Leadership
Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D., has over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry and academia leading teams in the discovery, development, clinical translation and commercialization of new treatments for immunology and rare diseases.
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Arthur O. Tzianabos, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Lifordi Immunotherapeutics and a Venture Partner at 5AM Ventures. He has over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry and academia leading teams in the discovery, development, clinical translation and commercialization of new treatments for immunology and rare diseases.
Dr. Tzianabos served as President and CEO of Homology Medicines and later became Chair of the Board prior to its merger with Q32 Bio. Dr. Tzianabos is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Q32 Bio and Chair of the Board of Directors at Stoke Therapeutics. Previously, he was Chair of the Board for Akouos Therapeutics (acquired by Eli Lilly in 2022). He also serves on the Development Board for the University of New Hampshire’s College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Earlier in his career, Dr. Tzianabos had an active role in the development, approval, and commercial launch of multiple therapies for patients with rare genetic disorders at Shire Pharmaceuticals. He also worked closely with the Business Development and Corporate Venture functions to invest in and acquire new companies and technologies to build Shire’s pipeline.
Dr. Tzianabos is trained as an immunologist and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he maintained laboratories at the Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 80 scientific papers, reviews, book chapters and patents. Dr. Tzianabos holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Biology from Boston College.
Naina Bhasin, Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
Naina Bhasin, Ph.D. brings to Lifordi 20 years of life science experience in corporate and business development, strategic planning, and operations. Dr. Bhasin’s broad understanding of the needs of emerging companies has led to a successful track record in building teams, functions, and organizations.
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Naina Bhasin, Ph.D. brings to Lifordi 20 years of life science experience in corporate and business development, strategic planning, and operations. Dr. Bhasin’s broad understanding of the needs of emerging companies has led to a successful track record in building teams, functions, and organizations.
Most recently, Dr. Bhasin served as Chief Business Officer at Ensoma where she was instrumental in building the company from seed stage through Series B. Previously, Dr. Bhasin worked at Intellia Therapeutics as the Chief of Staff to the CEO, leading the planning and execution of a wide variety of strategic initiatives across the business. Prior to that, Dr. Bhasin was Director of Business Development at Shire where she was responsible for the identification, evaluation, and execution of transactions that supported the company’s rare disease strategy. Earlier in her career, she held business development and operational roles at SciFluor Life Sciences, CellzDirect and The Hamner Institutes, a nonprofit research organization.
Dr. Bhasin is a member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, previously serving as a board member of the Boston Chapter and has been involved with MassBio’s MassCONNECT program. Dr. Bhasin holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Cell and Structural Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Irina Koroleva, Ph.D.
SVP, Translational Medicine
Irina Koroleva, Ph.D., has over 20 years of scientific and operational expertise advancing innovative therapeutic programs across the drug development process: from pre-clinical research, clinical development, registration, approval, and lifecycle management.
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Irina Koroleva, Ph.D., has over 20 years of scientific and operational expertise advancing innovative therapeutic programs across the drug development process: from pre-clinical research, clinical development, registration, approval, and lifecycle management. Dr. Koroleva’s breadth of knowledge combines developing small molecules, biologics, cell and gene, microbiome, and RNA therapeutics and transitioning more than 16 programs into the clinic in multiple therapeutic areas, including autoimmunity, inflammation and immuno-oncology.
Prior to joining Lifordi, she provided strategic advisory services and technical expertise to stealth- phase biotherapeutics companies helping to fast-track key preclinical and clinical transition phases, regulatory submissions and approvals. Before that, Dr. Koroleva managed key partnerships with large pharma for two start-up biotechnology companies and rose through the ranks of the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) transitioning from Biomarker Expert to Portfolio Strategy Leader. She began her career in academia at the Danish Academy of Sciences, Denmark and at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Dr. Koroleva holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Novosibirsk, Russia) and a M.S. in Molecular Genetics from Novosibirsk State University. She also has advanced management training from Bentley University and is a Founding Member of the Boston chapter of CHIEF.
Theresa McNeely
Chief Communications Officer
Theresa McNeely has more than 25 years of integrated corporate communications experience spanning investor relations, public relations, marketing communications and patient advocacy in life sciences companies, including pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics and medical device firms.
