Sierra Sciences, LLC

Sierra Sciences seeks to develop a medicine to prevent and/or reverse human cellular aging through the lengthening of telomeres.

  • Stage Product In Development
  • Industry Biotechnology
  • Location Reno, NV, USA
  • Currency USD
  • Founded June 1999
  • Employees 15
  • Website cure-aging-or-die-trying.com

Company Summary

Sierra Sciences is a company whose goal is to develop a medicine to prevent and/or reverse human cellular aging, an underlying cause of many diseases, as well as aging itself. We intend to do this by developing a medicine that will induce expression of the telomerase enzyme. Telomerase functions to extend the length of telomeres, which are sections of chromosomal DNA whose length controls the aging process.

Team

  • William H. Andrews
    President and CEO

    Dr. Andrews led the research that discovered human telomerase while Director of Molecular Biology at Geron Corporation from 1993 - 1997. He was awarded 2nd place as "National Inventor of the Year" in 1997 for this discovery. Dr. Andrews has worked in the biotech industry for 28 years as a cancer researcher. He has focused the last 15 years on reversing telomere shortening to increase lifespan, healthspan, and prevent/fight cancer.

  • Laura A. Briggs
    Vice President of Research and Discovery

    Dr. Briggs has worked in medical research for over 15 years, the last 11 as a key scientist at Sierra Sciences. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Health from the University of Nevada, Reno, and joined Sierra Sciences in 2001. Dr. Briggs is a named inventor on all of Sierra Sciences’ intellectual property. She has spoken on the subject of telomere biology at scientific conferences throughout the U.S. and in both France and Spain.

  • Lancer K. Brown
    Program Director of Screening

    Lancer Brown distinguished himself by being the first student to complete the University of Nevada, Reno’s inaugural Advanced BS/MS Biotechnology Program in 2003. Recognizing his unique talents, Sierra Sciences recruited him while he was still completing his degree. Lancer is a co-inventor of Sierra Sciences’ assays for telomerase activation, and is a named inventor on Sierra Sciences’ patents relating to assay development and drug discovery.

  • Federico Gaeta
    Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry

    Dr. Gaeta earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry and Organic Synthesis at Rice University. He served as the Program Director of Telomerase Inhibition and Director of Chemistry at Geron Corporation. Dr. Gaeta directed the efforts to identify the first potent small-molecule inhibitors of human telomerase. He has led Sierra Sciences’ medicinal chemistry efforts, resulting in the most potent and least toxic telomerase activating chemicals ever discovered.

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