Who we are...

Board Members

The 2023 board at our Nov 2023 event.

The TBT board members are professionals in the RTP area who volunteer their time to plan TBT events and grow the organization.

We work in a variety of industries and bring diverse strengths and perspectives to TBT.

On this page, you can read more about each of us.

Don't hesitate to come up and say hi at an event!

President - Oswaldo (Ozzy) Lozoya, PhD MS
Dr. Lozoya is a seasoned biomedical engineer and subject matter expert on integrative multi-omics analytics, single-cell sequencing R&D, biomarker discovery, and high-dimensional data mining. His scientific publications span the fields of metabolism, mitochondrial biology, biophysical stimuli, epigenetics, and regenerative stem cell physiology, with emphasis on the effects of environmental exposures and infectious pathogens. In his previous work while at NIH, he developed a SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 mass-scale surveillance technology, currently one of 11 NIH patents licensed by the U.S. Government to the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) for global access and pandemic preparedness. He currently works as a Scientific Computing Principal Investigator at RTI International, working to accelerate extraction of biological insight from “Big Data” by deploying new analytical paradigms to the benefit of public health. Dr. Lozoya received BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a PhD from the Joint Biomedical Engineering Program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. He joined the board in 2023.

Outside of work, Ozzy enjoys fishing local ponds, baking bread, grilling, and watching fútbol (favorite sport) and other shows on TV with his family (The Muppets have a special regular rotation). He's a native Mexican, and an adopted North Carolinian since 2006.

Director of Finance - Anne Ballou, PhD
Dr. Anne Ballou works to support sustainable and safe food animal production by improving gastrointestinal health and function in swine and poultry. She received her B.S. and M.S. in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky, and her PhD in Functional Genomics from North Carolina State University, where she studied the relationships between gastrointestinal bacteria and host immune function. Anne overlays nutrition, genetics, and immunology in her research to understand and promote microbiomes that contribute to host health and function. In addition to her research efforts, Dr. Ballou works to be a part of the cross-disciplinary cooperation that goes into developing and implementing effective outreach, and science and agriculture policy.

Learn more about Dr. Ballou in her Board Member Highlight!

Director of Activities - Deena Horowitz
With over a decade of experience in the clinical research world, Deena is a client success champion who leverages industry best practices and expertise to ensure clinical study teams get the support they need to more efficiently run their trials. She enjoys networking with other industry professionals and learning about different aspects of life sciences both within and outside of clinical research. Deena has called Durham home since 2016, and is a dedicated mom and Peloton enthusiast. Deena joined the board in 2023.

Vice President & Director of Corporate Partnerships - Rabina Mainali, PhD
Dr. Rabina Mainali, a first-generation college graduate, earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Physiology from Wake Forest University after completing her B.S. in Biochemistry from Salem College. As a STrIDE Postdoctoral Fellow at NIEHS, she investigates cellular metabolism, specifically focusing on deamidated NAD synthesis in the liver. Driven by a desire to contribute to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, she aims to apply her expertise for greater societal impact. Dr. Mainali joined the board in 2024

Beyond her academic pursuits, she finds joy in cooking, paddling, and sunset walks.

Director of Marketing - Jake Rodriguez
Graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, Jake possesses experience in BioTech Manufacturing, QC, Stability, Data Processing, and Technology Science. He is motivated by his passion for revolutionizing BioTech Manufacturing through innovative technology.

Beyond his scientific pursuits, Jake leverages his passion for digital tech to guide brands and organizations through the digital world. With a knack for crafting tailored marketing strategies and implementing cutting-edge automation, he is committed to advancing both scientific innovation and digital presence optimization.

Jake also enjoys leadership and public speaking engagements. Outside of work, he likes to paint murals.

Director of Strategic Relations - Ali Ghiassi
With degrees from UNC-Greensboro in International Business, Economics, and Spanish, and over a decade of experience in the Life Sciences industry, Ali has had the opportunity to support a wide range of innovative Pharma, Biotech, Medical Device and Services organizations (CRO, CDMO) across the globe.

