his PhD at Duke University, he studied the blood-brain barrier and developed advanced therapeutics for brain tumors supervised by Chief Neurosurgeon John Sampson. When away from his desk, Teilo likes spend his time outdoors and can be found skiing in the Alps or doing construction.