Sperm Function
Moderators: Dr. Mary Mahoney & Dr. Marlane Angle
"Optimizing sperm metabolism to improve function in ART"
Dr. Kathleen Seyb
'Paternal aging and spontaneous mutations in the embryo: potential causes and consequences'
Laureate Professor John Aitken
Dr. Kathleen Seyb
Dr. Seyb joined Ohana Biosciences as Vice President of Research to lead the Biology team in developing and testing new ideas and moving projects from research to development.
Previously, Dr. Seyb led the biology and translational science efforts at Ra Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company with a platform technology to identify novel, synthetic macrocyclic peptides that combine the specificity of antibodies with the pharmacological properties of small molecules. Dr. Seyb was the Biology Lead through discovery, pre-clinical, and early clinical development of zilucoplan, a macrocyclic peptide inhibitor of complement C5 for treatment of complement-mediated autoimmune disorders. At Ra, Dr. Seyb also served as Alliance Manager and Program Manager for a collaboration with Merck on a cardiovascular target.
Prior to Ra Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Seyb worked in a lab affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital focused on small molecule drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Seyb received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Kansas.
Laureate Professor John Aitken
John Aitken’s research career began with a PhD in reproductive biology from the University of Cambridge. Following post-doctoral positions in Edinburgh and Bordeaux and a year with WHO in Geneva, he returned to Edinburgh to join the MRC Reproductive Biology Unit and establish a research program with clinical outreach into male infertility. In 1998 he moved to the University of Newcastle, NSW, as Chair of Biological Sciences and, later, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development. He is currently the Distinguished Laureate Professor of Biological Sciences.