Dr Kersten Small

Kersten is drug hunter, pharmaceutical scientist, and translational research leader with experience in multiple therapeutic areas at Merck Research Labs, Mitsubishi-Tanabe, and Cohen Veterans Biosciences. Kersten has a proven track record for pipeline building and enabling decision-making across all discovery and early development stage gates. Kersten is experienced in the identification and validation of new drug targets and in the building of drug discovery and development programs that span both preclinical and clinical settings.

Kersten joined Juvenescence in 2022. In her current role, Kersten is responsible for all aspects of discovering and developing a novel ketone therapeutic as part of Selah Therapeutics. In doing so, Kersten partners with industry leaders, contract research organizations, physicians and basic research scientists to develop strategies and data that will advance candidate ketone therapeutics to clinical development.

Prior to her career in biopharma, Kersten was Research Faculty at the University of Cincinnati where she studied the genetics and molecular pharmacology of adrenergic receptors and their association with cardiovascular disease. Kersten was also a Howard Hughes postdoctoral fellow at Emory University focusing on rare X-linked muscular dystrophy. She received a B.S. in Biology from Purdue University and a PhD in Mammalian Development from University of Cincinnati.

Kersten enjoys being active and spending time with friends and family. Kersten is also an engaged program advisor and STEM mentor at a non-profit organization called Life Science Cares.