People

President and CEO

Kenneth Fasman, Ph.D.

Kenneth Fasman, formerly senior vice president for research at The Jackson Laboratory, joined IPI as president and CEO in 2022. After earning his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he founded a bioscience laboratory systems company, BME Systems Inc., and went on to design and implement the original database for the groundbreaking Human Genome Project.

Fasman later pivoted to bioinformatics, drug discovery and research strategy, spending more than three decades with top pharmaceutical companies and nonprofit genomics institutes. Under his guidance, IPI takes on a three-fold mission to build resources, power discovery and enhance education within the protein science and biological research communities.

Director of the Antibody Initiative

Joe Bertelsen

Joe Bertelsen’s foray into the reagent antibody world began with a chance meeting at a networking event. In that moment, Joe launched into a two-decade career leading teams in the development and implementation of commercial and R&D strategies. With stints in leadership at Abcam, Covance and Signet Laboratories, Joe has cultivated a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in the antibody business. To hear Joe talk about his work and IPI’s unique ability as a nonprofit to disrupt the antibody market, click here.

Director of Communications and Strategy

Trisha Gura, Ph.D.

Trisha Gura, Ph.D., brings to IPI more than 25 years of experience in journalism, communications and marketing. Trained as a molecular biologist and science journalist, she has the rare ability to communicate science and technology to a wide range of individuals. She also offers IPI strategic and fundraising expertise, having worked as director of marketing and communications at T1D Exchange and associate director of communications at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Director of People and Culture

Jill Mazanec

As director of human resources, Jill Mazanec feels fortunate to work with and get to know everyone at IPI. She’s excited to help IPI grow by identifying talented new employees and ensuring the organization continues to work smoothly, efficiently and happily. Originally from Connecticut, she joins IPI with more than 20 years of experience guiding HR and administration for national real estate firms and global wealth management companies. And, to top it off, she also brings an incredible sense of direction and a true passion for Excel pivot tables.

Director of the Antibody Platform

Rob Meijers, Ph.D.

Rob Meijers, Ph.D., brings to IPI an expertise in deep protein production, having established a user facility for protein preparation and characterization at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Hamburg Outstation, where he was a group leader. He also studied neuronal receptors, revealing how the axon guidance protein netrin interacts with its receptors. At IPI, Rob is well-positioned to identify and design protein targets, as well as engage the neurobiology community to test IPI protein science tools.