The Team

Amanda has been an integral part of our close-knit team for more than 14 years. Her years of industry and academic experience have helped her gain a comprehensive understanding of important concepts and techniques relevant to our research. Her educational experience from her undergraduate and master’s programs includes an emphasis on neurobiology, oncology, and stem cell techniques. She is the author of several patents. As a Principal Scientist, Amanda is responsible for initiating, directing, and executing research and development, directly managing our bench team of researchers. She serves as a key strategic resource for our translational development path, ensuring projects hit key milestones, capturing and managing the data that will drive Mercaptor’s lead advancement. She is responsible for designing and coordinating animal studies, establishing partnering plans with leading research groups and CROs to transition our captons® from the bench to appropriate disease models, and further progressing our compounds into pre-clinical safety and efficacy studies necessary to file IND applications.

Annie is the consummate caregiver of the team. She handles finance, benefits, accounting and the wide array of day-to-day operations that make this place run seamlessly. Annie is detail-oriented yet doesn’t sweat the small stuff. She supports the entire Mercaptor team, facilitating our research and helping to build a strong infrastructure and foundation for us to thrive and operate optimally. With nearly 40 years of experience in finance and administration, Annie is extremely experienced with auditing, resource management, budgeting, tracking financial resources, human capital management, financial software implementation, cash management, oversight of stock option plans. She has assisted in due diligence in preparation for Initial Public Offering (IPO), and has served on many cross-functional project teams. She also has extensive experience in overseeing facilities and purchasing to ensure the team has the equipment and reagents needed for experiments and general operations. Within the dynamic environment produced by a startup, she has been a vital and versatile team player within various departments and she also assists the team in achieving successful outcomes by fostering a nurturing learning environment through cross-training initiatives.

Carole is a widely published writer and editor who has played a vital role in crafting Mercaptor’s voice, developing innovative marketing campaigns and creating our media outreach agenda. She is Editor of an award-winning regional magazine and has been a syndicated columnist for several prominent Bay Area publications. She has also held key positions in social media marketing and advertising copywriting for a wide range of industries from high-end event production to corporate finance. Her eclectic range of experience makes her the perfect ambassador to communicate Mercaptor’s mission in an “unbiased, unscripted and unexpected” way.

As head of health and safety, Chris keeps us trained and fully compliant, keeps the lab running, and the laboratory equipment maintained. His resourcefulness and versatile skillset support Mercaptor’s mission and lay a solid foundation so that the research team can thrive.

Esme develops, performs, and analyzes experiments that analyze ROS levels, the activity of proteins, and cellular oxidation. Her work ethic is rivaled only by her extreme efficiency and commitment to helping team-members succeed. Her love for science began when she was first introduced to scientific research as an undergraduate and work-study lab technician at the Dominican University of California. She published her research findings and presented data at several conferences during her undergraduate and graduate career. She has applied her scientific research skills at a community-based level as she earned her Master of Public Health, positively impacting the communities in which she worked. Currently, as a Research Associate II at Mercaptor Discoveries, her focus is on how Captons® help to protect neuronal cells from excitotoxicity and oxidative stress. Esme has completed internships in the Occupational Health Internship Program and the California Department of Public health. She was also adjunct faculty at Dominican University and taught microbiology and human physiology labs.  

While at Mercaptor she has been team captain for all fundraisers we have participated in: Walk to Defeat ALS (2 years) and Parkinson’s Moving Day. She is a certified Domestic Violence Advocate, receiving her 40-hour training with the Center for Domestic Peace, an organization to which Mercaptor donated 25 journals to women living in domestic violence shelter or transition homes.  

Renée has been a member of the Mercaptor Discoveries research team for two years and worked with the same group of core researchers at Raptor Pharmaceuticals for nearly three years before that. At Mercaptor and Raptor, she focuses on implementing small molecule thiol chemistry to treat diseases. While researching at SSU for Dr. Jon Fukuto, her research focused on the redox chemistry of two specific thiol enzymes and their enhanced activity after persulfide formation using hydrogen sulfide. Her experience has informed her proficient understanding of excitotoxicity, especially in the areas of calcium influx and oxidative stress. For these reasons, she is a vital contributor to Mercaptor in its commitment to developing novel small molecule treatments for brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s Disease. While at Mercaptor, Renee’s main focus has been on optimizing and utilizing a Calcium influx cellular assay.

