Dr. Shandler brings nearly a decade of various commercial and scientific operating experiences to Longevity. Prior to founding Longevity, Dr. Shandler was a venture capitalist at BioAdvance, an early stage fund based in Philadelphia, where he was responsible for therapeutics, diagnostic and biomarker opportunities. Prior to BioAdvance, Dr. Shandler was a portfolio analyst for Merck Research Labs (MRK) where he developed a forecasting model and framework to guide preclinical project prioritization efforts across several therapeutic areas. Prior to Merck, Dr. Shandler was a product manager for PolyMedix (PYMX.OB), an early stage biotech company developing antimicrobial and cardiovascular therapeutics. While at PolyMedix, Dr. Shandler assisted with their successful Series A fundraising activities. Dr. Shandler also served as a consultant and subject matter expert in Accenture’s (ACN) Pharmaceutical and Medical Products group, advising leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on technology and strategy matters. Earlier in his career, he worked for Inventa, a Silicon Valley startup helping craft business solutions for Fortune 500 and startup companies alike. Dr. Shandler received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from The Wharton School in the Healthcare department, a Certificate of Bioinformatics from Stanford University along with a B.A. in Computer Science from Brandeis University. Dr. Shandler has published in various leading peer reviewed journals, is an inventor on multiple patents and has served as Principal Investigator on various federal and private grants.