Benjamine Liu
CEO at Formation Bio
New York City Metropolitan Area
Overview
Work Experience
CEO and Co-founder at Formation Bio
2014 - Current
Ensuring we stay true to our mission to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.
Formation Bio is a drug development company that strives to provide treatments to patients faster by reimagining clinical trials.
Raised $528,000,000.00 from SV Angel, Andreessen Horowitz, Sanofi, FPV Ventures, Thrive Capital, Lachy Groom, Sequoia Capital and Emerson Collective.
Advisor MS/MBA Biotech Program
2021
https://www.hbs.edu/mba/academic-experience/joint-degree-programs/life-sciences-harvard-graduate-school-arts-sciences/Pages/program-advisors.aspx
Computational Biologist
2014 - 2016
•Worked with Sir Simon Lovestone's group •Using machine-learning and omics—genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics—to develop more sensitive and personalized diagnostic and prognostic tests for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. •Developed a novel “empirical feature selection” approach for biomarker discovery using Bayesian methods •Developed candidate blood tests and therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Sample Co-authored publications https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78031-9 https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad200208 https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad160420 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3459560 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00409/full https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13195-017-0258-6
Computational Biologist
2013 - 2014
•Used a highly-multiplexed, aptamer-based assay to conduct a proteomic screen of ~1000 proteins to look for blood-based biomarkers associated with Parkinson’s disease. Using machine-learning based approaches, developed an 8 protein biomarker panel that can serve as a diagnostic classifier for Parkinson’s disease with high accuracy. •Provisional Patent submitted U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/069,078, filed October 27, 2014 Sample Co-authored Publications https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002931 https://n.neurology.org/content/82/10_Supplement/P4.047
Undergraduate Researcher
2009 - 2012
Studied how the prefrontal cortex guides executive control and decision-making. Built a computational model that helps explain how top down circuits of the brain contribute to the neural patterns that give rise to behaviors and actions. Worked on projects that examined working memory deficits with aging; the role of orbital and insular regions in taste processing; and the brain regions responsible for inhibitory control, encoding values to choices, and reward expectation. Sample Co-authored publications https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21031033/ http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/files/publications/bekolay.2012.pdf https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2010.00124/full https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2015.00023/full https://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/11/3765.short
Computational Scientist
2008 - 2008
Helped design more efficient heat sinks and cooling mechanisms for Navy’s high-power conversion modules that decreased energy waste. We used a combination of computational and empirical approaches to test cooling efficiency of different designs. Programmed, built, and assembled electrode pumps for quiet submarine maneuvering.
Research Assistant
2007 - 2008
Researched tidal tail interactions between NGC 205 and M31 Galaxies using computational photometry. Ran Sivron, Benjamine Liu, Elliott Jin, Magnus Haw. “Revised Estimate of Black Hole Size Using Speed of Sound in High Temperature Plasmas Arguments” April 11, 2008 of MARAC (Mid-American Regional Astrophysics Conference)
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.)
2013 - 2016
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
2012 - 2013
Intensive BS
2008 - 2012