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Theresa McNeely has more than 25 years of integrated corporate communications experience spanning investor relations, public relations, marketing communications and patient advocacy in life sciences companies, including pharmaceutical, biotech, diagnostics and medical device firms.
Ms. McNeely was most recently Chief Communications Officer & Patient Advocate at Homology Medicines where she led investor relations, public relations, and interactions with patient advocacy groups and key opinion leaders. Prior to Homology, she was SVP, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Akebia Therapeutics, and before that she was EVP, Chief Communications Officer at OvaScience. She also held management positions at a number of other companies including Millennium Pharmaceuticals, EXACT Sciences, Clinical Data, Inc. and Pyrosequencing. Earlier in her career, Ms. McNeely worked on Wall Street for a boutique investment bank as a stockbroker and supported a portfolio manager and analyst. Ms. McNeely is a member of the National Board of Directors for Women in Bio and an Advisory Board member for Cramer Productions — a creative brand experience agency, and currently serves as their lead director for the Cramer Health division.
Ms. McNeely received her B.S. in Business Management from Providence College, and an M.S. in Business Communications and Healthcare Communications from Simmons College.
Dave Nichols
Chief Technology Officer
Dave Nichols has more than 25 years of experience in process development and GMP clinical and commercial manufacturing for biologics, including antibody drug conjugates (ADC) and small molecules, as well as analytical development and quality control, cold chain logistics and management.
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Dave Nichols has more than 25 years of experience in process development and GMP clinical and commercial manufacturing for biologics, including antibody drug conjugates (ADC) and small molecules, as well as analytical development and quality control, cold chain logistics and management.
Prior to joining Lifordi, Mr. Nichols was Chief Technology Officer at Magenta and a member of the Executive Team. While at Magenta, he led CMC activities from early development through late-stage clinical development and production, including driving strategic initiatives to ensure comparability, compliance and risk mitigation for ADCs, cell therapy, and peptide manufacturing processes. Before Magenta, Mr. Nichols served as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., where he was responsible for process development and internal and external GMP manufacturing across the portfolio, supply chain, device and quality control initiatives. Previously, Mr. Nichols held positions of increasing responsibility at leading pharmaceutical companies including Head of CMC Biologicals Drug Substances at Tesaro; Senior Director of Process Development at Operations at Teva; and Senior Director, CMC Integration at Shire.
Mr. Nichols holds an M.B.A. from Northeastern University and a M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire.
Jay Rothstein, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Jay Rothstein, Ph.D., has more than 30 years of experience as a translational immunobiologist leading discovery, PK/PD, toxicological assessment, and proof-of-concept models for immune-modulatory drugs.
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Jay Rothstein, Ph.D., has more than 30 years of experience as a translational immunobiologist leading discovery, PK/PD, toxicological assessment, and proof-of-concept models for immune-modulatory drugs.
Most recently, he was Chief Scientific Officer at ImmuNext where he was instrumental in helping to establish five strategic research partnerships with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Roche, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), and Curis. Previously, Dr. Rothstein was Director of Inflammation Research at Amgen where he championed a novel class of immunomodulatory drugs for the treatment of autoimmune disease. During his nine years at Amgen, he helped in cross-functional teams to evaluate and develop Amgen's early immune-oncology drug pipeline, which included novel bispecifics such as BiTEs, as well as novel drugs to target immunometabolism. Before Amgen, Dr. Rothstein was a Professor of Otolaryngology-HNS at the Kimmel Cancer Institute of Thomas Jefferson University for 13 years, where his laboratory was responsible for discovering an association between oncogenes and chronic inflammation leading to a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment.
Dr. Rothstein holds a Ph.D. in Tumor Immunology from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Microbiology/Molecular Biology from Pennsylvania State University.
Steve Gillis, Ph.D.
Chairman of the Board, Managing Director, ARCH Venture Partners
Dr. Gillis is Managing Director at ARCH Venture Partners. He is focused on the evaluation of new life science technologies and on the development and growth of ARCH’s biotechnology portfolio companies.
