AN Venture Partners Promotes Paula Schultheiss to Associate and Names Three New Fellows

In her new role, Paula will be a member of the investment team, having spent a year serving ANV as a fellow during her doctoral research. In this role, she will support ANV’s investment and company creation activities, including due diligence, market research, investment execution, and portfolio strategy. She will continue contributing to ANV’s mission of translating cutting-edge Japanese science into globally impactful biotech companies.

Paula has a multidisciplinary background in immunology, mechanobiology, and computational biology. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University, where her research focused on how mechanical cues shape T cell differentiation and function in solid tumors. Her work combined biomaterials, spatial transcriptomics, and single-cell technologies to identify mechanosensitive programs in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, with applications in the improvement of immunotherapy outcomes.

Paula gained prior experience in biotech investing during her Ph.D. at Orange Grove Bio and then ANV, where she supported company creation and conducted due diligence. She also worked at Columbia Technology Ventures, evaluating the translational and commercial potential of academic discoveries across disciplines.

“Joining ANV as a full-time Associate is an exciting step from academia to the commercial side of life sciences”, said Paula. “Having worked with and learned from the ANV team over the last year, I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtfully ANV builds transformative biotechnology companies. I look forward to my role in advancing and actualizing breakthrough science – especially from Japan – so that we can bring impactful therapies to patients worldwide.”

ANV is also pleased to announce that it will be joined by three new Fellows.

 
Tatsuro Chiyoya has a diverse background in medicine, research, and business. He is currently engaged in clinical work as a physician at a hospital affiliated with Keio University. Previously, he worked at Mitsubishi Corporation, where he revised its business investment evaluation system and conducted company-wide portfolio analysis.

After leaving Mitsubishi, he pursued further studies at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he conducted research on the crystal structure analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 protein. Tatsuro holds a B.S. and M.S. in Medical Science from the University of Tokyo and an M.Med. from Osaka University.
 

Olivia Laxton is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Biology at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on developing chemoproteomic technologies to study protein activity and applying these methods to investigate disease biology and drug discovery.

Alongside her academic work, Olivia has built a strong foundation in biotech investing and commercialization. She previously worked as a biotechnology equity research intern at wealth-management firm Wedbush Securities. There, she analyzed public biopharmaceutical companies, evaluated therapeutic landscapes, and constructed market models to assess valuation drivers.

Olivia was also a Venture Fellow at life science investment firm Sofinnova Investments, where she conducted due diligence across multiple clinical indications and therapeutic modalities to form investment theses and support decision-making.

Additionally, Olivia is passionate about supporting diverse leadership in science and venture. She previously served as Co-President of Women in Chemistry and President of Minorities in Graduate Studies, leading initiatives to advance equity in chemistry and STEM fields. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry from Haverford College.
 

Elena Bisotto is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Sciences at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, where she focuses on mRNA processing, specifically the characterization of the Serine/Arginine Splicing Factor 1 (SRSF1) and the functional roles of its domains in breast and prostate cancer cells.

Beyond the academic setting, Elena is a Biotech Fellow in the No Patient Left Behind initiative, a program promoted by RA Capital Management, where she contributes to multidisciplinary projects focused on drug pricing, patient access, and innovation policy. She also works as a life science consultant, supporting an early-stage MedTech company with market analysis, competitive strategy, and investor engagement.

Elena holds an M.S. in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University and a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Missouri Southern State University.

“I am delighted to welcome Paula as a permanent member of our team and also to welcome Tatsuro, Olivia and Elena, our three new Fellows,” said Ken Horne, Managing Partner. “The fact that ANV is able to attract such promising young talent from around the world is a testament to our growth and the fact that our mission to bring the best Japanese science to the world really resonates.”