As an early pioneer of microarray technology, Doug authored some of the first publications describing experimental and computational approaches for large scale transcriptional analyses. After completing his Ph.D. in George Church’s lab at Harvard, he joined the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research where his 14-year career spanned the entire drug discovery pipeline, including significant work in target ID/validation, high throughput screening, and preclinical safety.
In 2017, Doug founded Plex Research to develop a novel form of AI based on search engine algorithms. Plex’s unique platform has helped dozens of biotech and pharma companies accelerate their drug discovery pipelines by providing interpretable and actionable analyses of massive chemical biology and omics data sets.
Biology Consultant
Oren is a cell biologist and bioengineer. Prior to joining Plex as a biology consultant, Oren spent 3 years as Vice President of R&D for one of the largest privately held, multi-state medical cannabis companies in the U.S., leading discovery, advancement, and commercialization of proprietary cannabis-based therapies for regulated markets. Prior to that, he worked at the Wyss Institute at Harvard Medical School, leveraging Organ-on-Chip systems for human disease modeling and drug discovery. Earlier in his career, he served at a junior faculty position as an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Bioengineer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His biomedical engineering research was focused on development of engineered cell-based platforms and novel drug delivery systems towards discovery of cutting-edge therapies for the treatment of devastating diseases, including autoimmune, neuro-degenerative diseases and cancer.
Business Strategy Consultant
Brian Gilman is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience leading innovation at the intersection of life sciences, cloud computing, and AI. As a three-time founder with successful exits, Brian has built and scaled software platforms that accelerate drug discovery and scientific research, partnering with top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide.
Prior to founding his current venture, Brian held senior leadership roles at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Dotmatics, and PerkinElmer, where he led cross-functional teams, managed operating budgets up to $65 million, and executed complex digital transformation initiatives. His work has consistently delivered measurable impact—from cutting decision cycle times and increasing retention to scaling ARR and driving M&A outcomes.
Today, Brian guides the company’s strategic direction, product vision, and growth initiatives, drawing on a deep understanding of the scientific enterprise and a proven ability to turn complex technical challenges into commercial success. Brian is a named inventor on U.S. patents in scientific collaboration systems.