Astera enables experimentation with Open Science technologies and processes to create transformative change in research collaboration.
Astera identifies entrepreneurially minded people who question assumptions, embrace experimentation, and work to make knowledge freely available and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).
We support and empower Open Science Fellows who are committed to developing innovative open science tools with resources, advisors, and a team. The end goal is to foster independent sustainability after Fellowship.
We strive for transparent reporting of both advancements and informative failures. This allows for ongoing discovery, learning, and sharing of knowledge.
Prachee has spent most of her academic life furthering the cause of Open Science. With a PhD in neuroscience and postdoctoral work in cell biology, Prachee has served as a professor and run research labs at the University of Kansas Medical Center and Dartmouth University’s Geisel School of Medicine. She is the Chief Science Officer at Arcadia Science; former president of the ASAPbio Board of Directors, former director and chair of the board at eLife, a member of Incentivizing Collaborative and Open Research; and a bioRxiv affiliate. As Astera’s Head of Open Science, Prachee leads a team of scientists and Fellows to push the boundaries of open science.
Jessica pursued a PhD in cell biology and a postdoc in synthetic biology before co-founding and serving as Executive Director of ASAPbio, an Open Science nonprofit focused on community development and culture change. Deeply embedded in the Open Science space, Jessica is passionate about fostering the development of improved tools, workflows, and practices for sharing knowledge as a public good. Jessica empowers Fellows with her practical experience in launching initiatives and understanding the needs of research stakeholders.