“We are in the business of rewarding risk-takers, even if they fall short once in a while. We are not afraid to do hard things.

Merika Koday, PhD

VICE PRESIDENT

Merika Koday, PhD, currently serves as a Vice President for Accelerator where she is responsible for sourcing and evaluating emerging biotechnology investment opportunities. Dr. Koday also provides project management and scientific development oversight to select Accelerator portfolio companies, including Automera and KayoThera, Inc. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for KayoThera.

Before joining Accelerator in 2018, Dr. Koday served as project manager for Cell and Gene Therapy at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She helped advance basic research programs into clinical development and supported industry partnerships and collaborations.

Previously, Dr. Koday was a co-founder and Senior Scientist at Virvio, a University of Washington spin-out company focused on developing de novo designed proteins as therapeutic alternatives to monoclonal antibodies.

Merika received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington and a B.S. from the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Koday serves on the board of Life Science Washington.