Katharine Grabek, PhD is a co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Fauna Bio and an expert in the physiology of mammalian hibernation. Her graduate and postdoctoral studies focused on unraveling the genetic mechanisms underpinning the extraordinary trait. Her academic pursuits not only elucidated insights on the genetic drivers of hibernation, but also shed light on mechanistic and protective strategies used by vital organs to achieve rapid physiological extremes. Dr. Grabek's expertise spans across a spectrum of advanced molecular biology techniques, coupled with a deep proficiency in computational analysis of high-throughput sequence data. At Fauna Bio, Dr. Grabek merges over a decade of dedicated research in hibernation biology with her adeptness in extracting novel biological insights from complex datasets. Her leadership steers the organization's research and development efforts focused on early target discovery, validation, and development. She was recognized as a TedMed Hive Innovator for her groundbreaking work in 2020.