Leadership
InSphero’s leadership team combines rich scientific and commercial expertise in 3D microtissue engineering, cell-based assays, laboratory automation, and industry-scale production and quality assurance. The strategic management expertise of our Board of Directors and Strategic Advisory Board members complements our leadership scheme.
Management Team
Jan Lichtenberg, PhD
CEO and Co-Founder
Jan Lichtenberg, PhD
CEO and Co-Founder
An engineer and laboratory automation expert with 20 years of experience in the life sciences, Jan earned his PhD in Microtechnology and Microfluidics at the University of Neuchâtel.Co-founder of InSphero, former Head of R&D and Product Management in the medical-device company Hocoma AG and Uwatec AG. 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Switzerland and ETH Zurich, University of Neuchâtel, EPF Lausanne, and University of Bremen alumni. Founder and former CEO of Advanced Micromachining Tools GmbH.
Madhu Nag, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Madhu Nag, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
Madhu Lal-Nag earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Molecular and Cellular Oncology from George Washington University and her master’s in Bioscience Business from Keck Graduate Institute.
She aims to bridge the gap between the academic and the translational aspects of cutting-edge science in oncology, metabolic diseases, and investigative toxicology. Using the results of current therapeutic regimens to creatively translate cutting-edge research to immediately serve patient needs.Director of the Trans NIH RNAi Facility at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS/NIH) and Program Director at USFDA.
Paul Edgard Clémençon, MBA
Chief Business Officer
Paul Edgard Clémençon, MBA
Chief Business Officer
A seasoned commercial leader with 18+ years of experience in senior sales and marketing roles in small and large corporations. Paul holds a chemistry degree from the University of Applied Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland and an Executive MBA from the University of Zurich.Prior to joining InSphero, Paul served as VP of Strategic Partnerships Europe at eMolecules Inc., a San Diego-based growth company providing solutions for drug discovery to big pharma, biotech, and academic institutions.
Julian von Seyfried
Chief Financial Officer
Julian von Seyfried
Chief Financial Officer
With over 20 years of international financial experience, Julian has strong expertise in digital and technology finance, private equity start ups and company transformation programs. Before joining InSphero, he held various global senior finance positions across Switzerland, United Kingdom and Germany, including ABB, Inchcape, Mitie and Dormakaba. Julian holds a degree in Business Administration (Diplomkaufmann) from the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany.
Bruno Filippi, PhD
Vice President, Liver Safety
Bruno Filippi, PhD
Vice President, Liver Safety
Bruno is an experienced and versatile biologist who worked at the crossroads between cell biology, advanced in vitro models, and biochemistry in various European academic and technical research institutions for more than 15 years. Bruno holds a PhD in cell biology from the University of Zürich and thrives to turn innovation into applications.
Wolfgang Moritz, PhD
Head of External Collaborations, Co-founder
Wolfgang Moritz, PhD
Head of External Collaborations, Co-founder
As one of the co-founders of InSphero, Wolfgang is an expert in production and assay methods for microtissues using laboratory-scale approaches. Wolfgang has an extensive background in clinical applications of microtissues including islet biology and diabetes drug discovery. Wolfgang earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Zurich.
Olivier Frey, PhD
Vice President, Technologies and Platforms
Olivier Frey, PhD
Vice President, Technologies and Platforms
Olivier Frey is Vice President of Technologies & Platforms at InSphero and leads the Microphysiological Systems and Organ-on-Chip programs. He holds a Dr. Sc in Micro Engineering from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and an MSc in Microtechnology and Mechanics from ETH Zürich. Before joining InSphero, he was group leader and SNF Ambizione fellow at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering of ETH Zurich, Switzerland on integrated microfluidic systems for single cell handling and 3D tissue cultures.
Burcak Yesildag, PhD
Vice President, Islet Biology
Burcak Yesildag, PhD
Vice President, Islet Biology
Burcak Yesildag obtained her master’s degree in Biochemistry and her PhD degree in Translational Biomedicine from ETH Zurich, where she specialized in pancreatic islet biology. In 2015, Dr. Yesildag joined the InSphero team to establish the company as a strong contender in the field of diabetes research. Her team is facilitating the adoption of InSphero’s innovative platforms, based on primary or stem-cell derived human cells, by a broad scientific community around the world, aiming to support translation of new discoveries into much needed therapeutic interventions.
