Robert is a scientist and entrepreneur with a background in Chemistry, Biology and Nanoscience. His Ph.D. focused on developing sensors to detect potential biothreat agents released in aerosols. During his graduate program he was selected as a Vanier Scholar and as one of the Johns Hopkins University’s Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity.

Robert co-founded FREDsense Technologies in 2014, a biotech startup focused on combining biology and engineering to create the next generation of sensors capable of monitoring the world around us. He now works full-time at FREDsense and is currently working in a business development and partnerships role within the company. When he isn’t working, you can find Robert in the mountains skiing or hiking, or at home trying to cook the spiciest dishes possible.

He became a mentor to give back to the community that first sparked his interest in research and product development. Robert says of being a mentor “I started being a mentor to geekStarter teams because of how much my experience with iGEM changed my life. Without the support that was provided to me during that program I wouldn’t have been equipped to pursue my Ph.D. program, to co-found a company, or to have had so many wonderful opportunities to meet like-minded people from all over the world”.