About Us
At Nucleus Biologics, we are passionate about supporting the development of groundbreaking discoveries and improving the quality of life for patients. Our cell culture products and services fuel today’s therapies and tomorrow’s innovations.
At the Core of Cell Science
Cell culture media is a critical raw material used in the development of cell-based projects. As the Cell Performance Company™, we are the leading provider of custom cell growth media, tools, and technologies that support every stage of development from research through commercialization. We are committed to delivering premium products and services through a transparent, consistent, and proven supply chain that eliminates variability.
“For us to realize our mission of speeding the time from discovery to cure we must be unrelenting in the pursuit of innovation of product and process.”
Leadership Team
David Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics and Stoic Bio. Dave started the company...
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics and Stoic Bio. Dave started the comp...
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David Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics and Stoic Bio. Dave started the company with a simple goal: create and commercialize industry-first tools to allow therapy developers to own and optimize their media or buffer as a critical drug input. Nucleus Biologics is the leading custom media and buffer company for cell and gene therapy and offers NB-Lux™, a digital platform for media and buffer ordering, and NB-AIR™, an AI platform that recommends components for your media based on desired Critical Quality Attributes. Stoic Bio commercialized the first pod-based, point-of-use benchtop media and buffer mixing system, named Krakatoa™, that is now moving to bioreactor scale. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO of Volcano Corporation, a publicly held life sciences company that was sold to Philips for $1.2 billion. Previous to Volcano, Dave was the CEO or in leadership positions at various companies including Baxter and Haemonetics. Dave holds an MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
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Jody Bauer
Vice President of Operations
Dedicated to achieving profitability and delivering outstanding results, Jody Bauer has extensive working knowledge in operations, manufacturing, distribution,...
Dedicated to achieving profitability and delivering outstanding results, Jody Bauer has extensive working ...
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Jody Bauer
Vice President of Operations
Dedicated to achieving profitability and delivering outstanding results, Jody Bauer has extensive working knowledge in operations, manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, cold chain logistics, negotiations, and finance. With her combined medical and nuclear device, pharmaceutical, and transportation experience and her exceptional analytical, organizational, and team building skills, Jody has a solid understanding of the most valuable elements of successful operational strategies. Jody joined Nucleus Biologics in 2018.
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Will Ater
Chief Financial Officer
Will has over 30 years of experience in financial and business leadership roles across a diverse range of...
Will has over 30 years of experience in financial and business leadership roles across a diverse range of ...
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Will Ater
Chief Financial Officer
Will has over 30 years of experience in financial and business leadership roles across a diverse range of industries, including wireless technologies, internet of things devices, and cosmeceuticals. Prior to joining Nucleus Biologics, Will was the Senior VP of Finance and Operations for SENTE, and before that, was the CFO of LocusTraxx, leading the company to a successful acquisition exit. Will also spent 12 years at Qualcomm in various leadership roles across multiple divisions including new business development, finance lead for the successful acquisition of a business from Alcatel, and leading international finance and business operations for Qualcomm’s Omnitracs division. Will has a BS degree in accounting from Purdue University and an MBA in Finance with honors from the University of North Texas.
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Asma Ayari, Ph.D.
Research and Development Director
Prior to being the Research and Development Manager, Dr. Asma Ayari was the head of Nucleus Biologics' formulation...
Prior to being the Research and Development Manager, Dr. Asma Ayari was the head of Nucleus Biologics' for...
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Asma Ayari, Ph.D.
Research and Development Director
Prior to being the Research and Development Manager, Dr. Asma Ayari was the head of Nucleus Biologics' formulation services group. Dr. Ayari has extensive experience in media analysis, testing, and formulation for Cell and Gene Therapy. Dr. Ayari did her Ph.D. work in virology and immunology and brings a deep understanding of how complex cellular systems are affected by small changes in the chemical composition of the microenvironment. Dr. Ayari holds a M.S. in Microbiology from University of Tunis and a Ph.D. in Virology, Immunology, and Metabolism from Universite de Lille in France.
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Brad Taylor, Ph.D.
Vice President of Marketing
Dr. Brad Taylor has 17 years of experience commercializing products for scientists in both academia and industry prior...
Dr. Brad Taylor has 17 years of experience commercializing products for scientists in both academia and in...
