Yue Clare Lou, Ph.D. (CEO, Sift Biosciences): Dr. Lou is a microbiologist and bioinformatician with over a decade of research experience in microbiology. Her research centers on leveraging large-scale genomic sequencing and computational biology to uncover microbe–host interactions and develop novel therapeutics for immune-related diseases. Dr. Lou obtained her PhD in microbiology from UC Berkeley under the mentorship of Dr. Jill Banfield. In 2023, Dr. Lou was selected as one of the four Entrepreneurial Fellows at UC Berkeley and was subsequently awarded a $1M non-dilutive grant in 2024 to launch Sift Biosciences, a biotech company developing T-cell-targeted therapies informed by microbial immunity. Dr. Lou's contributions to life sciences have been recognized by Forbes, which named her to its 30 Under 30 list, and by the American Cancer Society, which selected her as a BrightEdge Fellow.

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