Dr. Kawas serves as the Managing General Partner of Propel Bio Partners and brings deep expertise to the Inherent Board of DIrectors. She has helped to assess life sciences opportunities by drawing on her experiences in drug discovery, operation, clinical trial methodologies, regulatory strategies, commercialization, and financing. These skills were instrumental to her success as the former CEO of Athira Pharma as well as her ability to raise about $400 million and lead the company through an IPO.

Dr. Kawas has won many awards and recognitions for her leadership and accomplishments and serves on multiple boards, including the Life Science Washington Board, the Scientific Review Board for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association‘s Washington Chapter Board, and the Board of Directors for Persephone Bioscience. She also served as the co-chair of the International Alzheimer’s Association Business Consortium and was on the Washington Governor’s Life Science Advisory Board. She is also part of the Springboard Network and is a passionate supporter of scientist entrepreneurs, in particular women.  Dr. Kawas also serves as an Advisor to the student-led biotech nonprofit Nucleate and is a member of Chief, the private network of women in executive leadership that aims to support women executives and help influence gender parity in business.

Dr. Kawas joined the Inherent BOD because of her confidence in the Inherent team, her personal belief in the mission, and because of the potentially disruptive impact the Inherent technology could make in the fertility space.  She has known several people in her personal and professional network impacted by unexplained infertility and wants to be part of a company that can change this reality for them and others in their same position.