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Brad Taylor, Ph.D.
Vice President of Marketing
Dr. Brad Taylor has 17 years of experience commercializing products for scientists in both academia and industry prior to joining Nucleus Biologics. Most recently, Dr. Taylor was the Director of Global Marketing at HemaCare, supporting the needs of the cellular therapy industry. Prior to HemaCare, Dr. Taylor spent 11 years at PerkinElmer supporting in vivo imaging platforms and has held leadership roles in technical support, product management, and marketing. Dr. Taylor holds a M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany.
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Adam LaBaff, M.S., Ph.D.
Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances
Dr. Adam LaBaff is an experienced commercial leader with a strong technical background in cancer therapy, cell and...
Dr. Adam LaBaff is an experienced commercial leader with a strong technical background in cancer therapy, ...
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Adam LaBaff, M.S., Ph.D.
Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances
Dr. Adam LaBaff is an experienced commercial leader with a strong technical background in cancer therapy, cell and gene therapy, diagnostics, and life sciences tools. Prior to joining Nucleus Biologics, Dr. LaBaff helped steer commercial and strategic development efforts that led to acquisitions, such as Sartorius acquiring Essen Bioscience and the purchase of Verogen by QIAGEN. With his commercial and technical background, Dr. LaBaff strives to collaborate with members of the cell and gene therapy community to expedite therapy development to market by optimizing processes with customized solutions. Dr. LaBaff holds a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from MD Anderson Cancer Center and completed a postdoctoral research position at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
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Jeffrey Tague
Sr. Director of Quality and Regulatory
Jeffrey Tague has over 25 years of experience leading quality assurance, quality control, and laboratory operations across the...
Jeffrey Tague has over 25 years of experience leading quality assurance, quality control, and laboratory o...
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Jeffrey Tague
Sr. Director of Quality and Regulatory
Jeffrey Tague has over 25 years of experience leading quality assurance, quality control, and laboratory operations across the medical device, pharmaceutical, and life science industries. Jeffrey joined Nucleus Biologics in 2024. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Jeffrey was Sr. Director of Laboratory Services at Azzur Group, where he established a new contract test lab in San Diego, offering full-service environmental monitoring, micro and water testing, and packaging inspection services. Jeffrey was the Head of Quality at BioFilm, Inc., where he improved the organization’s quality management systems, implemented electronic documentation systems, and led them to ISO 13485 certification. Jeffrey is an ASQ Certified Quality Manager and Quality Engineer, a certified Lean Six Sigma black belt, and holds a BA in Biology from Indiana University.
xBoard of Directors
Ben Weaver
Chairman of the Board
Ben Weaver is the Chief Financial Officer of Tavistock Group, a dedicated investment firm for an institutional single-family...
Ben Weaver is the Chief Financial Officer of Tavistock Group, a dedicated investment firm for an institutional single-family...
Read moreBen Weaver
Chairman of the Board
Ben Weaver is the Chief Financial Officer of Tavistock Group, a dedicated investment firm for an institutional single-family office. He is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and serves as a Senior Managing Director of the firm. Mr. Weaver joined the Tavistock Group in early 2019 as Managing Director. Some of Tavistock’s notable investments: include the top tier English Premier League football club, Tottenham Hotspur; UK’s leading operator of managed pub restaurants, Mitchells & Butlers plc; Lake Nona, the innovative, 17-square-mile, master-designed community in Orlando, Florida; resort and private club communities of Albany in The Bahamas, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida; agriculture company, Australian Agriculture Company (AACo); international hospitality real estate company, Nexus Luxury Collection; U.S.-based boutique fine dining company, Tavistock Restaurant Collection; and Mexican sporting goods company, Typhoon Sports Coalition. Prior to joining Tavistock Group, Mr. Weaver spent 15 years in the aerospace and defense sector, last serving as the President of BBA Aviation US Holdings and the Chief Financial Officer for BBA Aviation Flight Support. He has a broad range of experience including corporate governance, financial accounting, treasury management, operational and strategic planning, and mergers and acquisitions. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration as well as his Master in Business Administration from John Carroll University.
xAlexandra Silverton, MD, MPH
Director
Dr. Alexandra Silverton is an assistant professor at University of Central Florida and a board-certified Internal Medicine physician....
