Karsen graduated from Plymouth State University with a bachelor’s degree in in Environmental Biology. Following graduation, he embarked on a journey in the aquaculture industry, gaining valuable experience at one of the world’s largest on-land fish farms.

His most recent role was as a Research Associate at Seres Therapeutics, where he learned about the intricate complexities of the human gut microbiome, contributing to groundbreaking research in the field. As an Operations Associate at Portal, Karsen will work with the South Boston team to help facilitate day-to-day operations of the lab and office space.

Prior to joining Portal, Joanna was the Senior Laboratory Manager at NuProbe, and her expertise extends to setting up lab spaces, including space planning and buildout. With impactful roles at the University of Texas, Houston, and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, she showcases a unique blend of research proficiency and operational management. Joanna holds a Doctorate in Polymer Engineering and is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate. Her dual experience in both university and industry roles uniquely positions her to guide startups in navigating the transition between these realms. Dedicated to fostering seamless lab environments, Joanna is committed to advancing scientific pursuits and supporting emerging ventures.

Harry supports Portal’s expansion initiatives, primarily in Science Square, to allow life sciences companies to thrive locally. In his current role, Harry ensures that resident companies have access to the critical resources and community they need to reach their technical and business milestones faster. Harry has a track record in designing and executing efficiently run and scalable launchpad models that address the needs of scientist-entrepreneurs at different stages of the R&D journey (notably in Boston as an integral member of the LabCentral organization). Harry is passionate about building inclusive and equitable ecosystems of innovation that drives economic activity and pushes the boundaries of medical science.

Haidy Delgado is a lab operations associate at Portal where she helps with day-to-day operations.

Krisha is the Director of Lab and Scientific Operations where she oversees day-to-day operations of the Boston Southline site.

Krisha’s role focuses on being a bridge between the Portal Venture Operations team and member companies by providing the operations support required for member companies to reach their scientific milestones and goals for growth and expansion. She has a track record of setting up labs for startup companies, space planning, and buildouts while managing existing lab and facilities operations.

As part of Portal Innovations operations team, she believes in building highly functional operations team to run at optimum efficiency while allowing scientists to focus on what matters most, bringing new therapies to patients.

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 the Lab Manager at Portal, 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.

Dr. Zhang brings a passion for moving science from lab bench to patient bedside, and expertise in immunology and animal models of disease. She most recently cofounded Seurat Therapeutics, a biotech startup spun out of the University of Chicago, focused on developing an intranasal repurposed biologic for treating migraines, seizures, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain conditions. Dr. Zhang raised $1.5 million and led the company to pre-IND, while managing business development, operations, therapeutic R&D, and strategy.