Deep Genomics expands leadership team to accelerate AI-driven genomic research​

USA – Deep Genomics, a leader in AI-driven genomic research, has bolstered its leadership team with the appointments of Dr. Monika Kowalczyk as Vice President of Platform Technology and Dr. Shawdee Eshghi as Vice President of Platform Biology.

These strategic hires are set to enhance the company’s capabilities in integrating advanced genomics with artificial intelligence to accelerate therapeutic discovery. Dr. Kowalczyk brings a wealth of experience in clinical medicine and genomics research.

Previously, she served as Head of Systems Biology at Decibel Therapeutics, where she played a pivotal role in developing DB-OTO, an investigational gene therapy that significantly improved hearing in children with a rare genetic condition.

At Deep Genomics, she will oversee the advancement of next-generation sequencing, molecular biology, and cellular technology capabilities, ensuring seamless integration with the company’s AI foundation models. ​

Dr. Eshghi joins from Ginkgo Bioworks, where she led the genetic medicine team, collaborating with biotech and pharmaceutical partners on high-throughput screening projects in areas such as cell therapy, gene editing, and RNA therapeutics.

In her new role, she will lead data generation and therapeutic discovery activities, enhancing Deep Genomics’ platform with proprietary data to accelerate drug development. ​

“Monika and Shawdee are two brilliant minds with a wealth of knowledge in genomics and drug development that will undoubtedly propel Deep Genomics to new heights in TechBio,” said Dr. Brendan Frey, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Deep Genomics. ​

These strategic hires come as Deep Genomics continues to make strides with its AI foundation model, BigRNA.

This transformer-based deep learning system is designed to predict tissue-specific RNA expression and identify binding sites of proteins and microRNAs, facilitating the discovery of new RNA therapeutic candidates. ​

BigRNA has demonstrated the ability to design steric blocking oligonucleotides (SBOs) that act in a tissue-specific manner, including for genes involved in conditions like Wilson disease and spinal muscular atrophy.

The model’s capacity to grasp regulatory mechanisms enables the creation of SBOs that boost the expression of disease genes, offering promising avenues for therapeutic development.