Asama Lekbua

Skin Microbiome Advisor

She brings a background spanning microbiome research, biotechnology, and startup building to the Cosnetix team. Born and raised in southern Thailand, she later lived across Thailand and the northeastern United States before studying biology and neuroscience at Northeastern University on a full-tuition scholarship, where she focused on the human microbiome.

Before starting her Ph.D., Asama spent several years in industry helping build microbiome-based companies, giving her a perspective that bridges rigorous science with translational, real-world biotech execution. She is now a Ph.D. candidate in Professor Karsten Zengler’s lab at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, where her research focuses on the skin microbiome.

At UC San Diego, her work centers on developing microbiology and bioinformatics tools to better study the skin microbiome and design interventions that help shape a healthier skin ecosystem. Beyond the lab, she has also taken on leadership roles in the biotech community, bringing to Cosnetix a strong combination of scientific depth, translational thinking, and startup-minded execution.