Ashley Zehnder, Fauna Bio

Ashley Zehnder is the CEO & Co-founder of Fauna Bio, a company that uses comparative genomics and evolutionary biology to identify novel drug targets by studying how other species resist and recover from disease. In this episode of Careers in Discovery, Ashley shares her journey from exotic animal vet to cancer biology PhD, and how that unique background leads her to explore biology through a completely different lens. She talks about the science behind Fauna’s work - how hibernating squirrels, among other species, reveal new insights into heart failure, obesity, and more - and how the company translates those discoveries into real therapeutic programs. Ashley also reflects on what it means to build a platform company as a non-traditional founder, the challenges of raising capital for a truly novel idea, and why she believes in running a company built on trust, focus, and adaptability.