Dr. Alexandra Silverton is an assistant professor at University of Central Florida and a board-certified Internal Medicine physician....
Read moreAlexandra Silverton, MD, MPH
Director
Dr. Alexandra Silverton is an assistant professor at University of Central Florida and a board-certified Internal Medicine physician. Dr. Silverton also serves as Medical Director for Tavistock Development Company in Lake Nona’s Health and Life Sciences cluster. Prior to joining Tavistock in 2019, Dr. Silverton worked as an assistant professor and an academic hospitalist at both Tulane University and Emory University. Dr. Silverton received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Duke University and her MD from Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Silverton also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Dr. Silverton completed her Internal Medicine residency at New York University (NYU).
xAlan D. Gold
Director
Alan Gold served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. (formerly NYSE: BMR),...
Alan Gold served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. (formerly NYSE: BMR),...
Read moreAlan D. Gold
Director
Alan Gold served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. (formerly NYSE: BMR), a REIT specializing in acquiring, leasing, developing, and managing laboratory and office space for the life science industry, from its inception in 2004 through the sale of the company to affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VIII L.P. in January 2016. Mr. Gold also served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of BioMed Realty’s privately-held predecessor, Bernardo Property Advisors, Inc., from August 1998 until August 2004. In addition, Mr. Gold was a Co-Founder and served as President and a Director of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE), an urban office REIT, from its predecessor’s inception in 1994 until August 1998. Mr. Gold is Mexican American and currently serves as a member of the board of trustees for the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a research organization dedicated to fundamental research in biology and its relation to health. Mr. Gold received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration from San Diego State University.
xNeil Reisman, CPA, J.D.
Director
Neil has more than 30 years of business experience with emphasis on operations, legal, tax, investments, and finance....
Neil has more than 30 years of business experience with emphasis on operations, legal, tax, investments, and finance....
Read moreNeil Reisman, CPA, J.D.
Director
Neil has more than 30 years of business experience with emphasis on operations, legal, tax, investments, and finance. Neil has worked with the biopharmaceutical industry since 2004. In addition, Neil has worked at various multinational companies, including Tavistock Group, Arthur Andersen, and Amoco Corporation. Neil received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois.
xDavid Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO...
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO...
Read moreDavid Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO of Volcano Corporation, a publicly held life sciences company that was sold to Philips for $1.2 B. Previous to Volcano, Dave was the CEO of Digirad, a cardiovascular imaging company that he took public in 2004, and in leadership positions at Baxter and Haemonetics. Dave holds an MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
xScientific advisors
Margaretta Hudson
Scientific advisor
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Margaretta Hudson
Scientific advisor
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xMeet Our Scientific Advisor
Roddy O'Connor Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Roddy O’Connor’s research emphasizes novel conditioning strategies and genetic approaches to confer unique metabolic attributes to CAR T cells. In collaborative research with Nucleus Biologics, Dr. O’Connor developed a customized, cGMP grade, CAR T cell culture medium for the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) clinical sector.
In a recent paper, Dr. O’Connor shared how this state-of-the-art medium formulation enhances CAR T cell potency and anti-tumor function. As medium composition can obscure metabolic responses induced by CAR co-stimulation, Dr. O’Connor recently designed a physiologic medium specifically for the Seahorse assay (Agilent Thought Leader Award).
Dr. O’Connor’s team were also the first to show how nonnative enzymes increase the resilience of CAR T cells against metabolic (lactate, hypoxia) and immune (Siglec) checkpoints in solid tumor environments. Dr. O’Connor’s expertise in T-cell metabolism has been recognized through an Award for Excellence in Immunology (AAI) and exemplified by several industry sponsored research alliances with Seahorse Bioscience, Nucleus Biologics, and Agilent. At UPenn, Dr. O’Connor’s team is now poised to translate our advances in CAR T cell metabolic fitness to target various malignancies and auto-immune diseases.
Dr. O’Connor is a highly regarded expert in CAR-T cell metabolism and has presented his findings at AAI, ASGCT, and the CAR-TCR Summit. Dr. O’Connor co-organizes the annual metabolomics symposium at UPenn and has presented several workshops as well as a webinar series with Nucleus Biologics on CAR-T cell metabolism.