Karen Ho, PhD, MSc is head of translational medicine at Clene, where she leads a comprehensive preclinical program to develop novel nanomedicines for the treatment of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. After completing her PhD in developmental biology at Stanford, she studied the genetics of sleep/wake behaviors as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. She then led scientific research programs at a startup biotech company focused on providing genetic testing for pediatric patients with neurological conditions.

As a result of her work, Dr. Ho was invited to serve on the Scientific Advisory Boards of several rare disease groups and was appointed adjunct faculty at the University of Utah School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics. She is the recipient of a number of national honors and awards and has published papers in fields spanning basic science, genetic testing, and clinical and preclinical pharmaceutical development.