Nicholas T.. Hertz, PhD

Nicholas T. Hertz, Ph.D., is the Founder and CEO of Montara Therapeutics, a seed-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for brain diseases by leveraging its proprietary BrainOnly™ platform. This CNS-targeting technology, developed in the Shokat Lab at UCSF, enhances drug safety and efficacy and enables modulation of previously undruggable targets. Dr. Hertz earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from UCLA (magna cum laude) and completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology at UCSF, where he discovered the first class of PINK1-activating molecules and co-founded Mitokinin Inc. After postdoctoral work in neuroscience at Stanford, he served as CSO at Mitokinin, leading both scientific and capital strategy efforts. Under his leadership, the company advanced novel PINK1 activators toward clinical development and was acquired by AbbVie in 2023 in a deal valued at up to $655 million. At Montara, Dr. Hertz continues to prioritize rigorous, mechanism-driven science alongside a disciplined and capital-efficient approach to company building. His work has resulted in over 20 publications in journals such as Cell, Neuron, and Nature, and more than 20 issued or pending patents or patent applications. A father of three and avid surfer, Dr. Hertz finds perspective and creativity in both nature and science.