He prioritizes creating strategic partnerships while implementing effective and efficient programs for talent acquisition, talent management, employee engagement and employer branding. Leveraging his international experience across LATAM and Europe, and his language skills, Ali currently leads recruitment for Labcorp’s Global Commercial Organization. Ali has been involved in TBT since its inception in 2012.

Outside of work, Ali enjoys travel - he is a fan of seeing as much of our amazing planet as possible, cooking, camping, hiking, skiing, painting and lending time to a few great non-profit organizations.

Director of Compliance - Austin Bell-Hensley, Ph.D
Austin Bell-Hensley, PhD, is a wet lab scientist turned bioinformatician with expertise spanning developmental biology, tissue engineering, and epigenetics. With a strong foundation in biomedical engineering and molecular biology, Austin brings a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving at the bench and actively fosters collaborations across scientific domains.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Austin has served as a consultant to more than a dozen biotech and medical device startups and non-profits in his local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Driven to bridge the gap between science and business, he founded a student consulting organization during his PhD, connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with local founders to tackle real-world challenges.

Having recently relocated from St. Louis, MO, to the Triangle, NC, Austin is excited to support Triangle Biotech Tuesday’s mission of growing and strengthening the regional biotech community. In his free time, he enjoys exploring national parks, participating in recreational sports leagues, and experimenting with plant-forward recipes. Austin earned his B.S. and M.Eng. in Biomedical Engineering from Clemson University and his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. He joined the Triangle Biotech Tuesday board in 2025.

Secretary and Director of Board Governance - Shauna Martin, Ed.D
Dr. Shauna Martin works in organizational development in the CRO space. She has worked for three industry-leading, global CROs supporting clinical operations staff in career development and job performance. Currently, Dr. Martin is a Senior Learning & Performance Specialist at Rho, Inc located in Durham, NC. She is also the Founder and Chief Learning Consultant for her life sciences consulting firm, Synergy Learning Solutions.

She received her Ed.D in Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Gardner-Webb University. She also received her M.A. in English from East Carolina University and her BA in English from the University of Virginia. Outside of work, Dr. Martin enjoys traveling and spending time with her two daughters.

Director of Event Operations - Parth Desai
Dr. Parth H Desai, a first-generation college graduate, earned his Ph.D. in Synthetic biology from University of North Carolina at Greensboro after completing his MS in Nanoscience from UNC Greensboro. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NCA&T), he is developing high throughput techniques to study the biotic and abiotic surface interactions in collaborations with Oak ridge national lab, stony brooks university, and university of Tennessee. Driven by a desire to promote STEM education in society, he has co-founded Advise 360, that focuses on providing science based education and his exceptional mentorship to others through this service platform.

Beyond his academic pursuits, he finds joy in mentoring and helping others, reading books, spending time with family and networking with like-minded individuals.

Director of Corporate Social Responsibility - Branden Caffoe
With a strong background in specialty logistics, Branden has spent the past five years working in the biopharma space. Currently serving as a Business Development Manager in cold-chain logistics, he thrives on problem-solving and strategic thinking to tackle challenges and create impactful solutions.

Branden joined Triangle Biotech Tuesday in 2025 and is excited about contributing to the local life science community and building something meaningful. In his free time, he enjoys reading, staying active, and exploring the outdoors.

Director of Community Outreach - Deepthi Rajagopalan
Deepthi brings over 12 years of transformative experience in healthcare, specializing in clinical diagnostics and innovative oncology solutions. As a dynamic leader in the field, she excels in bringing cutting-edge products from development to implementation, working closely with healthcare providers across multiple sectors.

Her expertise spans product commercialization, regulatory compliance, and strategic market growth, backed by a proven track record of successful product launches and relationship building in the global healthcare sector.

Based in the Research Triangle Park area, Deepthi maintains an active interest in the region's culinary scene and outdoor spaces, balancing her professional pursuits with a passion for exploring local communities. Deepthi loves meeting new people and connecting with old friends, and is always eager to build meaningful relationships in both professional and social settings."

Deepthi is excited to be back on the TBT board in 2025!

We are looking for motivated and proactive individuals in the RTP area to join our board and help us out with day-of event volunteering. If you are interested, please contact us or reach out to a board member to chat during one of our in-person events.