# Tamara Jafar > Computational Neuroscience PhD · Director, Venture Capital Leaders Program · Activator Director @Nucleate LA · Venture Sourcing & IP Diligence · Neurotech · AI/Ml Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/tamarajafar I’m a computational neuroscience PhD leveraging deep learning, multimodal neuroimaging, and spatial transcriptomics to identify biomarkers to detect and treat neurodegenerative disease. Beyond the lab, I operate at the intersection of science, capital, and execution. As Director of Nucleate LA Activator, I run an equity-free accelerator supporting biotech founders and conduct investment diligence on 40+ academic spinouts annually. Each month, I interview leading investors through Inside VC, a national venture education platform I created that draws several hundred attendees per session to demystify how venture capital truly works. I founded the Nucleate Venture Capital Leaders Program, an 8-week selective training program connecting 25 PhD students and postdocs with active life sciences investment partners to cultivate the next generation of biotech investors. Previously, I completed a Business Development Fellowship at Genentech, writing investment-style pipeline evaluations, and advise medtech startups through UC Berkeley SkyDeck-Taiwan Health Innovation Accelerator. My training spans computational neuroscience, bioinformatics, translational clinical research, and bioengineering across USC, Yale’s Clinical Neuroscience Neuroanalytics Lab, and UC Berkeley. If you’re building or backing transformative science, I'd love to talk. ## Work Experience ### Business Development 101 Fellow @ Genentech Jan 2025 – Present Selected from 500+ global applicants (5% acceptance rate) to participate in Genentech and Nucleate's BD101 Fellowship, a competitive program training scientists in the principles of business development in biotech. Worked on the Neuroscience and Ophthalmology team. Conducted a landscape analysis of upcoming clinical catalysts, Phase 1-3 data readouts, for companies developing assets in Alzheimer's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Identified programs with publicly available targets and development stage data, prioritized the most advanced assets, and delivered recommendations on which companies Genentech should prioritize for outreach based on clinical progress and strategic relevance. Authored investment-style memos on late-stage pipeline therapeutics, evaluated competitive landscapes, and developed partnering strategy informing internal BD and licensing decisions. Presented findings to a Genentech and Roche leadership panel at program conclusion. ### Graduate Research Assistant @ USC Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jan 2023 – Present | Los Angeles, California, United States Researching applications of spatial transcriptomics and deep learning in neuroimaging (MRI) for biomarker discovery and clinical translation. Biomedical Imaging Group in the Signal and Image Processing Institute under the advisement of Dr. Richard Leahy. - Developed computational frameworks linking cortical gene expression with MRI-derived measures of gray-white contrast to uncover cellular and molecular drivers of Alzheimer’s disease vulnerability. - Conducted large-scale spatial transcriptomic analyses across multi-cohort datasets to map cellular determinants of cortical organization and validate regional gene-imaging associations. - Designed and implemented deep learning pipelines for Alzheimer’s disease classification using structural MRI, benchmarking performance against traditional machine learning models and evaluating interpretability for clinical utility. - Created reproducible analysis workflows integrating multimodal data (genomics, imaging, demographics, clinical features) with rigorous statistical methods for validation. - Applied advanced saliency methods (IG, SHAP, Grad-CAM) to deep learning models for MRI-based prediction of Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury outcomes, achieving anatomically interpretable and clinically trustworthy result. - Conducted complementary anlayses on gray-white contrast, PET imaging, and genetic risk factors (APOE, diabetes) to broaden biomarker discovery pipelines and strengthen translational relevance across Alzheimer’s disease and TBI. ### Director, Venture Capital Leaders Program @ Nucleate Jan 2025 – Present Founded and lead Nucleate's investor training program. The Venture Capital Leaders Program is an 8-week curriculum connecting 25 select PhD students and postdocs with active investment partners from Atlas Ventures, ARCH Ventures, Pear Ventures, KdT Ventures, Freeflow Ventures, and Zetta Venture Partners. Designed the full investment lifecycle curriculum covering market landscaping, deal sourcing, pitch evaluation, scientific and IP diligence, term sheet construction, and board governance. Participants present investment committee-style recommendations to the same partners who make multi-million dollar decisions daily. Top graduates are eligible for competitive fellowship positions at partner funds. ### BD101 Leadership @ Nucleate Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 Education and operations for BD101 course led by Nucleate, Genentech and Alnylam. Lead 'Research Technologies for Drug Discovery' Team. ### Co-Director of Activator Accelerator @ Nucleate Los Angeles Jan 2024 – Present As the Co-Director of the Activator Incubator Program at Nucleate Los Angeles, I lead efforts to accelerate the translation of academic biotech innovations into successful ventures. Nucleate is a national, non-dilutive educational program focused on catalyzing life science startups by pairing PhD students with MBA candidates from leading institutions such as USC, UCLA, and Caltech. Together, they refine strategic plans based on university intellectual property, supported by industry mentors and expert-led workshops. In my role, I am responsible for sourcing technology, recruiting industry professionals to serve as mentors and experts, and managing 20 academic startups - seven of which so far have incorporated