WEST Staff & Board of Directors

Staff


Jaime Luna joined WEST in 2012 and serves as Senior Director of Operations. She comes to WEST with extensive experience in nonprofit organizations, specifically in program operations and project management. Jaime served as Director of Program Operations for Illumination Foundation working with homeless families and individuals. As a key member, she helped the grassroots nonprofit grow from its infancy to a $2,000,000 organization in three short years. Previous to Illumination Foundation, Jaime worked at the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Camping Services. She filled in the roles of Senior Director and Operations Executive Director. She oversaw the operation of many YMCA camps and developed, monitored, and managed related annual operating budgets of over $2,000,000, including human resources, office administration, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and procurement. Jaime completed her Master's degree in Education. 



Anastasie Duffaut joined WEST in June 2019. She is the Onsite Event Coordinator. She is also Trade Partner Diversity Manager at Suffolk Construction. Prior to that, she was the EEO/Diversity/Community & Citizenship Coordinator at Turner Construction Company. Before that, she spent several years as a Branch Manager at Citizens Bank. She earned an MBA from Suffolk University.  

  

   

Board of Directors




President: Laurie Bohn is a trusted coach and facilitator with nearly two decades of experience partnering with people to enhance their self-awareness, build skills, develop higher levels of confidence, and achieve meaningful goals. She works closely with clients to deliver impactful leadership development programs, helping participants navigate complex challenges and lead more effectively. In addition to her extensive work in life sciences, Laurie has successfully coached and facilitated in the tech, financial services, and non-profit sectors, bringing a well-rounded perspective to her practice. Known for her down-to-earth and relatable approach, Laurie’s engaging and flexible facilitation style resonates with both introverts and extroverts alike. She creates welcoming environments that drive business impact through her ability to connect deeply and quickly with participants, enhancing the learning experience and expanding perspectives. Laurie’s holistic approach to growth combines deep expertise in leadership development with a commitment to continuous learning. Having navigated her own journey through pivotal career decisions, Laurie coaches with empathy and insight, helping clients gain clarity and confidently make empowered choices. Her clients often walk away with a clear plan of action, a stronger alignment with their core values, and a renewed sense of control and confidence in their careers. Beyond her professional work, Laurie serves on the Board of WEST where she continues to contribute to the advancement of women in science and technology fields. Laurie holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from McGill University and an MBA from Boston University Questrom School of Management. She is an ICF Certified Coach (ACC), a graduate of Coach U, and a Licensed Practitioner of Insights Discovery®. Outside of coaching and facilitation, you’ll find Laurie spending time with her two kids and husband – often on the sidelines of a field, or in the gallery section of a pool. Laurie loves to travel and experience new cultures and has recently picked up exploring the world with her family.



Vice President: Elissa Hobert is a director at a stealth stage biotech company. She has a passion for developing platform technologies, particularly around nucleic acids. Previously, she worked at Sail and Moderna, where she helped to develop the RNA platforms at both companies. Prior to joining Moderna, Elissa was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School. Elissa received her BS in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and her PhD in chemistry from Yale University. She has volunteered with WEST since 2015 and was the recipient of the WEST Giving Back Award in 2016.



Treasurer and Past President: Dr. Jyothsna Visweswaraiah is a scientist with drug development experience in small biotech and a track record of advancing new therapies into the clinic. She currently heads the Antibody Discovery group under the Drug Creation department at Seismic Therapeutic. Previously, she was head of the antibody discovery and engineering efforts at a Flagship Pioneering new co,  developing a modular, multi-specific biologics platform to address the complexities of biology. Prior to this, Jyothsna was at Pandion Therapeutics where she developed novel therapeutics designed to address the unmet needs of patients living with autoimmune diseases. Jyothsna has trained at Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health. She has been an advocate for women in science and workplace inclusiveness. She mentors students interested in STEM careers and early career women scientists. Jyothsna also volunteers with The Antibody Society as a part of the communications and membership committee. 