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Dr. Gillis is Managing Director at ARCH Venture Partners. He is focused on the evaluation of new life science technologies and on the development and growth of ARCH’s biotechnology portfolio companies.
He is a director of 48 Bio, Pheast Therapeutics, beBio, SonoThera, Dispatch Bio, and Carrick Therapeutics. He serves as Chairman and director of Faraday Pharmaceuticals, eGenesis, HiberCell, hC Bioscience, Skylark Bio, Walden Biosciences, OncoResponse, Mozart Therapeutics, Bitterroot Bio, Vilya, Lifordi Immunotherapeutics, Basking Bio, TFC Therapeutics, Proniras, and VBI Vaccines (VBIV). Dr. Gillis also serves as a director of Takeda Pharmaceuticals (TAK).
Dr. Gillis was a founder and director of Corixa Corp., serving as CEO from its inception and as Chairman from 1999 until its acquisition in 2005 by GlaxoSmithKline. Prior to Corixa, Dr. Gillis was a founder and director of Immunex Corp., the most successful venture-funded biotech company in the state of Washington. From 1981 until his departure in 1994, he served as Immunex’s Director of Research and Development, Chief Scientific Officer, and as CEO of Immunex’s R&D subsidiary. Dr. Gillis was interim CEO of Immunex following its majority purchase by American Cyanamid Co. and remained a member of the board until 1997. Amgen, Inc. acquired Immunex in 2002.
Dr. Gillis is an immunologist by training with over 300 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of molecular and tumor immunology. He is credited as being a pioneer in the field of cytokines and cytokine receptors, directing the development of multiple marketed products including Leukine, (GM-CSF), Prokine (IL-2) and Enbrel (soluble TNF receptor-Fc fusion protein) as well as the regulatory approval of Bexxar (radiolabeled anti-CD20).
Dr. Gillis received a B.A. from Williams College and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College.
Bruce Booth, D.Phil.
Partner, Atlas Venture
Dr. Booth is a partner at Atlas Venture and focuses on the discovery and development of novel medicines and therapeutic platforms.
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Dr. Booth is currently chairman of Arkuda Therapeutics, Hotspot Therapeutics, Kymera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:KYMR), Matchpoint Therapeutics, Nimbus Therapeutics, and Vigil Neuroscience (NASDAQ: VIGL). He also serves on the boards of Lifordi and Sionna Therapeutics, and several seed stage companies. He previously served on the boards of past Atlas companies Avila (acquired by Celgene), Lysosomal Therapeutics (acquired by Bial), Padlock (acquired by BMS), Prestwick (acquired by Biovail), Rodin Therapeutics (acquired by Alkermes), Stromedix (acquired by Biogen), and a number of other ventures.
He serves or has served as an advisor in various capacities to Takeda, UCB, the Gates Foundation, Dana Farber’s Binney Street Capital, and the Penn State Research Foundation. He also serves on the board of New England Disabled Sports, a charity dedicated to adaptive sports. Bruce blogs about biotech and venture capital topics at LifeSciVC.com.
Prior to joining Atlas in 2005, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, as well as an investor for Caxton Health Holdings. As a British Marshall Scholar, Bruce received a D.Phil. (PhD) in molecular immunology from Oxford University. He received a BS in biochemistry, summa cum laude, from The Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Booth enjoys running, skiing, hiking, and fishing, and has three wonderful kids.
David DeLucia
Board Member
Mr. DeLucia has over 35 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry including early-stage drug development, business development and management of strategic partnerships.
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Mr. DeLucia has over 35 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry including early-stage drug development, business development and management of strategic partnerships.
Mr. DeLucia is Co-Founder of Cascador, a program for mid-stage entrepreneurs in Africa who are scaling mission-driven companies. Mr. DeLucia also co-founded and was CEO of ImmuNext, an immunotherapy-based company, and CEO of MIST Inc., a breast cancer imaging company. Prior to MIST, he led the development of a drug development technology platform at Millennium Pharmaceuticals which was spun out as part of a separate company in 2003.
He has an M.S. from MIT and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.
