about us
Heranova™ Lifesciences is a Boston-based biotech company focused solely on developing integrated care solutions for women’s health, specifically in the areas of endometriosis and female fertility. We are committed to addressing unmet needs in the field of women’s healthcare by offering internally developed and externally partnered diagnostics, drugs, and devices.
Heranova was founded in 2022 by a team of serial entrepreneurs and seasoned pharmaceutical and life sciences executives with support from a world-class, women’s health focused Scientific Advisory Board. Heranova has a bicoastal presence in the United States.
Farideh Bischoff, PhD
Chief Medical Officer – Diagnostics
Dr. Bischoff is an experienced professional with over 25 years of expertise in developing non-invasive clinical assays for various women’s health conditions such as endometriosis, IVF/ART, prenatal testing, and oncology. She has managed several research projects, published over 300 articles, and mentored executives and medical students alike. Dr. Bischoff has been recognized with numerous awards for her research, including the discovery of germline mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene.
As CEO and CSO of FreMon Scientific, she successfully led the company’s first commercial product, ZipThaw202, through FDA clearance and transitioned it to the commercial stage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bischoff has a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology and has received postdoctoral training from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine.
Marcel van Duin, PhD
Dr. Marcel van Duin brings over 30 years of distinguished leadership in pharmaceutical research and development to Heranova, specializing in Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine. With a passionate focus on enhancing patient quality of life, he has delivered and contributed to many R&D strategies and product pipelines, aligning with both clinical and business objectives. Dr. van Duin has published nearly 100 manuscripts, abstracts and patents.
His extensive scientific career includes senior leadership roles such as Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of External Innovation and Emerging Science at Organon, as well as pivotal Vice President positions in R&D Alliances for Reproductive Medicine and Maternal Health at Ferring, Women’s Health & Endocrine at Merck, and Women’s Health at Schering Plough and the former Organon.
Dr. van Duin obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Erasmus University Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and his MSc in Biology from Utrecht University, Netherlands.
John Fair
Mr. Fair has over twenty-five years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry with a core focus in women’s health. He has held senior leadership roles in sales, marketing, operations and corporate development and was most recently the Chief Commercial Officer for Dare Bioscience. Prior to joining Dare Bioscience, Mr. Fair was President and COO of Evofem Inc., a late-stage, specialty pharmaceutical company focused on women’s reproductive health. Earlier in his career, Mr. Fair held key management roles in startup and scale up ventures that resulted in successful exits via acquisitions.
Mr. Fair holds a master’s degree in Global Health Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine and a BA from Rider University. Mr. Fair has completed executive education in Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Steve Landau, MD
Dr. Landau has 25 years of experience in biotechnology. He founded Convelo Therapeutics and worked at several international pharmaceutical companies. He led clinical trials for an Inflammatory Bowel Disease drug that received worldwide approval at LeukoSite. He oversaw a clinical study for patients with endometriosis at Praecis. He also worked at Dynogen Pharmaceuticals, focusing on urologic disease. Before that, he spent ten years with a venture capital group in Boston.
Dr. Landau graduated from Bowdoin College and earned his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University.
Penny Wan
Ms. Penny Wan has more than twenty years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. She has held leadership roles and successfully delivered life-saving and life-changing biopharmaceutical therapies. Her expertise includes women’s health, infant formula, childhood vaccines, cancer treatments, mental health, and biologics for arthritis, among others.
Penny has served in general management and senior level positions at Roche, Amgen, and Wyeth. She brings with her comprehensive management experience and strategic skills in leading sales and marketing, manufacturing, business development, start-up, country, and regional operations in global markets, including China and Japan, in world-class pharma and healthcare companies. Currently, she is a member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Women Corporate Directors Foundation.
Penny holds a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Monash University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Pharmacology from Monash University in Australia.
Chun Zhang, PhD
Dr. Zhang is an accomplished technical executive and serial entrepreneur. He has been serving as the Head of Technical Operations at Evelo Biosciences since 2017. Prior to joining Evelo, Dr. Zhang was the Vice President and Head of Bioprocess Development at Shire. His previous work experience includes serving as the Head of Cell Culture Development at Bayer Healthcare LLC.