Francisco Verdeguer, PhD
Vice President, Liver Disease
Francisco Verdeguer, PhD
Vice President, Liver Disease
Francisco has been the VP of Liver Disease at InSphero since 2021. He obtained a PhD in molecular biology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He has been trained for 6 years as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University/Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Karolinska Institute where he focused on the molecular basis of metabolic disorders. He was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich between 2016 and 2021 where he led a basic research group and has identified novel mechanisms of energy balance regulation.
Laure-Anne Ligeon, PhD
Team Lead Oncology & Immunology
Laure-Anne Ligeon, PhD
Team Lead Oncology & Immunology
Laure-Anne Ligeon is the Team Lead of Oncology and Immunology Group at InSphero. She focuses on developing strategies and assays by bringing together human immunology and cell biology to model the complexity of tumor microenvironment for drug testing. Laure-Anne holds a PhD in molecular cell biology from University of Lille – Pasteur institute. Prior to joining InSphero she was a Senior Scientist at the Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich.
Stina Näslund, MSc
Head of Human Resources
Stina Näslund, MSc
Head of Human Resources
Senior Human Resources Manager with 10 years of HR leadership experience and extensive HR expertise in a dynamic and growing environment. She has a Master’s Degree in Business and Economics with an International Specialization from Uppsala University in Sweden and HR Expert post-graduate studies.Before joining InSphero, Stina built up the HR function for Equatex, a company spun out of UBS, where she managed a team as Group Head of Human Resources. Stina has also been HR Director at Moneypark AG.
Marion Bavand, PhD, MBA
Head of Quality Assurance
Marion Bavand, PhD, MBA
Head of Quality Assurance
A seasoned Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs professional with 20+ years of experience in pre-market and post-market product development of life science biotech products and medical devices, including medical device vigilance and post-market surveillance. She earned her PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Zurich and an MBA from Webster University, Geneva. Marion has hands-on experience in establishing Quality Systems supporting pre-clinical and clinical product development and product release to market.
Henriette Schneider, PhD
Head of IP
Henriette Schneider, PhD
Head of IP
Henriette joined InSphero in 2021. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from University of Zürich and is a qualified European Patent Attorney with more than 20 years’ experience as a patent attorney in pharmaceutical industry and technology transfer manager.
Rositsa Hadzhipetrova, MSc
Head of Marketing
Rositsa Hadzhipetrova, MSc
Head of Marketing
Rositsa Hadzhipetrova is a marketing professional with international B2B and B2C experience in life sciences and personal health. Since joining InSphero in 2020, she has led the company's strategic campaigns, digital communications, and brand development. Previously, she held marketing roles at Philips in Amsterdam and Sofia, focusing on trade and customer activations. She holds a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Groningen and is a certified Digital Marketing Professional.
Donna Busler, MSc
Head of Manufacturing and Infrastructure
Donna Busler, MSc
Head of Manufacturing and Infrastructure
Donna Busler leads the Manufacturing Group at InSphero, where she plays a key role in optimizing core operations and driving strategic initiatives. With a strong background in 3D model development, production, and process optimization, she combines technical expertise with organizational, team management, and strategic planning skills. Donna holds an MSc in Molecular and Cell Biology and a CAS ETH in Pharmacology – From Research to Market.
David Fluri, PhD
VP Model Innovation & Commercialization, Interim VP of Operations
David Fluri, PhD
VP Model Innovation & Commercialization, Interim VP of Operations
Experienced scientist and member of the InSphero team since 2012. David has extensive industry expertise in advanced in vitro model development, standardization, and automation. He holds a PhD in molecular biotechnology from ETH Zurich.
Board of Directors
Jürg Gysi, PhD
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Jürg Gysi, PhD
Chairman of the Board of Directors
With over 45 years of experience in biotechnology, Dr. Jürg Gysi combines deep scientific expertise with extensive leadership experience. After earning his PhD and completing a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology at ETH Zürich, he held academic positions at UCLA before moving into industry. He founded and built a molecular biology supply company, which he transformed into Promega AG, a Swiss subsidiary of Promega Inc., where he served as CEO for over 20 years. Since 2012, he has been President of the Board of the Directors at Promega AG and, since 2013, a member of InSphero’s Board, acting as President since 2015.
