The Hertz Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the nation’s most promising innovators in science and technology, has named Chris Loose as chair of its Fellowship and Programs Council and ex-officio member of the board of directors.
The Council was established in 2014 as an advisory body dedicated to enhancing the Hertz Fellowship — one of the most competitive and coveted doctoral fellowships in the nation — and cultivating the multigenerational, interdisciplinary community of more than 1300 Hertz Fellows.
Loose is the co-founder and CEO of Progentos Therapeutics, which aims to develop the first potentially restorative therapy for multiple sclerosis. He has a distinguished career in the biotechnology sector, having co-founded two innovative Massachusetts Institute of Technology spin-off companies focused on developing platform technology to fulfill unmet clinical needs: Semprus BioSciences (acquired by Teleflex) and Frequency Therapeutics. He credits his Hertz Fellowship with his start and the Hertz community for many of his accomplishments since.
As chair, Loose will work closely with volunteer council members who oversee the Hertz Fellowship’s renowned selection process, administer awards and prizes to Hertz Fellows, and facilitate connection, collaboration and mentoring within the Hertz community through events such as the annual Hertz Summer Workshop.
Loose will also serve as an ex-officio member of the Hertz Foundation Board of Directors during his term, which will afford him a dual vantage point unlike any other position in the organization.
“Chris’s board participation is essential to the implementation of the Foundation’s strategic plan,” adds Steve Fantone, chair of the Hertz Foundation board and founder and president of Optikos Corporation. “The plan sets forth bold goals for growth, many tied directly to Chris’s work on the Council.”
Loose is the third to serve as council chair. Hertz Fellow Richard (Dick) Miles, University distinguished professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, served as the foundation’s first council chair. Miles was succeeded by Hertz Fellow Carol Burns, deputy director for research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who just concluded her term at the end of 2024.
“Carol Burns led the Council during a period of transformative growth, elevating volunteer recognition, fostering collaboration within the Hertz Foundation community and enhancing engagement with external organizations,” says Fantone. “I’m confident that Chris Loose is the right person to help us accelerate that growth.”
Loose began his three-year term in January 2025.
About the Hertz Foundation
Founded in 1957, the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation accelerates solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, from enhancing national security to improving human health. Through the Hertz Fellowship, the Foundation identifies the nation’s most promising young innovators and disruptors in science and technology, empowering them to become future leaders who keep our country safe and secure. Today, a community of more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows are a powerful, solution-oriented network of our nation’s top scientific minds, working to address complex problems and contributing to the economic vitality of our country. Learn more at hertzfoundation.org.