About Teresa
I’m Teresa Evans, PhD, a neuroscientist and executive strategy advisor specializing in the neuroscience of leadership, communication, and decision making.
My work sits at the intersection of brain science and real world leadership. Over the course of my career, I have led and advised in complex, high stakes environments across life sciences, clinical research, academia, and government adjacent innovation, including executive leadership roles where clarity, judgment, and presence directly shaped outcomes.
I help leaders navigate pressure, complexity, and influence by understanding how the brain actually operates under stress and how to use that insight to think clearly, communicate decisively, and lead with authority. This is not theoretical neuroscience or generic coaching. It is applied strategy grounded in lived executive experience and scientific rigor.
At the core of my work is a simple truth.
Your presence is your superpower especially when the stakes are high.
My Story
Personal and Professional Journey
My path has not been linear. I have led in complex scientific and government environments while navigating periods of disruption, loss, and reinvention. Through that journey, I learned how to apply neuroscience, boundaries, and self leadership to regain clarity and direction from the inside out.
Today, I work with high achieving women and leaders who are ready to lead their next chapter with intention, discernment, and grounded authority. Not by pushing harder, but by understanding how presence and decision making shape everything that follows.
Your presence is your superpower.
Experience
Professional Background
Principal
Teresa Evans PhD LLC
Through my LLC, I partner with mission-driven leaders and teams across life sciences, government, and education to turn complex challenges into clear, strategic action. From advising neurotech commercialization and clinical trials to guiding public private partnerships and launching training programs, I blend scientific depth with entrepreneurial agility. I don't just consult, I embed, connect, and co-create with clients to move bold ideas forward.
Chief Science Strategist & Principal Consultant
TiER1 Performance Solutions
As the scientific strategy lead at TiER1, I align consulting solutions with the needs of life sciences organizations—shaping scientific messaging, driving engagement strategies, supporting business development, and providing subject matter expertise across pharmaceutical R&D, clinical trials, and medical affairs to strengthen market presence and deliver measurable impact.
Government Market Director
TiER1 Performance Solutions
Led the strategic growth of TiER1’s government sector presence by aligning the firm’s expertise in human performance, learning, and organizational effectiveness with the mission needs of federal and military clients—developing key partnerships, shaping innovative consulting solutions, and advancing federally funded initiatives in research, workforce development, and technology commercialization.
Business & Govn't Market Advisor
Sense Neuro
As a business and government market advisor to Sense Neuro Diagnostics, I support strategic growth initiatives by guiding the company’s positioning in federal and commercial markets. I advise on clinical trial strategy, government funding pathways, and military medical integration, while also facilitating key partnerships and advancing commercialization efforts for innovative neurodiagnostic technologies like NeuroHawk.
Chief Operations Officer
Clinical Research Organization
Oversaw $7M+ operations across two clinical research organizations focused on cancer immunotherapy and military medical technologies—led multi-site clinical trials, forged strategic government partnerships, and drove growth through regulatory strategy, grantsmanship, and cross-sector collaboration.
Partner
B2B Tech Seed Fund
Led strategic planning and operations for an early-stage venture program—recruited over 50 nationally recognized mentors, supported portfolio companies in raising $2.94M in seed funding, developed core training and brand infrastructure, and provided hands-on consultation in business strategy, fundraising, and team building while cultivating key public and private partnerships.
Education
PhD in Biomedical Science & Neuroscience
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, Texas
B.S. in Chemistry and Psychology
Wilmington College
Wilmington, Ohio
Accomplishments
Recognitions
40 under 40 Awardee
San Antonio Business Journal
Honored as one of San Antonio’s 40 Under 40, I was recognized for my leadership in advancing the city’s military medical and B2B tech ecosystems, as well as my ongoing commitment to expanding STEM education and innovation pathways.
Lead Researcher
Nature Biotechnology
I authored a featured article in Nature Biotechnology spotlighting the mental health crisis in graduate education, advocating for systemic change to better support the well-being and long-term success of early-career scientists.
Author
Research: A Career Guide for Scientists
I authored Research: A Career Guide for Scientists to help early-career researchers navigate the often opaque world of scientific careers, offering practical guidance and real-world insights to support purposeful, fulfilling professional paths in and beyond the lab.
Evans TM*, Bira L, Gastelum J, Weiss T, Vanderford N*. Evidence for a Mental Health Crisis in Graduate Education. Nature Biotechnology March:7(37): 2018
Principal Investigator
NIH Science Education Partnership Award
As Principal Investigator for a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA), I launched an initiative that enabled K–12 STEM teachers to participate in cutting-edge research and co-develop classroom-ready curriculum, translating complex science into meaningful student learning; the program has since grown into a million-dollar effort, building on the foundation I helped catalyze.
Pre-Doctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA)
National Institute of Health
As a graduate student, I secured competitive funding from the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to support my pre-clinical research on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), focusing on the molecular mechanisms of injury and recovery linking the two, an early recognition of my commitment to advancing neuroscience through rigorous, translational research.
San Antonio Military Medical Ecosystem Action Plan
Led the creation of the Military Life Science Commercialization Action Plan for the City of San Antonio, helping to articulate a clear, actionable vision for growing the region’s defense health and bioscience innovation ecosystem. My work focused on aligning military medical assets, academic research, and entrepreneurial activity to strengthen commercialization pathways, attract investment, and position San Antonio as a national hub for military medical innovation. I led the strategic consulting project that defined priorities across workforce development, infrastructure, industry partnerships, and technology transfer, laying the groundwork for a coordinated, high-impact economic development strategy.
What Women Say
"Teresa's coaching helped me find clarity and direction while balancing multiple priorities. Her ability to ask the right questions and guide reflection made a real difference in my career growth."
Alex Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., Field Application Scientist
Contact
Get in touch with me for any inquiries or collaborations.