Katharina Sophia Volz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987 (age 36–37) |
| Alma mater |
Stanford University Graz University of Technology |
| Employer | OccamzRazor |
Katharina Sophia Volz (born in Ulm, Germany, 1987) is a medical researcher and entrepreneur. She is the founder and chief executive officer of OccamzRazor, a biotechnology start-up based in New York City and San Francisco. OccamzRazor uses machine learning to discover and develop drugs for brain diseases. [1]
Early life and education
Volz was born and raised in Erbach near Ulm, Germany. [2] After completing secondary school, with average grades, she obtained the Abitur at the grammar school "Valckenburgschule" in Ulm. She began studying molecular biology at the University of Graz, carrying out research in the United States. She has worked at Harvard Medical School, Ohio State University, UCLA, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Stanford University. Volz was the first student from Germany's Biotechnology High School to be accepted at Harvard University.[ citation needed]
In 2012, Volz became the first Ph.D. in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at Stanford University. [3] She completed her Ph.D. in a record time of 2.5 years. [4] She was the first person to identify the stem cells that form the coronary arteries. The progenitor stem cell named pericytes turn into smooth muscle cells in response to increased blood flow. [5]
Research and career
Volz is one of UNESCO's trusted speakers and was a United Nations WED fellow in 2015. [4] [6] [7] [8] Volz made it on the global Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017. Volz was a participant at the 2017, 2018, 2019 Science Foo Camp. [9] She got accepted into the first cohort of the United Nations Nexus Accelerator program in 2020. [10] [11] She was named in MIT technology review's top 35 under 35 innovators. [12]
OccamzRazor
Volz is the founder and chief executive officer of OccamzRazor, a biotechnology startup using machine learning to identify cures for brain-aging diseases such as Parkinson's. [13] OccamzRazor is partnering with or has received grant funding from institutions the Michael J Fox Foundation, [14] the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, and Stanford. OccamzRazor is further supported by investors Jeff Dean and Randy Schekman. [15] [16]
References
- ^ Volz, Katharina (2019-12-30). "Developmental biology". We're on the verge of AI developed drugs becoming a reality.
- ^ Browne, Grace (5 December 2020). "Katharina Volz is using A.I. to solve the biggest problem in science". Inverse. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "Use Science to Make World a Better Place, Graduates Told". Stanford. 15 June 2015.
- ^ a b "A Directory of Women Speakers on UNESCO Related Issues". UNESCO. 16 November 2015.
- ^ Volz, K. S.; Jacobs, A. H.; Chen, H. I.; Poduri, A.; McKay, A. S.; Riordan, D. P.; Kofler, N.; Kitajewski, J.; Weissman, I.; Red-Horse, K. (2015-10-15). "Pericytes are Progenitors for Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle". eLife. 4: e10036. doi: 10.7554/eLife.10036. PMC 4728130. PMID 26479710.
- ^ "Katharina Sophia Volz | Women's Entrepreneurship Day". Women's Entrepreneurship Day.
- ^ Womens Entrepreneurship Day WED (2016-06-21), Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2015 – United Nations, retrieved 2018-07-08
- ^ Women's Entrepreneurship Day (2016-06-21), Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2015 – United Nations, retrieved 2018-07-08
- ^ "Science Foo Camp". OccamzRazor. 2019-11-16. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
- ^ "Nexus". ElderDignity.
- ^ "Nexus Impact Accelerator Fellow, Katharina Sophia Volz, Founder & CEO of OccamzRazor". Nexus Impact Accelerator. 7 May 2020.
- ^ "Katharina Volz | Innovators Under 35". www.innovatorsunder35.com. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "Katharina Volz". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
- ^ "MJFF". Michael J Fox Foundation. 24 September 2018.
- ^ Schekman, Randy. "The Nobel Prize".
- ^ Wired. "This startup's map will accelerate our hunt for a Parkinson's cure". Wired.