Our Team

Damian Wheeler is the co-founder and CEO of Translucence Biosystems.

As a neuroscientist with more than 25 years of research experience, both in academia and in drug discovery, Wheeler has focused on developing and commercializing next-generation technologies to advance neuroscience research and accelerate CNS drug discovery.

During his Ph.D. studies at McGill University and postdoctoral research at Stanford, Wheeler became a leading expert in the signaling mechanisms by which neuronal activity activates gene transcription.

He then spent 9 years at Dart NeuroScience developing cognition-enhancing drugs that engage these mechanisms.

At Translucence Biosystems, as CEO, he oversees all projects and manages collaborations with external partners.

Translucence was co-founded by Dr. Sunil Gandhi, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at UC Irvine, and co-director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

His research focuses on developing cell technology to harness the brain’s capacity to rewire itself. Dr. Gandhi received his PhD from the Salk Institute and conducted postdoctoral research at UCSF, where he discovered that implanted young interneurons can rejuvenate older brains.

His lab at UCI pioneers methods for brain visualization and functional imaging, contributing to advancements in brain circuit development, neuronal plasticity, and regeneration.

At Translucence Biosystems, as CSA, he provides scientific counsel on all company projects and endeavors.

Dr. Ricardo Azevedo is an MD/PhD candidate at the University of California, Irvine, with a focus on neuroscience and developmental brain diseases.

He completed his honors thesis on cortical brain development at Rutgers University and contributed to the development of the iDISCO+ tissue clearing method and ClearMap software while in the lab of Marc Tessier-Lavigne at Rockefeller University.

In Dr. Sunil Gandhi’s lab, he created BrainQuant3D software for improved whole-brain quantification. As co-founder and CTO of Translucence Biosystems, Dr. Azevedo leads the Software Development team, overseeing the development of Voxels and Stitchy, as well as providing technical support for tissue clearing and quantification efforts.