Clerk: Chris Dwan is a technologist who has spent more than two decades supporting the life sciences with a focus on genomics. He was the first employee of the highly regarded consulting firm BioTeam, built the IT and data infrastructure for the NY Genome Center, led Research Computing and IT at the Broad Institute, and most recently served as the SVP of Production Bioinformatics at Sema4. Chris is currently an independent consultant, providing leadership in IT, developing digital strategies, authoring technology assessments, and coaching / mentoring emerging leaders in biotech, pharmaceutical, and health care. His clients have included Moderna, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the INOVA Health System, NASA, and Cray. Chris is an avid gardener, an amateur cellist, and he engages in local activism and advocacy around safe streets and environmental sustainability in his hometown of Somerville, MA

Board Members:


Jocelyn Dunphy Currently Owner and Senior Consultant at Pro Capability Training & Consulting (www.procapability.com), Jocelyn specializes in designing and delivering cutting-edge corporate business communication training and coaching for STEM professionals. Before starting her consulting practice, Jocelyn held scientific and management positions at The Procter & Gamble Company, The Gillette Company, and Draeger Medical Systems, Inc. In addition to her work at Pro Capability, Jocelyn has served as Executive Communications Coach for Springboards Consulting, as an adjunct faculty member at Emmanuel College, Boston, in their Biopharmaceutical Leadership Graduate Certificate Program, and as a scientific writer for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. With a longstanding passion for empowering women in STEM, she has energized audiences through guest speaking engagements with the National Association of Women in Science (AWIS) in Washington D.C., and the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA). Jocelyn holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Indiana University, a Masters in Organization Development from Bowling Green State University, and a B.A. with distinction from the University of Virginia. She also is certified in Teaching English as a Second Language and has been published in several scientific journals.



 

Maria Lalioti is a human molecular geneticist with a strong interest in personalized medicine and ethical use of genomic information. She is scientific consultant specializing in portfolio strategy and new opportunity evaluation in therapeutic areas of expertise (kidney, metabolic, neuroscience, reproductive, and orphan diseases). She held positions spanning from target discovery to clinical trials, and currently focuses on drug development using novel modalities such as gene therapy and gene editing, and leveraging human genomics discoveries. She was previously a VP of New Opportunities at Beam Tx, where she initiated the expansion of base editing to new therapeutic areas. Before that, she was Head of Biology at Goldfinch Bio and Director of Translational/Clinical Genomics at Biogen. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Athens, Greece and her PhD in Human Molecular Genetics from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. She did her postdoctoral training at the University of Birmingham, UK and at Yale School of Medicine. She has been a member of West for more than 10 years. She serves as a mentor with other organizations where she helps women and girls reach their full potential. In her free time she enjoys cooking, fishing, skiing, and traveling with her husband and 3 kids. She is an expert cake decorator and her kids have the most unique birthday cakes!   



 

Anna Li is the Director of Business Operations at Versatope Therapeutics, where she leads strategic partnerships, investor relations, and drives operational efficiency and cross-functional collaboration. With 20+ years of experience spanning academia and the biotech industry, she brings a rare combination of scientific depth and business development instinct to the life sciences sector. A molecular microbiologist by training, Anna has built deep expertise  in drug discovery and a natural fluency across science, strategy, and business development. She played a key role in developing the genome mining platform at Warp Drive Bio — later acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks — used in collaboration with Roche Pharmaceuticals to develop new classes of antibiotics to combat antibiotic-resistant diseases. She previously conducted research on mutational pathways of bacterial drug resistance as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, and held a position as Associate Professor at Shandong Agricultural University in China, where she supervised graduate students and taught courses in plant pathology, plant protection, and fungal classification before moving to the US. Anna is passionate about advocating for women and underrepresented groups in science. She is a co-founder of Asians in Biotech, an Advisory Board member of WEST–Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology, and a longtime WEST volunteer. She was the recipient of the WEST Giving Back Award in 2017.




Lauren Perna is the CEO and Head Writer of Lauren Perna Communications, a mental health advocate, and an award-winning community leader. Her New England-based firm helps life sciences companies tell their stories through content strategy, copywriting, and LinkedIn. Her clients are united by their passion for improving lives. Bringing over 20 years of experience in writing, marketing, and relationship-building to her business, Lauren is an accomplished entrepreneur and writer known for turning even the most complex text into a compelling story. Before starting her company in 2020, Lauren spent nine years at MassBio, where she led initiatives to help life sciences companies raise their visibility. She is also a published mental health writer and fierce advocate for mental health awareness and care. Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University and a certificate in Digital Marketing from Columbia University/Emeritus. She serves as Chief Community Officer with the Chronic Boss Collective, an elected Dedham Town Meeting Representative, and a Founding Member of the Women's Business League Neponset Valley Chapter.  



