Pairwise was formed in 2017 with a single goal in mind—to lead the way to better health for people and the planet through the power of genome editing. Our founders come from the fields of agriculture, technology and consumer products, combining their expertise to grow fruits and vegetables that address the challenges of our food system, and create a better quality of life for all.

    Our Founders

    Dr. David Liu

    Dr. David Liu

    Dr. David Liu is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, faculty member at the Broad Institute, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. At Harvard, Liu pioneered base editing, a new form of gene editing, and evolved genome editing agents with improved properties compared to their natural forms.

    Dr. J. Keith Joung

    Dr. J. Keith Joung

    Dr. J. Keith Joung is the Desmond and Ann Heathwood Research Scholar and a pathologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School. Over the past decade, his lab has invented and optimized important innovations in gene editing technology.

    Dr. Feng Zhang

    Dr. Feng Zhang

    Dr. Feng Zhang is a core institute member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, an investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, as well as the James and Patricia Poitras Professor in Neuroscience at MIT, in the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Zhang developed the CRISPR-Cas9 system for gene editing in eukaryotic cells and continues to identify and adapt gene-editing tools including CRISPR-Cas12s (Cpf1) and CRISPR-Cas13s.

    Dr. Tom Adams

    Dr. Tom Adams

    Chief Executive Officer

    Dr. Tom Adams is Chief Executive Officer of Pairwise. Tom has over 25 years of leadership experience heading up biotechnology for global companies, serving most recently as Vice President of Global Biotechnology at Monsanto where he lead the team developing a broad range of innovative products. Formerly a faculty member at Texas A&M University, Tom holds a PhD in microbiology and plant science from Michigan State University and a BS in botany and plant pathology from Oregon State University. Tom is a long-time distance runner and often competes in local events.

    Dr. Haven Baker

    Dr. Haven Baker

    Co-Founder, Chief Business Officer

    Dr. Haven Baker is Chief Business Officer of Pairwise. Haven is the former Senior Vice President / General Manager of Simplot Plant Sciences, where he led the team that launched the innovative, non-browning Innate® potato. He holds a PhD in chemistry from Northeastern University, an MBA from Harvard University, and a BS in biomedical engineering from Yale University. A lover of the outdoors, Haven enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking in his native Pacific Northwest.