Alex Speiser is Co-Founder and CEO of 2A Biosciences. Since the company’s launch in 2022, he has overseen its corporate and clinical development efforts, helping shape a platform that bridges translational science with bold execution. Prior to 2A Biosciences, he held executive roles at multiple startups and achieved several successful exits as both an operator and angel investor. In addition to his work at 2A, Alex advises companies across biotech and frontier technology sectors. He holds a B.A. with Honors from Wesleyan University, where he studied political economy and environmental policy.

Tim Foster, PhD, is Co-Founder and Head of Translational Discovery Research at 2A Biosciences, specializing in targeting 5-HT2A receptors for treating ocular and age-associated inflammatory diseases. Dr. Foster is an expert in inflammatory disease processes modeling and therapeutic MOA evaluation. He is Associate Professor at LSU Health Sciences Center in Microbiology, Immunology, Parasitology, Ophthalmology, and Cancer Research and has received multiple institutional teaching and service awards. He is the lead scientist and inventor of therapeutics for ocular diseases (e.g., glaucoma, macular degeneration), with several patents awarded/licensed. Dr. Foster earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from LSU, with long-term research in herpes viruses, viral pathogenesis, and viral modulation of host immunity. He has been the principal investigator on numerous industry and federal grants totaling millions of dollars in awarded research funding, with outstanding work recognized by NIH Director's Transformative Research Award.

David Nichols, PhD, is Co-Founder and Head of Chemistry at 2A Biosciences and a globally recognized medicinal chemist and neuroscientist in serotonin pharmacology. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Purdue University, former holder of the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson Distinguished Chair in Pharmacology, and an Adjunct Professor at UNC Chapel Hill. Over his 50-year career, he has pioneered the development of novel serotonergic compounds, authored 350+ publications and book chapters, and given numerous invited lectures at National and International symposia. He was the founding president of the Heffter Research Institute, which, since its founding in 1993, has provided more than $10MM for research on psychedelics, and he has helped advance multiple novel therapeutics into clinical development.

Charles Nichols, PhD, earned his B.S. at Purdue University and Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University. His research into 5-HT2A receptors and psychedelics began during his post-doc at Vanderbilt University under the mentorship of Dr. Elaine Sanders-Bush. He is currently a Professor of Pharmacology at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and is considered one of the world’s top experts on the biological effects of psychedelics in the brain and body. Key discoveries he and his laboratory have made include elucidation of the effects of psychedelics on gene expression in the brain, identification and characterization of the specific cells in the brain that directly respond to psychedelics, and the development of new rodent and fruit fly experimental systems recapitulating the long-lasting antidepressant-like effects of psilocybin for mechanistic study. The Nichols lab also discovered that psychedelics are extremely potent anti-inflammatory agents that can have full efficacy at concentrations far below those necessary to induce behavioral effects. Data in preclinical models show efficacy in models of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. That research forms the foundation of 2A Biosciences, of which he is a co-founder and serves as CSO.

Allan Shepard, PhD, is the Chief Development & Operations Officer at 2A Biosciences, where he leads R&D strategy, IND-enabling development, and operational execution across a growing pipeline of ophthalmic therapeutics. He brings over 25 years of drug development experience, including leadership roles at Novartis/Alcon and multiple biotech ventures spanning ophthalmology, diagnostics, and neuropsychiatry. Allan earned his PhD in Molecular Biology from the Mayo Graduate School and has authored peer-reviewed publications and patents related to glaucoma and corneal therapeutics. He is driven by a mission to translate science into meaningful treatments for patients with underserved eye diseases.

Gerald Billac, PhD, is the Director of Pre-clinical Operations at 2A Biosciences, where he leads drug discovery and early development programs focused on next-generation 5-HT2A receptor-targeted therapeutics. He brings over a decade of R&D experience in 5-HT2A receptor pharmacology, small molecule drug design, and early-stage strategies supporting compound differentiation and optimization. Gerald earned his PhD in Pharmacology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and has authored peer-reviewed publications and patents related to 5-HT2A receptor agonists and therapeutics for inflammatory conditions.

Marina Crowe, MBA, is Vice President of Corporate Development at 2A Biosciences, where she manages corporate strategy, business operations, and investor relations. She works cross-functionally across scientific and executive teams to advance 2A’s next-generation, disease-modifying therapies. Previously, Marina was a consulting manager at PwC Strategy&, advising Fortune 100 clients on growth strategy, operational transformation, and new product planning. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was a Rock Entrepreneurship Fellow focused on health platform venture incubation, and holds a B.S. from MIT, where she was named a Burchard Scholar.