L. Mary Smith, Ph.D.
Former Chief Development Officer, SpringWorks Therapeutics
President, Triangle Therapeutics Consulting
Dr. Smith is a distinguished leader in biopharmaceutical development with over two decades of experience driving innovation in oncology, gene therapy, and immunotherapy.
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Dr. Smith is a distinguished leader in biopharmaceutical development with over two decades of experience driving innovation in oncology, gene therapy, and immunotherapy. Currently, she serves as the President of Triangle Therapeutics Consulting, LLC and holds a position on the Board of Directors at Lifordi Immunotherapeutics. Dr. Smith has held key leadership roles at SpringWorks Therapeutics, where she led the development and FDA approval of Ogsiveo®, the first GSI approved for desmoid tumors, and led the development of mirdametinib for neurofibromatosis.
Her career includes pivotal contributions at United Therapeutics Corporation, where she was instrumental in the approval of Unituxin®, the first immunotherapy for high-risk neuroblastoma in both the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Smith's work has consistently focused on advancing treatments for rare and complex diseases, demonstrating her commitment to improving patient outcomes through innovative medical solutions.
She earned her PhD in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire and has published extensively in leading medical journals.
Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Venture Partner, 5AM Ventures
Dr. Tzianabos has over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry and academia leading teams in the discovery, development, clinical translation and commercialization of new treatments for immunology and rare diseases.
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Arthur O. Tzianabos, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Lifordi Immunotherapeutics and a Venture Partner at 5AM Ventures. He has over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology industry and academia leading teams in the discovery, development, clinical translation and commercialization of new treatments for immunology and rare diseases. Dr. Tzianabos served as President and CEO of Homology Medicines and later became Chair of the Board prior to its merger with Q32 Bio. Dr. Tzianabos is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Q32 Bio and Chair of the Board of Directors at Stoke Therapeutics. Previously, he was Chair of the Board for Akouos Therapeutics (acquired by Eli Lilly in 2022). He also serves on the Development Board for the University of New Hampshire’s College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Earlier in his career, Dr. Tzianabos had an active role in the development, approval, and commercial launch of multiple therapies for patients with rare genetic disorders at Shire Pharmaceuticals. He also worked closely with the Business Development and Corporate Venture functions to invest in and acquire new companies and technologies to build Shire’s pipeline. Dr. Tzianabos is trained as an immunologist and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he maintained laboratories at the Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 80 scientific papers, reviews, book chapters and patents. Dr. Tzianabos holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Biology from Boston College.
Stanley B. Cohen, M.D.
Medical Director, Rheumatology Division, Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas
Adjunct Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Southwestern Medical School
Co-Medical Director, Metroplex Clinical Research Center
Dr. Cohen is an adjunct professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and in private practice at Rheumatology Associates, Dallas, Texas. He is director of the Division of Rheumatology at Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas; and since 1984, has been co-medical director of Metroplex Clinical Research Center which conducts phase 1-IV clinical trials in rheumatic diseases.
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Dr. Cohen is an adjunct professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and in private practice at Rheumatology Associates, Dallas, Texas. He is director of the Division of Rheumatology at Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas; and since 1984, has been co-medical director of Metroplex Clinical Research Center which conducts phase 1-IV clinical trials in rheumatic diseases. In that capacity he has served as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry on protocol development in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis and disease modification in osteoarthritis, as well as serving on medical advisory boards and data safety monitoring committees. Based on the clinical research efforts, he has been an author on numerous publications and has served as a section editor for Up to Date and InPractice Rheumatology. He has been a principal investigator on multicenter trials of therapeutics for RA and autoimmune neurosensory hearing loss. Dr. Cohen has been actively involved in the teaching of rheumatology fellows and residents/medical students during their rotations in the clinical practice
Dr. Cohen was past chairman of the Board of The North Texas Chapter of The Arthritis Foundation (AF), and was honored with its Medical Professional Award in 1994. He received the Howard C. Coggeshall Lifetime Achievement Service Award from the North Texas AF in 2006. He has served as President of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in 2009, and President of the Rheumatology Research Foundation in 1999. He served on the Board of Directors of the ACR from 2001-2004 and served on the Executive Committee of the ACR from 2005-2008. In 2021 he was honored with the ACR Presidential Gold Medal award. Dr. Cohen has served on the Medical Advisory Board of Directors of the Harold C. Simmons Arthritis Center at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, and has been a member of the UTSWMC CME Executive Committee.
