Meet goop’s Scientists
Science and Research Content
GERDA ENDEMANN, PHD
Senior Director, Science & ResearchEndemann holds a BS in nutrition from the University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her professional experience is wide-ranging; she’s conducted scientific research, focused on nutrition education, and worked in the dietary supplement industry. Endemann has conducted basic research on heart disease, fat metabolism, and nutrition in academic laboratories and in biotech, and she has served as an adjunct faculty member at Stanford University. Her contributions at goop include writing the Ask Gerda column and overseeing the goop PhD library of well-researched health information.
DENISE JOHN, PHD
Senior Science EditorJohn holds a BS in biology from the University of Indianapolis and a PhD in neuroscience from Florida State University. She has conducted research in reproductive health, authored several scientific papers, and worked in the dietary supplement industry for over eight years. She has extensive experience analyzing current research and writing evidence-based articles to educate consumers on health and wellness, such as this one on omega-3 fats.
The Product Development Team
AKSHAY TALATI, MS, RPH
Vice President, Product Development, Beauty & WellnessTalati holds a BS in pharmaceutical sciences from KLE University in India and an MS in industrial pharmacy from Long Island University in New York, and he is a registered pharmacist. He has over 25 years of experience in cosmetics, dermatological and pharmaceutical research, and product development for Fortune 500 companies. Talati serves on the committee of scientific affairs in the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, is an executive advisor and writer on several publications, and actively engages in mentoring young as well as experienced professionals in the beauty industry.
THIRA BURNS, MS, RDN
Senior Director, Product Development, Beauty & WellnessBurns earned her BS in clinical nutrition from the University of California, Davis, and her MS in nutrition science from San Jose State University. She is a registered dietitian with an academic foundation in nutritional science. Burns has more than 10 years of experience in product development and has managed the development of over 100 evidence-based natural products in categories including dietary supplements, sexual wellness, and beauty.
JAMES DUONG
Director of Technical Services, Beauty & WellnessDuong holds a BS in chemistry from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. He has over 20 years of experience formulating and developing products for skin care, hair care, and color cosmetics. Duong has extensive experience overseeing quality control processes and ensuring that manufacturing is carried out under current good manufacturing practices (CGMP).
KATE VAUGHT
Associate Director, Product Development, BeautyVaught earned her BS in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her education studying society, human social behavior, and institutions informs how she now researches, ideates, and formulates thoughtful beauty products across all categories of skin care, color, hair, and body. For almost a decade, Vaught has created award-winning personal-care products for female-founded beauty brands rooted in bringing value to people’s lives.
COLLEEN CUN
Senior Manager, Product DevelopmentCun earned her BS in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Having begun her career building a technical foundation as a formulation chemist, she now has over five years of experience creating personal-care products, from conception through development, across the categories of skin care, hair care, and color cosmetics.
CATHERINE ROSE
Senior Manager, Product Development, BeautyRose earned her BS in product design from Manchester Metropolitan University in England. She has over 10 years of experience formulating and developing award-winning personal-care products for North American and European prestige beauty brands. Rose’s work has encompassed science-backed clean formulations for the categories of skin care, body care, hair care, color cosmetics, home fragrance, and fine fragrance.
DAVID LE, MS
Product Development Manager and Research Scientist, WellnessLe earned his BS in clinical nutrition from the University of California, Davis, and his MS in sports nutrition from the University of Colorado. He has over five years of experience formulating dietary supplements based on science-backed evidence of ingredient safety and efficacy. Le has helped develop a range of goop products including the G.Tox 7-Day Reset Kit and the Gut Microbiome Superpowder, and he helps keep goop’s clean standards current based on the latest research.
NICOLE ACEVEDO, MS, PHD
Toxicology and Safety ConsultantAcevedo holds a BS and an MS in reproductive physiology from Virginia Tech and a PhD in molecular and integrative physiology from the University of Michigan. She is a reproductive and environmental health scientist with over 20 years of experience in understanding the human health risks of everyday exposure to harmful chemicals. As principal scientist at Beautycounter, a pioneering clean beauty brand, she created directives for the creation of clean products and advocated for higher standards in the cosmetics industry. Acevedo is the founder of Elavo Mundi Solutions, a scientific consultancy that provides solutions for safer, more sustainable product development. She serves on the board of Women’s Voices for the Earth, a national organization that amplifies women’s voices to eliminate the toxic chemicals that harm our health and communities.
NYREE BEKARIAN MACK, MPH
Regulatory and Safety ConsultantMack holds a BS in biology from Tufts University and a master’s in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an environmental health scientist with a background in human toxicology, exposure, and risk assessment. Mack has over eight years of experience working on global chemical safety and regulatory compliance for cosmetics and personal-care products.
