Meghan is the new Lab Operations Associate at Ocean State Labs, Powered by Portal. She recently graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in biotechnology. During her undergrad, she spent time working as a lab assistant in the URI Microbiology lab as a Parasitology Research Fellow.

Danya Lavin is Portal’s Sr. Director of Scientific and Business Operations at Ocean State Labs. Danya brings with her a wealth of experience from both the startup world and established companies. Most recently, she was at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where she made significant contributions by building and leading a high-performing translational research group within the Engineering Sciences Department. Before her tenure at Vertex, Danya was instrumental in startups that navigated through acquisition processes and were ultimately acquired by Vertex.

A lifelong Chicagoan, Haidy earned an Associate in Science from Malcolm X College and a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. While at UIC, she contributed to a wastewater microbiology surveillance project researching COVID-19 outbreaks and community trends in Chicago through wastewater-based epidemiology, which was in collaboration with researchers from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

She later took the role as a Microbiologist at a contract pharmaceutical company, where she focused on environmental monitoring and microbiological analysis within pharmaceutical cleanroom environments. In this role she also supported process improvement through laboratory investigations, deviations, and change controls, revised and authored controlled documents like SOPs and logbooks.

Currently, she serves as Manager of Lab Operations, where she oversees the daily operations that keep the lab running. From managing equipment, troubleshooting and maintenance scheduling, and ensuring safety, all in an effort to support Portal’s diverse community of biotech startups working to advance scientific innovation.

Outside the lab, she enjoys going to punk and hardcore shows, reading, and spending time with her two cats, Pokey and Beanie.

Parth Rao is an accomplished pharmaceutical professional with over a decade of experience in the industry. He has a proven track record in managing laboratory operations and facility maintenance for startups and established companies in the life sciences industry. Parth is known for his ability to streamline operations and improve efficiencies, his expertise in managing lab infrastructure, and his strategic vision for achieving growth and success. In this role as the Director of Lab Operations at Portal Innovations, he is responsible for formulating and executing strategic goals, developing operational and capital budgets, and managing relationships with life science startup companies and strategic partners. He will ensure everything will run smoothly and succinctly in our labs at both 400 N Aberdeen and 1375 W Fulton.

Throughout his career, Parth has held various leadership positions within the Biotech and Pharma industries focusing on biologics and novel gene therapies. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Science from Northern Illinois University. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family

As Portal’s Vice President of Scientific Operations & Growth, Elizabeth works closely with Yuan to support daily operations within the lab space and to provide a safe environment for our member companies.  Prior to Portal, Elizabeth was a bench scientist with a particular affinity for analytical chemistry.  In her lab work, she developed a strong understanding and respect for spreadsheets and documentation – her reliability in performance of this understanding (both in quality and consistency) makes her a particularly powerful asset in a safety-focused, scientific environment.

By switching paths from scientist to manager, Elizabeth is able to address the core motivations that had always fueled her pursuit of scientific exploration: to help people. Her starting point contributes to her ability to develop, communicate and teach processes that respond to the actual pain points of scientists.

When not running around the lab or furiously typing on her laptop, Elizabeth enjoys listening to all kinds of podcasts and reading books to unwind.

Yuan Zhang is a biotech cofounder and translational scientist with deep experience in preclinical development, scientific operations, and early-stage company building. At Portal, she supports the expansion of the Ex³ platform by facilitating portfolio growth through fractional executive leadership and tailored strategic support for early-stage biotech companies. Yuan helps startups navigate critical milestones, scale operations, and prepare for Series A financing. She also assists in matching talent and expertise to Portal member companies to maximize impact across the network.

Previously, Yuan co-founded and led Seurat Therapeutics, advancing a repurposed biologic through pre-IND development. She also oversaw the national buildout of Portal’s lab infrastructure and has contributed to investment diligence, board-level strategy, and university-based incubator models. Yuan holds a PhD in Pathology and MS in Translational Sciences from the University of Chicago.