Nucleate Announces Transition of New Co-Presidents: Dante Acenas and Shruti Sridhar
Nucleate, the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dante Acenas and Shruti Sridhar as Co-Presidents. They will succeed Zach Cogan and Heer Joisher, both of whom have strengthened Nucleate’s mission and expanded its global impact during their tenure.
Dante Acenas has been instrumental in Nucleate’s regional success since joining in 2022 in co-founding the Seattle chapter (now Nucleate PNW) and his pivotal role in building an energized community across the Pacific Northwest biotech ecosystem. As the Executive Vice President of Operations, Dante spearheaded foundational organizational systems, support structures, and infrastructure for Nucleate HQ. Currently an Immunology PhD candidate at the University of Washington, Dante brings deep scientific expertise in regenerative medicine and longevity. As Co-President, Dante is committed to positioning Nucleate’s future strategic outlook, deepening programming, and galvanizing the organization’s passionate alumni base.
Shruti Sridhar joined Nucleate in 2024 and has made significant contributions to the organization’s educational mission as the Executive Vice President of PATH. Her innovative approach to curriculum development has expanded Nucleate’s programming portfolio, with multiple new initiatives launched that address critical gaps in life science training and career development. A PhD candidate at National University of Singapore, Shruti brings an international perspective and deep commitment to democratizing biotech education. In her role as Co-President, Shruti aims to strengthen Nucleate’s programming and ensure that emerging talent worldwide has equitable access to the knowledge and networks essential for building transformational biotech companies.
Reflecting on his tenure, Zach Cogan, who has been with Nucleate since 2020, said, “It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve as Co-President alongside Heer and to witness Nucleate’s remarkable growth. Together, we deepened our commitment to fostering an inclusive biotech ecosystem. Dante and Shruti are visionary leaders who exemplify our core values, and I am confident they will elevate Nucleate to even greater heights. I look forward to seeing the innovative initiatives they will bring to our global community.”
Looking ahead to Nucleate’s next phase, Heer Joisher said: “Serving as Co-President of Nucleate and helping build its global education and community initiatives has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my graduate journey. Working with Zach has been a true partnership, and together we expanded access and opportunity for thousands of trainees worldwide. I am deeply excited to see Dante and Shruti advance Nucleate’s mission and take it to new heights. Their commitment to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders ensures a bright future for our community.”
As Dante Acenas and Shruti Sridhar step into their roles as Co-Presidents, Nucleate is positioned for a transformative new era. Their combined vision, complementary expertise, and unwavering dedication to Nucleate’s mission will drive continued innovation and growth. The entire Nucleate community looks forward to the strategic initiatives and educational advancements that Dante and Shruti will catalyze, furthering Nucleate’s mission to empower the next generation of biotech leaders.
About Zach Cogan
Zach is a fifth year PhD candidate in UCSF’s Tetrad program, studying the molecular mechanisms of cellular stress and translational control in Peter Walter’s lab. He is also part of the UCSF collaboration with Altos Labs and is currently executing his thesis project at Altos. In his first year of graduate school, Zach co-founded Nucleate’s Bay Area chapter and served as one of its founding co-Managing Directors. In 2021, Zach joined Nucleate HQ’s executive team as its founding EVP of Partnerships. Prior to graduate school, Zach spent 3 years as a technician in Jonathan Weissman’s lab at UCSF (now MIT) building out epigenome editing technology. Zach completed his undergraduate degree in the College of Creative Studies at UC Santa Barbara. In his spare time, Zach enjoys skiing and being outdoors.
About Heer Joisher
Heer is a recent PhD graduate from Harvard Medical School where she studied molecular mechanisms underlying retinal development and age-related macular degeneration in Connie Cepko’s lab. Heer received her undergraduate education from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in India with a dual major in Biological Sciences and Electrical Engineering. Since early 2021, Heer has led the development of Nucleate’s Professional Advancement and Training Hub (Nucleate PATH), the organization’s centralized education platform. Under her leadership, PATH has grown to include over 15 programs spanning more than 10 career pathways, supporting life science trainees across Nucleate’s global community. Prior to her work at Nucleate, Heer served as President of the Harvard GSAS Business Club and helped build foundational programming at the intersection of business and biotechnology through the Harvard Biotech Club. Outside of her professional work, Heer enjoys painting and playing racquet sports.
About Dante Acenas
Dante is a 5th year Immunology PhD student at the University of Washington. He is currently advised by Dr Jarrod Dudakov at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center where he is studying the endogenous mechanisms of thymic epithelial regeneration after acute damage. The summer after his 1st year of graduate school, Dante was instrumental in bringing Nucleate programming to the Seattle region, and ultimately served as the region’s Managing Director for the chapter’s second year. Shortly before Seattle’s second Activator season concluded, Dante was recruited to Nucleate’s executive team as the Executive VP for Operations. Before starting graduate school in 2021, Dante spent 3 years as a research technician in Mark Anderson’s lab at UCSF. Dante received his B.A in MCB with an emphasis in Immunology and Pathogenesis from UC Berkeley. Outside of the lab and his volunteer work at Nucleate, Dante enjoys reading leadership and philosophy books, watching sports, playing video games, and is an avid foodie.
About Shruti Sridhar
Shruti Sridhar is a fourth year PhD student at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), National University of Singapore (NUS). Her research focuses on the spatial tumor microenvironment in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with an emphasis on immune regulation and spatial organization. Shruti received her undergraduate education from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in India with a BTech in Chemical Engineering and MS in Biological Sciences. Shruti helped expand Nucleate PATH through increasing global audience engagement and expanding the portfolio of programs offered to have a focus on career development and progression. Prior to her role at Nucleate Shruti Sridhar was the Director of the iGEM Indian League, aiming to bring access to synthetic biology education and programming to the Indian subcontinent.
About Nucleate
Nucleate is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders. With chapters spanning 38 geographic regions and participation from over 280 academic institutions, Nucleate sparks new intellectual communities and embeds emerging talent within a global biotech community. Through open-access educational programming, Nucleate helps democratize biotech innovation — removing barriers and helping founders concentrate on building transformational technologies.