Sara Isbell has an extensive background in neuroscience, with specific training and expertise in neurodegenerative diseases and conditions, including a recently published paper in drug design and development in Dove Medical Press. Over the course of her 22-year career as she developed novel experiments and consistently contributed to cutting-edge research. This experience was integral to her role as Senior Research Scientist/Co-founder of Research, Raptor Pharmaceuticals Inc., where she was at the helm of the research team, developing and bringing to the market Raptor’s $100 million per year product, Procysbi®, for the ultra-orphan kidney disease, nephropathic cystinosis. In the course of developing Procysbi® for Raptor, Sara and her research team studied a rare class of therapeutic molecules, which, in turn, led to the discovery of neuroprotectant molecules called Captons®. This discovery led to the establishment of Mercaptor Discoveries in 2016. As Chief Executive Officer, President, Co-Founder & Director of Mercaptor Discoveries, Inc., Sara leveraged her training and experience to develop Captons, including a recent study positive preclinical Proof of Concept (POC) in the Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) run by the National Institutes of Health – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-NINDS). Sara holds a B.S. in Neurochemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology from University of Irvine, Calif.

Sheana joined our team as an administrator, but her enthusiasm and competence garnered her a promotion to a key position at the bench. She analyzes mitochondrial health, cellular respiration, and cell toxicity assays and keeps the lab running smoothly and efficiently.  

Working in the lab for the past four years, she has proven herself to be an unbiased scientist who is thorough, detail-oriented and works with integrity.  She excels working as part of a team as well as working independently. She finds working at the bench and being able to reproduce data to be the most fulfilling aspect of working in the lab. Coming together and giving back to the community also brings her a sense of gratification, so she enjoys raising money for causes such as the Walk to End ALS, Moving Day for Parkinson’s Disease and Augie’s Quest. Sheana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services from the Dominican University of California.

Dr. Zankel co-founded and seed-funded Mercaptor Discoveries in 2016.  He is also the company’s chief science officer (CSO). Dr. Zankel began his career in drug-development as the fourth employee of BioMarin Pharmaceutical, in 1997, completing his tenure there as Senior Director of Research in 2005.  He then co-founded Raptor Pharmaceuticals, in 2006, acting as CSO and head of discovery research until 2016, when Raptor was acquired. A direct descendant of the discovery group at Raptor, Mercaptor is focused on proprietary molecules conceived and developed to treat neuronal injury and degeneration.  As an academic, Dr. Zankel was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at both the Plant Gene Expression Center in Berkeley, California and the Chemistry Department of the ETH, Zürich, Switzerland. The author of a number of scientific publications and patents, Todd earned a B.A. in Chemistry from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University, New York.

Prior to joining Mercaptor Discoveries, Victoria served in Global Medical Affairs, Clinical Development and Research and Discovery with Raptor Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Horizon Pharma). Victoria holds a BS in Biochemistry from the University of the Pacific, an MS in Management with a concentration in Project Management and has an MBA.

Australian Shepherd

Boo was born on Christmas 2009, was rescued from a ranch on Halloween 2010 and thinks he’s a cat. Boo loves people and lives to be petted. He’s an Australian Shepard that would wag his tail but only can shake his tail-less butt. Boo will take the stuffing and squeakers out of dog toys but gently chews his stuffed squirrel-friends keeping them 100% intact.

Brings to the Table:
Boo brings an always happy attitude!

Aussie/Samoyed Mix

Cassie is the alpha-dog at Mercaptor, a position secured by an IQ at least 10 points higher than the company average. She is a generous leader, only asserting herself when respect or decorum are unforgivably lacking. She is always vigilant, missing nothing, connecting dots, working angles, calculating odds, doing the math. A formidable example for human and dog alike.

Rat Terrier

Dolce is quick, smart and seems to have springs for legs. He loves being chased by Emma or his work friends but also jumping up in the laps of his human friends. He is an expert beggar and has his sad dog face mastered. He has his morning routine of going office to office where he knows he can snag a treat and pet.

Plott Hound Mix

Ellie knows what is important and what is not. Chasing wildlife for miles while shrieking like a Banshee is important. People are not. Thankfully, her prejudices have begun to temper a bit. She will always prefer her normal friends, Cassie especially, Rosie, Chego, and Riley too, but she has started to make some accommodation for Mercaptor’s humans.

Brings to the Table:
Primal canine behavior, a deafening howl.

Yorkshire Terrier

Kahula is Mercaptor’s resident Momma’s girl (unless Dad is nearby). She is a ball of energy that loves to play with her tennis ball, squeaky toys, and anything she can eat. She is competitive, and frequently jealous when mom gives any attention to any other dog… Jealousy aside, you can typically find her napping on someone’s lap, dancing or doing tricks to earn treats, or waiting for mom to return from a meeting, the restroom, lunch, etc. She may be a bit asocial, but we all know she loves the pack here at Mercaptor.

Brings to the Table:
Kahlua brings lots of joy and laughter to the team with her quirky personality mixed with her sweet and sassy demeanor. She lives up to the saying, “small dog, big personality.”

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Lucy is a big teddy bear who’s heart is as big as her stomach (that says something). She is stubborn, but loyal and loves her humans dearly.

