Dr. Janice Kranz is CEO of Eikonizo, a drug discovery startup in Cambridge, MA making novel brain-penetrating small molecules for neurodegenerative diseases. Even as she leads a small company, she has mentored BioBuilder Apprentices and continues to teach and learn through her work with others.
In our conversation on February 4th, 2021, we talked about Eikonizo’s work designing new chemicals that can enter the brain to image its neurons.
Janice, who grew up in Illinois, talked about how she’s always liked research and pursued that interest at University of Illinois as an undergrad and then at Harvard as a PhD candidate. But rather than pursue a career in academia, she got bit by the startup bug, describing the experience as an exciting and inspiring rollercoaster ride.
Our conversation touched on what made her BioBuilder Interns a good fit for her company, and her goals as a mentor.