Dr. Tanya Shirman is a chemist, materials scientist, and technology leader specializing in translating advanced functional materials from laboratory discovery into commercially viable technologies that address sustainability and environmental challenges. As a Senior Scientist at the Wyss Institute, she leads the development and validation of PFAS-free textile technologies while advancing materials technologies that address challenges in sustainability, environmental quality, and human health.
Prior to joining the Wyss Institute, Tanya served as Vice President of Materials Design and co-founder of Metalmark Innovations, a company spun out of Prof. Joanna Aizenberg’s laboratory at the Wyss Institute. She led the development of the company’s core materials technologies from laboratory research through manufacturing scale-up, field validation, and regulatory certification, enabling the commercialization of award-winning air purification systems for commercial buildings and schools, as well as the development of technologies for wildfire smoke mitigation. She led multidisciplinary R&D teams, played a key role in securing ~$4.5 million in non-dilutive funding, and co-developed the company’s intellectual property portfolio, resulting in five patent families supporting its core technology platform. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science and completed postdoctoral research at Harvard University.