Chihuahua Miniature Pincher Mix

Chego is a little prince, you will sometimes catch him being carried in and out of work wrapped in his blanket by mom. He is a sweet and playful boy with the occasional outburst of zoomies. Chego is an independent little man who likes to wander and explore but when he is over that he will search for any lap to sleep in by pawing at you to pick him up into your lap. He is afraid of loud noises and crowded places so if you see him in someone’s arms it’s because he wants to feel protected. He is Esme’s ray of sunshine at all times of the day.

Brings to the Table:
Always on alert, you can always count on Chego to notify you when someone has entered the building. He keeps Mercaptor Discoveries headquarters safe from “evil” birds bouncing and flying around the parking lot. You may catch him looking out the windows warning strangers to stay away. But don’t get him the wrong way he is truly a sweet and kind boy, he won’t ever hurt anyone he just loves to show off his “loud” roar.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Milo, though not the smartest of the bunch, sure is one of the sweetest. He is always by his Mommy’s side, excited and ready to go on whatever adventure awaits him. He is timid and clumsy, but once he knows and loves you, he trusts you with his whole heart and has plenty of slobbery kisses to prove it!

Brings to the Table:
You can always count on Milo to make you chuckle with his awkwardness. He is a complete goof-ball, though we always say that is part of his charm. His innocence and devotion are refreshing and sweet and a reminder to us all to find joy in the simple things in life. 

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Nani is one of the original ‘aptor dogs. She’s incredibly affectionate and sweet, but don’t let that fool you- she’s as naughty as they come in the sneakiest of ways. She loves her human companions (much more than her fur-buddies), especially if you have treats to share. Take her outdoors and she has the energy of a little pup, but at home, she’s our little sloth. She gives the best kisses and snuggles and is more than willing to share the love!

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Oliver is a sweet boy, known for his expert cuddles. He is never far away, ready to take advantage of any available snuggles and treats! 

Staffordshire Terrier Mix

Riley is nothing short of a tom girl.  She has a quirky personality with big ears to match.  Riley will greet you with a huge smile on her face, whipping her tale from side to side (watch out!). She is a bit stubborn at times but has so much love for everyone, we cannot help but love her back. Riley has each and everyone of us wrapped around her paws.

Brings to the Table:
Riley’s spunky personality brings pure amusement to us all and brightens our day with her enthusiasm.  She is ready to smother anyone, humans or dogs, with kisses. Riley is genuinely a special girl and has molded into our Mercaptor family perfectly.

English Bulldog

True to her breed Rosie is a stubborn girl, but she has a heart of gold. She wiggles her butt with great enthusiasm when she greets her human friends, however, she can take or leave most dogs. When the other dogs are playing rough and getting rowdy Rosie steps in as regulator. Mostly, though she is content to wait patiently by the treat table for passers-by in hopes they won’t be able to resist her squishy face and sad eyes. 

Brings to the Table:
Rosie brings a personality as sweet as sugar to the Mercaptor family. She loves every single person here to death (although there’s no denying that Todd is her absolute favorite). She also brings copious amounts of slobber to the family! No one gets out without Rosie drool on their legs! 

Rat Terrier Mix

Vana was rescued at the age of two from the Marin Humane Society around Christmas 2008, so her nickname is Vana White Christmas or Vana Claus. She’s a rat terrier mix, has the legs of a whippet and weighs in at 12 pounds. She loves being a lap dog but scares easily. Vana barks at the birds and stray cats on our property and enjoys laying in the sun.

Brings to the Table:
Vana creates calm when she sits in your lap and curls up for petting.

Paul directs the technical operations at Mercaptor and is our web developer. Paul learned how to design and code designing video games for George Lucas, learned web development building websites for e-commerce businesses, learned marketing building the California Closets brand, and mastered photography and video production developing content for patients of pharmaceutical companies who specialize in rare diseases. Along the way, he moonlighted as an IT professional and played drums in a local rock band, and somehow managed to raise six kids. As the son of a mother who died from complications with Alzheimer’s and a father who died from complications from Parkinson’s, he somehow miraculously managed to find a position at Mercaptor, whose scientific meanderings have led them down the path of a potential treatment for these diseases.

Shawn has worked in technology since obtaining his Master’s Degree from The University of Southern California. His intimate knowledge of the production cycle and the development atmosphere gives Shawn a unique perspective of the industry and provides the technical insight to exploit new opportunities. His work spans myriad forms of media such as web, mobile, television, film, and 3D Graphics and has been broadcast around the world. Shawn has developed games for Sony, PS4, Xbox One, the Nintendo Wii, as well as IOS and Android. He is skilled in many software packages such as Maya, Photoshop, etc. Nelson is a published author including books, numerous university courses in various technologies, and several articles on digital media production. He has been a media instructor for the last ten years at the university level, teaching at schools such as the Academy of Art University and the Art Institute of San Francisco. His credits include titles from EA, Lucasarts, 2K, Primavision, Linden Labs, Nexon Xcella.