after program completion. I also build partnerships with academic, government, and non-profit organizations, while organizing more than 50 events to foster collaboration and learning within the life sciences community. Additionally, we lead fundraising efforts and host a Final Pitch Showcase at UCLA, with over 200 attendees, including venture capitalists, academic faculty, and students. ### Advisor for Berkeley-Taiwan Health Innovation Accelerator @ UC Berkeley School of Public Health Jan 2025 – Jan 2025 Partnership between UC Berkeley’s SkyDeck accelerator, Berkeley Public Health, and the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Development Council of Taiwan, that connects startup teams with health systems leaders, pharmaceutical executives, experts in regulatory and reimbursement strategies, and life science investors to accelerate innovations with global impact. As an advisor, I work closely with startup teams developing biotech, medtech, and healthcare solutions, providing mentorship on market validation and business development, regulatory pathways, fundraising, investor engagement, commercialization strategies, pitch refinement and go-to-market strategy. ### University Analyst Program, University Fellow @ Plug and Play Tech Center Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 As a university analyst, I reviewed over 250 pitch decks from a variety of startups and provided analysis to Plug and Play's investment team. The decks have a focus on health tech, but the topics range from commerce to smart tech. ### Bioinformatics Scientist @ AtlasXomics Inc. Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 AtlasXomics is a Yale spinout founded by Dr. Rong Fan (Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University), developing a next-generation spatial multi-omics discovery platform providing clinicians and researchers with high-resolution tissue atlases. Developed and maintained automated bioinformatics workflows, backend web APIs, and analysis packages for spatial transcriptome and ATAC datasets. Assisted in software and data integration to AWS, collaborated across interdisciplinary teams on quality control and downstream analysis, and developed customer-facing tutorials for spatial epigenome data analysis. Researched and implemented novel methods for transcriptome data mining in R and built automations to standardize and accelerate bulk bioinformatics workflows. Served as the primary point of contact for West Coast business development, supporting customers in data analysis and driving early commercial relationships. ### VP of Communications @ Nucleate Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 ### Director of Nucleate Insights @ Nucleate Jan 2020 – Jan 2023 ### Postgraduate Neurosurgery Research Fellow @ Yale University School of Medicine Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | New Haven, Connecticut, United States Yale Clinical Neuroscience Neuroanalytics Laboratory Working closely with Dr. Dennis Spencer, Dr. Brad Duckrow, and Dr. Mani Ratnesh Sandhu on clinical translational and computational work in epilepsy and functional neurosurgery. ### Student Community Director and Recruitment Coordinator @ Howard Hughes Medical Institute Jan 2019 – Jan 2023 | Berkeley, CA - Lead research team on biotech project for International BioDesign Competition. - Lead the development and curriculum for 2 UC Berkeley courses and strategies for recruitment and retention. - Organize and lead weekly Executive and Community meetings; coordinated early undergraduate recruitment. - Connect and collaborate with Professors, research labs, and other on campus organizations. - Coordinated a hierarchical mentoring program within the Bioinspired Design course and assembled an undergraduate volunteer mentor group to assist student teams with designs and Maker Space equipment ### Master Mentor @ Howard Hughes Medical Institute Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 | Berkeley, CA ### Product Design and Development Specialist @ Howard Hughes Medical Institute Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 - Designed and pitched new prototypes and mockups. - User interviews, research, and product feedback. ### Health And Wellness Director @ Middle Eastern-North African Recruitment & Retention Center (MENARRC) Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 | Berkeley, California, United States - Oversee Interns and research academic policies, resources, and retention rates at UC Berkeley. - Maintain relationships and partnerships with the Cal campus community. - Create programs to support the health and wellness of students, by creating Flu Shot clinics, nutrition workshops, COVID-19 resources, etc. - Research, compile and publicize resources and collaborate with other on-campus organizations. ### Creator and Instructor of BioDesign Decal @ DeCal Program Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 | Berkeley, CA - Teach a 2-unit UC Berkeley BioDesign class to undergraduate students for the past 3 academic years. - Developed, researched, planned, and wrote course materials, lectures, and labs, that teach students about the process, practice, and applications of biodesign while facilitating interest in innovation. - Organize and lead workshops such as Adobe Illustrator, Fusion 360, entrepreneurship, laser cutting, etc. - Developed and tested labs such as 3D printed hand prosthetics; coordinated with Professor Full. - Organized guest speakers to facilitate student interest. - Class Description: Bioinspired design views the process of how we learn from Nature as an innovation strategy translating principles of function, performance and aesthetics from biology to human technology. The creative design process is driven by interdisciplinary exchange among engineering, biology, medicine, art, architecture and business. We will learn about the biomimicry design process from original scientific breakthroughs to entrepreneurial start-ups using case studies that include gecko-inspired adhesives, robots that run, fly and swim, artificial muscles, computer animation, medical devices and