Scitaris is a strategy consulting firm for pharma and biotech leaders, scientists, and investors. We combine speed and exhaustive, science-driven analysis so clients know there’s nothing more to be sought, seen, or synthesized.
We’re committed to bringing together and developing the brightest scientific minds in a truth-seeking environment to empower bold, clear decisions in biopharma R&D.
Each day, we work toward our vision of becoming the world’s most trusted decision enabler for advancing medical breakthroughs.
In the world of biopharma R&D, an industry where clinical failure is often terminal, every strategic challenge is fundamentally underpinned by a technical understanding of probability of success. Be it determining the ‘best’ clinical development strategy of a single asset or anticipating the drugability of diseases in the future through developments in basic science today. Therefore, scientific & clinical understanding drives the viable business strategies most likely to bring value to patients, drug developers and society.
Graham has been enamoured with these complex problems throughout the entirety of his career leading to him constantly innovate tailored solutions for his clients unique situations and, more recently with the other founding partners of Scitaris, bring together a group of highly talented and experienced individuals who deliver unparalleled depth of insight leading to accurate and robust strategic conclusions.
During his time in biopharma R&D strategy Graham has led a wide range of projects both at a corporate and asset-level. Examples include the strategic prioritisation of drug modalities to maximise both mid- & long-term value, the development of a science-led BD&L / M&A search, introducing ‘gold-standard’ due-diligence and evaluation processes as well as the identification of high-value targets for various pre-C assets. Before this he gained his PhD in Newcastle, UK where he was the first to show that DnaA, the master initiator of DNA replication in prokaryotes, formed a helical structure in vivo that is likely the driver of its fundamental activity and the key regulated rate-limiting step in initiation.
Translating exciting science into viable business strategies and thereby enabling drug developers to bring new therapeutic options to patients around the globe has been the key driver of Sarah’s career. As a strategy consultant she has successfully led a broad variety of international projects ranging from early preclinical strategies to broad M&A screens.
She studied Pharmacy at the University of Heidelberg and Molecular Genetics in Zaragoza, Spain, gaining experience as both a hospital and community pharmacist before joining Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research. Sarah earned her PhD in Immuno-Oncology, developing innovative CAR-modified lymphocytes, and gained expertise in cell therapy regulation and manufacturing, which she now shares with clients globally.
Jonathan brings deep expertise in biopharma consulting, scientific strategy, and global drug development to his role as Managing Partner and co-founder of Scitaris. He has innovated a variety of structured processes across indication and target strategy that have helped biotech and pharma clients deliver impactful solutions at the root, enabling teams to advance therapies that improve patient outcomes.
He earned his M.Sc. and Ph.D. summa cum laude through a joint program spanning five universities, including Cambridge UK, where he focused on complex biological interactions. His research contributions include being the first to extend the Cheng-Prusoff equation — used globally to determine IC50 values — to multivalent interactions between biological surfaces such as viruses and cells.
At Scitaris, Daniela acts as a central point of contact for both internal and external inquiries, overseeing administrative operations, recruitment, internal HR processes, event planning, and accounting tasks.
With over 15 years of experience in the European hospitality industry, including various leadership positions and work in both international hotels and boutique restaurants, she thrives under pressure and values clear, people-focused communication.
She holds a B.A. in International Hospitality Management from CMH Paris and is fluent in English, German, and French. After running her own business, she now channels her passion for hospitality into creating a welcoming and well-organized environment for the Scitaris team.
Cathie’s scientific journey began at National Taiwan University, and took her to the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, where her PhD research was in the field of ribosome function and dynamics. She gained expertise in biochemistry, biophysics, and enzyme kinetics while constructing a full kinetic mechanism of alternative ribosome-rescue in bacteria. During her time as a basic research scientist, she became deeply interested in the process of transforming scientific research into real-life solutions that improve people’s health and quality of life.
Cathie has a strong analytical background, a track record of managing interdisciplinary projects, and is skilled in intercultural communication from many years of international experience and teamwork. At Scitaris, she leverages these strengths to build strong collaborative relationships with her clients and contribute to innovative and scientific decision-making in the pharmaceutical industry.
Josephine has always been intrigued by how science can be used to impact and improve the lives of people. This drove her to pursue her scientific career, where she first did her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology/Biochemistry, followed by a masters in research in cancer biology at Imperial College London. She then completed her PhD in Molecular Oncology at the University Medical Center Göttingen in Germany where she focused primarily on DNA damage and DNA replication in cancer. During her doctoral studies, she developed and optimized multiple techniques. Combined with her ability to meticulously pick up details and critically evaluate them, she discovered the novel role of the integrated stress response on DNA replication.
As a senior consultant at Scitaris, she is excited about using her scientific background, problem-solving and data analysis skills to develop entrepreneurial solutions for biopharma companies, thus being at the forefront of clinical impact. She advocates the value of building meaningful relationships with people and believes it is the key to successful collaborations. With nearly 15 years of international experience working with multi-national teams, Josephine has gained considerable interpersonal skills and is a strong team player, which she utilizes to effectively support her clients.
Wignand earned his B.Sc. in Applied Biology at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, where he explored RNAi mechanisms and developed a strong interest in translational research. He continued at Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg for his Master’s, focusing on synthetic biology and creating his first optogenetic tools. During his PhD, he optimized and expanded optogenetic toolkits for controlling oncogenic signaling proteins, earning the GBM Young Innovators Award.
