Optics11 Life appoints Jacquelien ten Dam as CEO
Optics11 Life, a commercial-stage company pioneering mechanobiology instrumentation, has announced the appointment of Jacquelien ten Dam as its Chief Executive Officer.
According to Optics11 Life, ten Dam has a unique combination of commercial expertise and life sciences knowledge to lead the company’s next growth phase. Under her leadership, Optics11 Life plans to accelerate its commercial growth in key markets while building strategic partnerships to extend the reach and impact of mechanobiology.
“Jacquelien is exactly what we need at this stage: proven commercial leadership combined with a deep understanding of the pharma and life sciences ecosystem,” said Hans Brouwer, founder and interim CEO of Optics11 Life. “Her track record spans capital market advisory for life sciences companies at Van Lanschot Kempen, disruptive scaling at Picnic Technologies, and driving commercial growth at organ-on-a-chip market pioneer MIMETAS. She knows how to bring enabling technologies to market.”
The appointment comes as mechanobiology gains recognition as a crucial factor in understanding disease progression and drug response, and the pharmaceutical industry increasingly moves towards new alternative methods (NAMs). Mechanobiology studies the physical properties of cells and tissues, such as stiffness, elasticity and contractility. These mechanical properties provide insights that complement traditional molecular and imaging approaches.
To address this need, Optics11 Life’s mission is to unlock the power of mechanical properties of cells and tissues. Its product portfolio consists of nanoindentation and muscle contractility instruments, allowing measurements in near-physiological conditions. These instruments are used by global pharma, biotech and academic institutions to provide insights into applications where mechanobiology plays a critical role, such as fibrosis, skin aging and muscular dystrophies.
“Optics11 Life has built something game-changing: high-precision instrumentation that measures the direct biological effect as one would see in the human body,” ten Dam said. “The mechanobiology field is reaching an inflection point, and our technology is positioned to become an essential tool across multiple therapeutic areas. I’m excited to help scale this impact.”
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