O'Shaughnessy Ventures Backs Scientist's Bid to Prevent Tick Bites

Joseph Beyene awarded an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship to advance a skin treatment that blocks the biological process ticks rely on to feed on skin

GREENWICH, Conn., Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (OSV), an investment firm that empowers creators, has awarded an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship to Joseph Beyene, a scientist and entrepreneur based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Beyene will use the fellowship to advance a skin treatment designed to prevent tick bites, a growing public health threat as tick-borne diseases spread into new regions. Most repellents are designed for insects like mosquitoes and stop working once a tick reaches skin. Other pesticides lose effectiveness as ticks develop resistance to them. Beyene's treatment instead targets a biological process specific to how ticks feed, an approach no current product addresses directly. Over the next 12 months, he plans to complete independent field trials of the lead formulation and build early commercial traction.

Beyene earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in cell and molecular biology from San Francisco State University. He obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where his doctoral research contributed to the foundational science behind Vesigen Therapeutics, a Harvard spinout that raised a $28.5 million Series A round. Today, Beyene is adjunct faculty in Northeastern University's Graduate Biotechnology Program, where he teaches drug development and scientific communication.

OSV's founder and CEO, Jim O'Shaughnessy, commented, "Joseph's resilience, experience and ambition made awarding him a fellowship an extremely easy decision. We're honored to be backing him."

"I envision a world where people and animals can live safely, protected from tick-borne diseases," said Beyene. "I am deeply grateful to OSV for believing in this vision."

About the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships Program

Launched in 2023, the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships program discovers and empowers the world's boldest creatives, builders and researchers. Fellows receive a grant of up to $100,000 and gain access to OSV's network of founders, investors and experts. OSV will award up to 20 fellowships in 2026.

Beyene is the nineteenth fellow announced in 2026. More information about previous fellows is available at OSV's website.

Applications for the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships are now closed and will reopen on Jan. 1, 2027. Individuals interested in applying can do so via OSV's website.

About O'Shaughnessy Ventures

OSV is a creative investment firm that empowers creators to bring their ideas to life. Founded by Jim O'Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O'Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of five books, OSV aims to provide financial support and to partner in growing the next life-changing creative ideas.

OSV combines Jim's deeply rooted interest in all things art, science, investing and technology with his long-held desire to establish scenarios designed to help promising creators and their inspiring ideas succeed, regardless of age, location, job history or level of education. For more information, visit OSV's website.

Media Contact:
Ena Gong
O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC
(917) 355-7420
[email protected] 

SOURCE O'Shaughnessy Ventures