Beat Schillig
Board of Directors
Beat Schillig
Board of Directors
Beat Schillig is a serial entrepreneur and Business Angel. He founded IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen and Venturelab operating flagship programs for the Swiss startup ecosystem like Venture Kick, Innosuisse entrepreneurship trainings, TOP 100 Swiss Startups and Venture Leaders programs in Silicon Valley, Boston, Barcelona, Munich or London. Venture Kick financed more than 1,200 startups from Swiss universities leading to a portfolio of 800 active high-tech companies with 15,000 jobs and more than 10 billion francs raised from investors. He has a background as a Master of Business Administration from HSG.
Jan Lichtenberg, PhD
Board of Directors
Jan Lichtenberg, PhD
Board of Directors
An engineer and laboratory automation expert with 20 years of experience in the life sciences, Jan earned his PhD in Microtechnology and Microfluidics at the University of Neuchâtel.Co-founder of InSphero, former Head of R&D and Product Management in the medical-device company Hocoma AG and Uwatec AG. 2013 Entrepreneur of the Year Switzerland and ETH Zurich, University of Neuchâtel, EPF Lausanne, and University of Bremen alumni. Founder and former CEO of Advanced Micromachining Tools GmbH.
Thomas Kaufmann, PhD
Board of Directors
Thomas Kaufmann, PhD
Board of Directors
Dr. Thomas Kaufmann joined the HP Wild Family Office in Zug in 2021, where he oversees private and listed healthcare investments. He started his career at Credit Suisse, serving as a buy-side healthcare analyst for close to a decade before moving to the sell-side within the firm. He was also responsible for the innovation megatrend within the broader megatrends investment framework. He then worked at an oncology firm in the greater Zurich area, where he was in charge of market research and competitive intelligence. He holds a master in biochemistry and a doctorate in biophysics, both from the University of Basel.
Werner Lanthaler, PhD
Board of Directors
Werner Lanthaler, PhD
Board of Directors
Werner Lanthaler is CEO of WLanholding GmbH and serves on InSphero’s Board of Directors. He previously led Evotec AG as CEO for nearly 15 years, transforming it into a global leader in drug discovery, particularly in the realms of precision medicine and artificial intelligence. His visionary thinking advanced research collaborations and accelerated innovative therapies. Earlier, as CFO of Intercell AG, he played a key role in taking the company public and successfully bringing vaccines to market. Throughout his career, Werner has focused on integrating new technologies to boost drug development efficiency. He also serves on the Boards of FairJourney Biologics, HAL Allergy, Proxygen, aTENSION.life, Cerabyte, and advises leading private equity firms.
Scientific Advisory Board
Prof. Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD
Scientific Advisor - Liver Safety
Prof. Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD
Scientific Advisor - Liver Safety
Prof. Hartung is a Professor of Evidence-based Toxicology and Director of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Konstanz. He is a passionate advocate for replacing animal testing with more ethical and predictive in vitro models and is investigating new applications for big data and artificial intelligence in toxicity testing.
Prof. Matthias von Herrath, MD
Scientific Advisor - Islet Biology
Prof. Matthias von Herrath, MD
Scientific Advisor - Islet Biology
Prof. von Herrath holds a dual appointment as Vice President and Senior Medical Officer at Novo Nordisk and Professor at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation. One of the world’s leading type 1 diabetes researchers, he is committed to clinical translation of immune-based interventions in autoimmune and metabolic diseases.
Prof. Decio Eizirik, MD, PhD
Scientific Advisor - Islet Biology
Prof. Decio Eizirik, MD, PhD
Scientific Advisor - Islet Biology
Decio L. Eizirik, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor at the ULB Center for Diabetes Research. He has published more than 400 full papers and reviews with an h-index of 92. He has received several national and international prizes, including the JDRF “Diabetes Care Research Award”, 1998, the EASD “2012 Albert Renold Prize Lecture” and the nPOD 2023 “George Eisenbarth Memorial Lecture”, and was the Scientific (Honorary) Secretary of the EASD. His research focus on the mechanisms of pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and death in type 1 diabetes and on the “dialogue” between beta cells and the immune system.
