13 Life Science Trailblazers Under the Age of 40 Recognized Across California
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. & LOS ANGELES & SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#catalyst—Biocom, the world’s largest life science association, today announced the winners of its 11th annual Life Science Catalyst Awards. The awards recognize rising and accomplished leaders who are making significant contributions to the life science industry in California before reaching their 40th birthday.
“As we celebrate the 11th year of the Catalyst Awards, we are proud to recognize 13 leaders who represent the depth, diversity and ambition of California’s life science ecosystem,” said Tim Scott, president and CEO of Biocom. “This year’s honorees are turning bold ideas into meaningful progress, from personalized cancer vaccines and functional genomics to drug discovery, regenerative agriculture and biotechnology commercialization. They are advancing science, building companies, mentoring the next generation and creating partnerships that move innovation forward. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the impact they are already making across the state and beyond.”
Biocom selected the 13 winners from an outstanding pool of over 100 nominees across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical technology, venture funding, industrial biotechnology and service providers. A statewide panel of industry experts and past winners evaluated nominees based on their impact on their company, the community and the industry, as well as their leadership, innovation and accomplishments.
In alphabetical order, the 2026 Life Science Catalyst Award winners are:
- Ioana Aanei, Ph.D. – director, business development and alliance management, Scribe Therapeutics
- Sarah Allard, Ph.D. – executive director, University of California, San Diego Soil Health Center
- Aarash Bordbar, Ph.D. – co-founder, CEO, CSO and board member, Sinopia Biosciences
- Anastasia Budinskaya, M.S. – principal, NFX
- Kevin Caldwell, J.D. – co-founder, president and CEO, Ossium Health
- David de Vries, M.Phil. – co-founder and CEO, Tr1X
- Christopher Farina, M.S., RAC – CEO, Abcentra
- Evan Feinberg, Ph.D. – founder and CEO, Genesis Molecular AI
- Guosong Hong, Ph.D. – associate professor of materials science and engineering, Stanford University
- Abubakar Jalloh, Ph.D. – site head, BioLabs San Diego
- Xin Jin, Ph.D. – associate professor of neuroscience, Scripps Research and co-founder, PerturbAI
- Lada Nuzhna, M.S. – CEO, General Control
- Timothy Sears, Ph.D. – co-founder and CEO, Invoke Bio
Awardees will be celebrated at Biocom events in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego. They will also be featured on the Biocom website, in Biocom’s regional and LifeLines newsletters and on social media.
About Biocom
Biocom is the largest life science membership association, representing companies across California and major life science markets worldwide. Founded in 1995, Biocom works to drive innovation and industry competitiveness across the life science ecosystem. Our community includes biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies at every stage, as well as research institutions, investors, service providers and emerging technology innovators.
Biocom works on behalf of its members to build meaningful connections and deliver valuable insights through Conferences & Events, expand access to Funding & Partnering opportunities, provide Group Purchasing solutions that drive efficiency and savings, champion Policy & Advocacy that protects and advances innovation, and strengthen talent pipelines through Workforce Development.
Biocom maintains offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, with satellite offices in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Tokyo and a growing presence in Seattle, bridging regional ecosystems and global markets to strengthen growth. For more information on Biocom, please visit www.biocom.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn, and X.
Contacts
Biocom Media Contact:
Lauren Panetta
Digital Marketing Director
Biocom
(619) 822-2956
[email protected]