 

Aruna Ramachandran, PhD is an alliance management and strategic partnerships leader with deep experience across academic research, precision oncology, biotechnology, and global pharmaceutical collaborations. She currently serves as R&D Alliances Lead at Astellas Pharma, where she manages key pre-clinical research and early development partnerships across therapeutic areas, modalities, and geographies. Aruna began her career as a scientist, earning her PhD in Life Sciences and completing postdoctoral research at Tufts University School of Medicine and Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard. She later held scientific program and alliance leadership roles at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, including serving as the institution’s first alliance manager. She subsequently joined Foundation Medicine, where she managed strategic alliances in precision oncology, real-world data, and biomarker-defined clinical trials. Aruna brings expertise in alliance governance, stakeholder alignment, conflict resolution, change management, executive communication, and cross-cultural collaboration. She is especially interested in how strong partnerships can expand value, accelerate innovation, and advance meaningful outcomes for patients. As a WEST Board member, Aruna is committed to supporting women in science, healthcare, and leadership. She is passionate about helping women build confidence, strengthen networks, share practical career wisdom, and step into broader leadership opportunities.

Past Presidents of the Board

2025-2026 - Jyothsna Visweswaraiah
2024-2025 - Karin von Hodenberg
2023-2024 - Elena Spencer
2022-2023 - Patrice Prusko
2021-2022 - Etta Jacobs
2020-2021 - Meena Subramanyam
2019-2020 - Meredith Fisher and Chesley Chen
2018-2019 - Mariana Nacht
2017-2018 - Jo Viney
2005-2017 - Sandra Glucksmann

Chair Emeritus


Sandra Glucksmann- is currently the CEO of Sensorium Therapeutics. A veteran biopharma executive and experienced scientist with over 30 years in biotech, Glucksmann most recently served as founding CEO and President of Cedilla Therapeutics and previously was founding Chief Operating Officer of Editas Medicine, Inc. She serves on the boards of directors of gene therapy company REGENXBIO and and genetic modifiers company Scenic Biotech. Alexandra holds a Ph.D. with honors in molecular genetics and cell biology from the University of Chicago.

Janice Bourque is former Senior Vice President and Group Head-Life Sciences for Comerica Bank where she was responsible for leading Comerica’s national strategy for the life sciences. Prior to that, Ms. Bourque was President/CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MBC) where she led the organization for 12 years. In 2004, she was awarded the Woman of Valor Award by the American Diabetes Association and the 2004 Distinguished Leadership Award by the Huntington Disease Society for her work in public policy and public health. In 2003, Boston Magazine named her one of Boston’s 100 most influential women and the Cambridge Chamber Commerce awarded her Business Person of the Year. Ms. Bourque received her MBA degree in finance and accounting and her BS degree in veterinary science from the University of New Hampshire. 

Board Emeritus

Abigail Barrow is the Managing Partner of Cambridge Innovation Partners – a consulting firm that helps start-ups find global and local resources for success. Previously, she was the Interim Executive Director, Office of Technology Commercialization and Ventures (OTCV) at the University of Massachusetts from 2015 to 2018.  She joined the UMass President’s Office in 2004 as the Founding Director of the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC) which was hosted in OTCV.  At MTTC she was responsible for the overall management of the MTTC and the development of its programs. Prior to joining UMass, Dr. Barrow served as managing director of William J. von Liebig Center at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Barrow worked in a variety of roles at UCSD CONNECT from 1990 to 2001. Dr. Barrow is on the board and is Chair of VentureWell. Dr. Barrow received her Ph.D. from the Science Studies Unit and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh.

Joel MacAuslan, Ph.D., is Chief Executive and Chief Science Officer of STAR Analytical Services, which provides mathematical and analytical capability for clients' innovation projects that require expertise in system modeling, signal processing, and nonlinear dynamics - from brain surgery to rocket science. He founded STAR on an NIH grant to apply techniques of chaos theory to the dynamics of the larynx. Joel has participated actively in WEST since early 2000. Joel holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Cornell and has spent over twenty-five years in mathematical speech, signal, and image-processing analysis.