Bringing ideas to life

Couloir Sciences was founded by bioscience innovator and entrepreneur Marnie Peterson, PharmD, PhD to accelerate innovative ideas to life through the fusion of translational sciences, entrepreneurship, and leadership. The importance of combining these aspects of technology development were learned 'the long way'  over decades of pursuing academic discovery (translational sciences and innovation), creating start-up ventures  (entrepreneurship),  growing companies (leadership) and licensing, mergers and acquisitions (impact). Now, I am transforming this gained knowledge into Couloir Sciences.

"I assist companies  by creating a 'couloir' - a passage or corridor - to accelerate ideas for impact."

Background 

 Dr. Marnie Peterson is an entrepreneur, innovator, and expert in infectious diseases. She has 25+ years of experience in the discovery and development of new therapeutics. In 2016, she founded and became the CEO of Jackson, Wyoming-based Extherid Biosciences to focus on new approaches to preclinical research including live animal alternatives that accelerate and predict clinical outcomes. This unique approach to technology development led to research collaborations with the FDA, academics, and global companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device and cosmetic industries. 

In 2020, Extherid merged with UK-based Perfectus Biomed and became Perfectus Biomed, LLC, which operated as a US-based subsidiary of Perfectus Biomed Group. The new entity joined over 60 employees focused on improving lives through innovative science. Marnie served as the US Managing Director and CSO of Perfectus Biomed Group which supported global clients from preclinical development and throughout the regulatory stage.  In 2022, Perfectus Biomed Group was acquired by NAMSA,  a global medtech industry leader,  to expand the expertise and service offerings in customized microbiology to the MedTech industry globally.  

Before Extherid, Marnie was tenured faculty at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology for 12 years. At the University, she established a research program and led multimillion-dollar research projects with the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and various foundations and industrial partners. She has published over 50 scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals including Nature and holds a significant patent portfolio for her discoveries.

 Marnie stepped away from academia  when her co-invention, a vaginal gel microbicide, served as the basis for a clinical stage start-up company, Hennepin Life Sciences (HLS). Marnie served as the VP for Drug and Clinical development for HLS through series A funding and Phase I/II clinical studies.  HLS's technology was licensed to Daré Biosciences—a pharmaceutical company accelerating innovation in women’s health—and is now part of their pipeline in development for vaginal infections. 

In 2022, Marnie was featured in the 'Women in Wyoming' project.  A statewide multimedia series profiling the lives and influence of remarkable Wyoming women through podcasts and portrait photography. In 2014, the Minnesota Business Magazine selected Marnie as a Change Agent finalist for the Leaders in Health Care Awards. She earned a PhD in Infection from the University of Birmingham Medical School, United Kingdom and PharmD and BS degrees from the University of Minnesota. She was a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BPS).

 
She continues to serve as a consultant to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and hosts a podcast Superbugs and You.