Lukas founded Extropy Search to help those in technology-enabled science industries achieve their greatest impact.

Originally from the Midwest, Lukas earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Harvard University.  As a graduate student, he determined the molecular crystal structure of a conserved divalent metal transporter membrane protein and developed accurate biochemical assays to discover and explain how this protein selectively transports iron and why disease-causing mutations result in anemia and hemochromatosis in humans.  During his studies, Lukas founded his department’s Career Development Program, which prepares graduate students for the job market, and after receiving his Ph.D., he taught biophysical chemistry under a one-year faculty appointment at Harvard.

Lukas subsequently began his professional recruiting career at D. E. Shaw Research, a highly selective computational drug discovery and biochemistry research firm, where he led Chemistry, Biology, and Drug Discovery recruitment to hire world-class drug discovery scientists, computational chemists, scientific algorithm and software developers, and systems engineers and administrators.  By combining his strong understanding of technical scientific research and proven ability to collaborate with people across all levels and functional areas, he has developed a passion for building lasting relationships that positively contribute to the business development and success of research organizations, while undertaking sophisticated approaches towards identifying and partnering with research talent.