His exposure to high-throughput techniques led him to data science, culminating in a machine learning Nanodegree. He then worked as a Data Scientist in a proteomics lab, advising on experimental design and applying statistical modeling to large datasets.
Now at Scitaris, he leverages his analytical and problem-solving skills to deliver tailored solutions to clients.
Sofya brings a strong foundation in molecular biology and translational research to her role as a Senior Consultant at Scitaris. She earned her undergraduate degree with honors in Biochemistry from Moscow State University, where she developed a deep interest in the molecular mechanisms that govern life. This curiosity led her to a formative internship in the lab of Nobel laureate Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, where she explored structural biology.
Sofya completed her Ph.D. at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, a globally recognized center for genetics and scientific exchange. Immersed in a vibrant research environment, she gained broad exposure to cutting-edge discoveries across the life sciences. Her doctoral work focused on using CRISPR-based genome editing screens to uncover cancer-specific dependencies in cell signaling pathways. In this quest to identify new druggable targets in oncology, she discovered a novel role for a poorly characterized human protein in leukemia.
Sofya now applies her scientific rigor and analytical mindset to support biotech innovation, helping clients navigate complex challenges in drug development and strategy.
Leonie holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh, UC Santa Cruz, and Imperial College London, and earned her PhD jointly from the Barts Cancer Institute and King’s College London, where she explored transcriptional dependencies and mechano-cytoskeletal signaling in metastatic melanoma.
Outside the lab, Leonie built scientific communities through initiatives like the London Cancer PhD student network and public engagement via Pint of Science. At Scitaris, she brings her scientific rigor and collaborative spirit to help shape strategy that drives meaningful impact for patients.
Janna holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry from Martin-Luther-University, Halle (Saale), and earned her PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin. Her research at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité Berlin combined transcriptomics and genetic models to investigate the role of transcription factors in kidney disease, deepening her expertise in kidney development and physiology.
With a strong foundation in molecular biology and a drive to advance translational science, Janna brings scientific rigor and cross-functional collaboration experience to her role at Scitaris to help shape strategy that drives innovation across the biopharmaceutical landscape and creates meaningful impact for patients.
Catarina is a curiosity-driven scientist, enthusiastic about data mining and science communication. At the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (Portugal), she graduated in Bioengineering, with a specialization in Molecular Biotechnology, as the top student of her class. She wrote her Master’s Thesis at the Center for Regenerative Medicine in Edinburgh (Scotland), focusing on stem cell and developmental biology — a field that she is passionate about.
For her PhD, Catarina was eager to apply her knowledge of fundamental biology to translational questions with a potential clinical impact. At the Knoblich Lab (Vienna BioCenter, Austria), she used human neural organoids to study a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. She allied method development, single-cell sequencing, and imaging assays to uncover new molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease. Out of the lab bench, she worked closely with clinicians and patients; developed strong writing, programming, and mentoring skills; built international and multidisciplinary collaborations; and engaged in science communication initiatives across the globe. For her PhD work, Catarina was distinguished with the Vienna BioCenter PhD Award and the Impact Award of the City of Vienna.
As part of the Scitaris team, Catarina aims to continue developing ingenious ways to tackle scientific challenges with the highest rigor, ultimately making a tangible impact on strategic biopharma decisions.
Thomas obtained his PhD from the University of Maastricht. His EU-funded PhD project focused on cardiac disease modeling, which he performed at the stem cell biotech company Ncardia. Thomas has extensive international experience, including stays at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia (USA). In addition, Thomas has worked at the European Commission, during which he acted as General Coordinator of the European Commission’s trainee committee. Thomas is a graduate of the leadership talent academy of the University of Tübingen and a member of the early career advisory committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)
Thomas possesses extensive knowledge on human induced pluripotent stem cells, cardiac diseases, immunology and tissue engineering. Thomas’ strong background in stem cell science is further supported by his status as a member of the early career advisory committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), as well as being an organizer of ISSCR-associated events.
During his industry-based PhD research, Thomas aimed to combine scientific expertise and a business perspective, which naturally drew him to consulting. As a consultant his goal is to analyze complex scientific concepts and communicate them in clear and impactful ways, a skill he has shown prior as featured speaker, conference session host and pitch competition winner.
Motivated by the challenge of decoding complex biological data, Harithaa moved from traditional wet lab science to computational biology expertise. Beginning with a BSc in Biotechnology in India and continuing with an MSc in Cardiovascular Science in Germany, she organically developed and advanced computational capabilities during her PhD at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. This self-directed transformation enabled her to become the lead in the computational aspects of several diverse research projects using cutting-edge -omics technologies in the lab.
With demonstrated expertise in creating interactive data visualization tools, utilizing high-performance computing for complex analyses, and communicating across disciplinary boundaries, Harithaa brings technical rigor and translational thinking to Scitaris. Her experience working with interdisciplinary teams of clinicians, biologists, and statisticians has honed her ability to distill complex scientific concepts into actionable insights. Guided by a belief in the importance of making scientific advancements accessible and impactful, she is committed to leveraging her skills to drive innovation and meaningful outcomes in the biopharmaceutical landscape.