Dr. Zhang has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Jonathan Zhao, PhD
Dr. Zhao has been a serial entrepreneur and venture investor for 10 years. He served as the Co-founder of Transcenta Holding Ltd (6628. HK), an independent board member of Alebund Pharmaceutics Inc, and Co-founder of Just Biotherapeutics (acquired by Evotec SE, NASDAQ: EVO). He has also been a member of the Executive Board of the MIT Sloan School of Management and a venture partner of Lilly Asia Ventures.
Previously, Dr. Zhao has worked in the areas of Strategy Management and Business Development at multinational biopharmaceutical companies for 20 years. He was Executive Strategy Director at Global Commercial Operations of Amgen. Before that, he was the Asia Strategy Lead at Pfizer.
Dr. Zhao received his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Fudan University, Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ghent University, and MBA from MIT. He has contributed more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.
meet our executive team
Farideh Bischoff, PhD
Chief Medical Officer - Head of Diagnostics
Marcel van Duin, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer
John Fair
Chief Business Officer
Steve Landau, MD
Co-Founder & Chief Development Officer
Penny Wan
Co-Founder & Chairwoman
Chun Zhang, PhD
Co-Founder
Jonathan Zhao, PhD
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Joe Leigh Simpson
MD, FACOG, FACMG, FRCOG
Dr. Simpson has made significant contributions to the field of reproductive genetics, prenatal genetic diagnosis, and birth defects. He has authored over 800 articles and chapters. He has been President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, International Society of Prenatal Diagnosis, Society for Gynecologic Investigation, American College of Medical Genetics, and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society and he has been a member of the National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences since 1994.
Dr. Simpson also served as the Senior Vice President for Research and Global programs, for the March of Dimes, (MOD) from 2012 to 2018. He is active in many global initiatives, including the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS), where he served as President and also the Chair of the Scientific Committee for the 23rd IFFS World Congress (Shanghai, April 11-14, 2019).
Dr. Simpson received his undergraduate and medical education at Duke University (M.D., 1968) and postgraduate training at Cornell University Medical College (New York City). Academic positions have included: Professor at Northwestern University (1975-1986), Professor and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee Memphis (1986-1994), Professor and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine (1994- 2006), and Professor and Founding Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Florida International University, College of Medicine (2007-2011).As CEO and CSO of FreMon Scientific, she successfully led the company’s first commercial product, ZipThaw202, through FDA clearance and transitioned it to the commercial stage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bischoff has a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology and has received postdoctoral training from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine.
Denny Sakkas
PhD
Dr. Sakkas is the Scientific Director at Boston IVF. He has previously held positions as Chief Scientific Officer at Molecular Biometrics Inc. and was an Associate Professor at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine, where he headed a successful Gamete Biology Research Team and served as the Director of Assisted Reproductive Treatment Laboratories of the Yale Fertility Center.
Dr. Sakkas was also the Laboratory Director of IVF units in Switzerland and England and has aided numerous groups in establishing their own IVF units around the world. He has extensive experience in clinical IVF and reproductive research. He is internationally recognized, having organized conferences and workshops on reproduction-related topics, and is frequently invited as a speaker at major conferences worldwide. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 30 chapters in the fields of fertilization, early embryo development, and male infertility. He is currently on the Editorial Board of 5 leading journals, including Human Reproduction Update and Reproduction. He has been extensively funded in his career, investigating many aspects of gamete and embryo biology.
He received his undergraduate training at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and received his Doctorate of Philosophy at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. His PhD was performed at one of the leading Reproductive Research Units in the world, which was responsible for many of the innovations used in routine IVF today including, hormonal stimulation, embryo freezing, and micromanipulation.
Toni Marengo
MD, FACOG
Dr. Marengo is a specialist in women’s healthcare, the Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest (PPPSW), and on the Executive Council for District IX for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1996; her medical degree from Northwestern University in 2000; and completed her residency training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 2004, where she served as administrative chief resident in her PGY-4 year.
