Scientific Consulting for Life Sciences Startups
Rigorous scientific leadership, without the full-time hire
The science behind your startup has to be right from day one.
Early-stage companies are making high-stakes scientific decisions every day — on study design, data infrastructure, analytical approach, and how to communicate findings to investors and partners. Getting these right from the start is the difference between data that closes your next round and data that gets torn apart in due diligence.
Life science startups bring me in to solve problems like:
Advising on scientific infrastructure, tooling, and team structure
Translating complex findings into clear scientific narratives for pitch decks and investor materials
Designing statistically rigorous study protocols and data collection frameworks
Providing domain expertise, such as in neuroscience, psychology, and computational biology
Building or auditing omics analysis pipelines (single-cell, spatial transcriptomics, multi-omics)
Pressure-testing your scientific approach before investor due diligence
Integrating multi-modal data sources (e.g., genomics, histopathology, clinical data)
Identifying and closing methodological gaps before they become fundraising or regulatory liabilities
Providing fractional scientific leadership during a critical hiring or funding gap
I’m here to help
I work with life science startups as a fractional scientific director, statistical consultant, or scientific advisor — typically in focused, high-impact engagements rather than ongoing full-time roles. Whether you need a rigorous outside eye on a specific analysis, strategic scientific leadership during a critical phase, or a technical expert who can solve a thorny problem, I can step in and make an immediate difference.
My background is deliberately cross-disciplinary. I've worked on immune-mediated diseases and aging, clinical neuroscience, gastroenterology and hepatic disease, and the early detection of neurological and psychiatric disorders. I have deep expertise in single-cell multi-omics — including spatial transcriptomics (Xenium, Visium) and CRISPR-based perturbation screens — and have built preprocessing and analysis pipelines from scratch across a range of cutting-edge data types.
I'm equally at home running the analysis and leading the strategy, which means you get senior scientific thinking at every level of the work. I've led multi-million-dollar projects, and I've built scientific infrastructure including QC systems, team communication frameworks, and hiring and training strategies. If you need someone who can both do the work and think strategically about how your scientific organization should be structured, that's a gap I'm well-positioned to fill.
I'm Yale and Purdue-trained, and I believe that the best science happens when deep technical expertise meets genuine collaboration. I pride myself on clear communication, a low-ego work style, and a strong track record of helping teams cut through complexity and move faster.
If your startup needs senior scientific leadership for a high-stakes moment — or a trusted outside expert to solve the scientific problem that matters most — let's talk. Reach out below for a free consultation, and please don't spare the technical details.
Interested in a specific engagement model? I can work on a project basis, as a fractional Scientific Director, and as a Scientific Advisor (including equity arrangements). All arrangements start with a free consultation.
Dr. Elizabeth Aslinger
Curious if I’m the right fit for your project?
Start with a free consultation.
This contact form goes right to me, so share all the nerdy details and your availability, and we’ll plan a time to talk further.
You can also reach out on LinkedIn if you prefer. Either way, I look forward to helping out with your project!