prosthetics while highlighting health, the environment, and safety. ### NSF Innovation Corps (I-corps) Fellow @ National Science Foundation (NSF) Jan 2020 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco Bay Area • At UC Berkeley Haas Business School, I worked to translate my academic research into a biotech startup, Thermosilk. • Developed business model, evaluated potential markets, identified competitive landscape, and analyzed relevant projections and regulations. • Conducted customer interviews to collect market information. • Constructed pitch decks for potential investors, strategic partners, and advisors. ### Resident Assistant @ UC Berkeley Residential and Student Services Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | Berkeley, CA As an RA I help create the foundation of student experience in the Res Halls by advising, facilitating, and empowering students to holistically succeed within their campus environment. In doing so, I also play an active role in creating and regulating both inclusive and secure residential communities for over 100 first-year, transfer, and continuing students diverse in ethnicity, age, religion, gender, and sexuality. I work on facilitating community meetings and discussions based on campus climate, drafting and upholding community policies, educating and upholding residence hall policy in my interactions, providing one-on-one advising for each student, and being on call for crisis management and documentation of hall policy violations in the residence halls. In terms of community development, I have designed and implemented social and educational programs and events focused on identity exploration, community engagement, and holistic wellness directed towards both my residents and the larger on-campus community. Additionally, I mentored and engaged with residents through one-on-one conversations, community meetings, and innovative programs and acted as a mediator in conflict situations, responding to inappropriate student behavior and facilitated the development of a community of residents from a wide variety of cultures and unique origins. ### Academic Retention Fellow @ Middle Eastern-North African Recruitment & Retention Center (MENARRC) Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 | Berkeley, CA - Provide resources and educational services to the youth in Middle Eastern North African community and other organizations that fall under our umbrella. - Through different projects, MENARRC seeks to empower and inform underrepresented, pre-college students with the educational skills they lack or may need to apply to college or university. ### Undergraduate Student Researcher @ UC Irvine Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | Irvine, CA Department of Neurobiology & Behavior Neuronal Signal Integration Lab Project: Stress induced cognitive impairment Analyzed and quantified data using Lmeasure and ImageJ and created figures for publication; sliced, stained, and mounted mice brains; examined the slides I made under a confocal microscope, imaged neurons, neuron reconstruction, sholl analysis. Handled and stressed the mice in the vivarium. ### Marketing And Public Relations Coordinator @ UC Berkeley Residential Life Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Berkeley, CA - Created a weekly Newsletter for 17,000+ students using Mailchimp. - Designed marketing tools using Photoshop/Illustrator. - Managed the Official Social Media and marketing campaigns for UC Berkeley ResLife. - Marketed ResLife “Big Give” Fundraising Campaign, over $10mm - Organized and planned the Cal Day room tours and other Cal Day activities. - Assisted with the planning and implementation of Golden Bear Orientation for all new students. - Assess strategies in collaboration with the Assistant Director of Planning & Analysis. Implemented Roompact surveys. ### Teaching Assistant @ Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area • Training, mentoring and overseeing undergraduate students in upper-division Spring 2019 course “Contemporary Immigration in Global Perspective”. • Mentoring students to conduct field research related to the Mapping Spatial Inequality Project which they will present at a Symposium in May 2019 with local decision-makers and nonprofit organizations. • Providing organizational and administrative support to the Professor, GSI and BIMI team. ### Data Science Research Fellow @ Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI) Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area - Built an interactive web app which enables users to visualize the service mismatch across place, time, needs. - Manipulated descriptive statistical data and piloted field research to build out an organizational database for the project; transcribed and analyzed qualitative data. - Collected information on immigrant serving organizations and coded the location of health and legal clinics. - Organized a symposium with Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative in April 2019 to allow students to share research findings with local government and nonprofit organizations. - Developed training materials on how to conduct field research and trained other students. - Worked in the D-Lab (Data Science) Collaboratory and conducted fieldwork such as conducting and transcribing interviews with service providers; attended weekly meetings with Professor Bloemraad, project leaders, and the team. ### Biomechanics Lab Research Assistant - Integrative Biology @ University of California, Berkeley Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 ## Education ### Bachelor's degree in Integrative Biology B.S., Public Health B.A., Human Centered Design Minor University of California, Berkeley ### Doctor of Philosophy - PhD in Neuroscience University of Southern California ### Postgraduate in Neuroscience Yale School of Medicine ### Diploma Dana Hills High School ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tamarajafar --- Source: https://flows.cv/tamarajafar JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/tamarajafar/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13