After residency, she served in the United States Navy as a staff OB-GYN and was honorably discharged as a lieutenant commander in 2007. She has dedicated herself to clinical practice in an academic setting, serving as the associate residency program director at both the University of California Irvine (2007-2010) and Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) (2010-2018). In addition, she was the director of family planning at NMCSD, the only physician in the military system who held that title/position. In 2018, Marengo transitioned to the role of CMO at PPPSW to lead clinical services for 18 health centers across a three-county region in Southern California. In this position, she continues to provide direct clinical care, advocate for the sexual and reproductive rights of all people and teach residents and students. Marengo is married with four children. She enjoys tennis, reading, and travel.
Aleksandar Rajkovic
MD, PhD
Dr. Aleksandar Rajkovic is a Professor of Pathology and Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. He is a Stuart Lindsay Distinguished Professor in Experimental Pathology. He serves as the UCSF Chief Genomics Officer and is the Medical Director and Chief of the Center for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (CGGM) that organizes, coordinates and oversees Clinical Genetics and Genomics Services across the entire UCSF Health System.
He also serves as the Director of the Genomic Medicine Initiative, a translational arm of the Institute of Human Genetics. He earned his medical degree from Case Western University, followed by internal medical internship and residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, and subsequent Medical Genetics fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
Before arriving at UCSF, he was the Chief of Medical and Laboratory Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where he oversaw Pittsburgh cytogenomic, molecular genomic, and pregnancy screening laboratories as well as adult cancer and prenatal genetic clinical services. He also served as the director for genomic training programs that spanned clinical genetics and genomics, clinical biochemical genetics, and laboratory genetics and genomics. He has served as a member and director on numerous NIH study sections and workshops, the March of Dimes advisory committee on prematurity, the Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award Advisory Committee, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Committee on Genetics among others.
Willard Dere
MD, FACP
Dr. Dere has extensive experience in clinical development and medical science during his 30-year career in the biopharmaceutical industry and academic institutes. He served as a Professor of Internal Medicine and Executive Director of Personalized Health at the University of Utah. Dr. Dere also has served as Chief Medical Officer, and Senior Vice President, Head of Global Clinical Development at Amgen. Additionally, he held several leadership positions at Eli Lilly and Company.
Dr. Dere received his M.D. degree from the University of California, Davis, and his internal medicine residency training at the University of Utah School of Medicine and with further training in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of California, San Francisco.
Ronald F. Feinberg
MD, PhD
Dr. Ronald Feinberg is a board certified reproductive endocrinologist and physician scientist, who serves as Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of IVF Programs at RADfertility. Dr. Feinberg has been caring for patients with reproductive and family building challenges for over 25 years and is one of the founding partners at RADfertility.
A proud Philadelphia native, Dr. Feinberg is a graduate of La Salle University, and achieved MD and PhD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. His clinical training was at Yale-New Haven Hospital for OB/GYN residency, and at Penn for fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. While an assistant professor at Penn, Dr. Feinberg was awarded independent research grants from the March of Dimes and the NIH.
Under Dr. Feinberg’s guidance, RADfertility’s multi-year commitment to single embryo transfer and preimplantation genetic testing has achieved safer, healthier pregnancies and nationally-recognized success rates. His background and efforts in translational and clinical research have focused on the key “seeds and soil” issues of assisted reproduction that promote healthy embryo-endometrial implantation. As IVF Director of RADfertility, he led efforts toward 100% single embryo transfer in the practice, and has utilized RADfertility’s outcomes to advocate for fertility care legislative insurance mandates in Delaware.
Dr. Feinberg currently serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Delaware and the ChristianaCare Health System, and has been the Principal Investigator for numerous clinical trials. In addition, he has co-authored hundreds of journal articles, book chapters, and national presentations.
Dr. Ronald Feinberg has been named a 2023 Top Doctor by Delaware Today.
scientific advisory board
Joe Leigh Simpson, MD
FACOG, FACMG, FRCOG President at International Federation of Fertility Societies
Denny Sakkas, PhD
CSO at Boston IVF, Waltham, Massachusetts
Toni Marengo, MD
FACOG Chief Medical Officer, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest
Aleksandar Rajkovic
MD, PhD
Chief Genomic Officer at University of California, San Francisco
Willard Dere, MD
FACP Professor Emeritus, University of Utah School of Medicine
Ronald F. Feinberg
MD, PhD
Chief Medical Officer and IVF Director, RADfertility & CCRM-Delaware