Josh Swider, PhD
Co-founder / CEO
Josh began his career in chemistry at Eastern Washington University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and degrees in physics and biology. His quest for a deeper understanding of science led him to graduate school, where he attended the joint doctoral program at the University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State University.
Dave Marelius, PhD
Co-founder / CSO
Born and raised in San Diego, Dave attended San Diego State University in 2009, where he received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Dave then went on to earn his Ph.D. from the joint doctoral program between SDSU and the University of California, San Diego, where, for his graduate work, he utilized organic and organometallic synthesis to make catalysts for water splitting, the conversion of water into oxygen and hydrogen for energy storage. As a graduate student, he received the IPMI Richard Rubin Memorial Scholarship in 2014 for his research in precious metals.
Jayneil Kamdar, PhD
Lab Manager
Jayneil grew up in Austin, TX, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry at the University of Texas, Austin. After a one-and-a-half-year stint as a synthetic chemist in a kilo-scale lab in Madison, WI, Jayneil came to San Diego to pursue his Ph.D. in the joint doctoral program at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. There he designed and synthesized organometallic catalysts for the water-splitting reaction, a highly- promising route to derive hydrogen fuel simply from water.
Dillon Burns
Lab Manager
Dillon earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from San Diego State University while conducting research on the synthesis and characterization of novel fluorescent compounds. He went on to earn his master’s degree in Chemistry from SDSU and has since applied his knowledge to the analytical industry. Dillon is one of the first scientists to join the team and has quickly become an invaluable asset. As much as he loves screening for pesticides and PFAS, Dillon also enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and exploring California’s beautiful national parks with his dog, Luna.
Erik Paulson, PhD
Lab Manager
Erik grew up in San Diego, CA, and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside. He continued his studies in Riverside to obtain a teaching credential and then taught high school chemistry in Burbank, CA, for five years. His passion for learning brought him back to San Diego to study organometallic chemistry in the Joint Doctoral Program at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. His projects involved the development of catalysts for the selective migrations of double bonds in organic molecules.
Elizabeth T. Montaño, PhD
Lab Manager
Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the University of New Mexico. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in the laboratory of Dr. Kelly Miller investigating insect phylogenetics using morphological and molecular data. She assisted in the revision of the genus Fontidessus and the description of four new species. In addition to her undergraduate research, she also served as a curatorial assistant for the Arthropod Division of the Museum of Southwestern Biology. For her graduate studies, Elizabeth joined the laboratory of Dr. Joe Pogliano at UC San Diego to investigate the mechanism of action of anti-bacterial small molecules. With the application of bacterial cytological profiling, she characterized a series of thymidylate kinase inhibitors active against Gram-negative pathogens. As a postdoctoral researcher and recipient of the San Diego Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award (IRACDA) Elizabeth joined Dr. Victor Nizet’s laboratory where she used various microscopy techniques to study host-pathogen interactions.