Dr. Cohen graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in biology from the University of Virginia and received his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), with honors, from the University of Alabama, School of Medicine in Birmingham, where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha. He then completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas and a fellowship in Rheumatology at St. Paul Medical Center/Southwestern Medical School, Dallas.
Michael Weinblatt, M.D.
John R. and Eileen K. Riedman Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
R. Bruce and Joan M. Mickey Distinguished Chair in Rheumatology, Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Dr. Weinblatt is a board-certified Rheumatologist at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA and has almost 50 years of experience.
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Dr. Weinblatt is a board-certified Rheumatologist at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA and has almost 50 years of experience.
Dr. Weinblatt was the President of the American College of Rheumatology in 2001. Dr. Weinblatt is the author of The Arthritis Action Program: An Integrated Plan of Traditional and Complementary Therapies. He has also authored or co-authored more than 300 published papers, reviews, and book chapters on rheumatology. Additionally, he is the co-editor of Targeted Treatment of the Rheumatic Diseases and the textbook Rheumatology (3rd-8th editions).
His major research interest is in the therapeutics for rheumatoid arthritis, which includes studies of methotrexate and biologic response modifers. His work on the development of methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis garnered him the Carol Nachman Prize for Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation’s Virginia P. Engalitcheff Award for Impact on Quality of Life. In 2008, Dr. Weinblatt received the American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Clinical Investigator Award and the ACR Presidential Gold Medal in 2016.
Dr. Weinblatt earned a medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he also completed his internship and residency. He completed a clinical fellowship in rheumatology at the Robert B. Brigham Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He is the John R and Eileen K Riedman Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and R. Bruce and Joan M. Mickey Distinguished Chair in Rheumatology, Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity at Brigham & Women’s.
Niti Goel, M.D.
President and Co-founder of Caduceus Biomedical Consulting, LLC
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Duke University School of Medicine
Dr. Niti Goel is a board-certified rheumatologist with over 25 years of academic, preclinical to late-stage drug development, and medical affairs experience. She is President and Co-founder of Caduceus Biomedical Consulting, LLC, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology.
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Dr. Niti Goel is a board-certified rheumatologist with over 25 years of academic, preclinical to late-stage drug development, and medical affairs experience. She is President and Co-founder of Caduceus Biomedical Consulting, LLC, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology.
Dr. Goel is highly knowledgeable in autoimmune, autoinflammatory, and musculoskeletal diseases, both common and rare. She has extensive expertise in bespoke and novel clinical trial design, recruitment, and delivery, and has had successful global regulatory interactions and approvals for biologics, cellular therapies, and small molecules. She has held senior leadership roles at TrialSpark (Senior Vice President), Abcuro (Chief Medical Officer), Kezar Life Sciences (Chief Medical Officer), and IQVIA (Vice President), as well as various roles at Array BioPharma, Inc., UCB Pharma, and P&G (Procter & Gamble) Pharmaceuticals. She was also her site principal investigator on LUMINA (Lupus in Minorities: Nature vs Nurture) while at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and conducted research in the genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome while an internal medicine resident and a rheumatology fellow at Duke. Her experience with minority and other underserved patients as a resident, fellow, and academician continue to fuel a lifelong interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical trials as well as ensuring the patient perspective in clinical research endeavors. She is an active member and contributor to OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology) and GRAPPA (Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis) as well.
Dr. Goel continues to precept residents and fellows in the rheumatology clinic at the Durham Veterans Administration Hospital. She graduated with honors from Pennsylvania State University and summa cum laude from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. She completed her internal medicine and rheumatology training at Duke University Medical Center.
L. Mary Smith, Ph.D.
Former Chief Development Officer, SpringWorks Therapeutics
President, Triangle Therapeutics Consulting
Dr. Smith is a distinguished leader in biopharmaceutical development with over two decades of experience driving innovation in oncology, gene therapy, and immunotherapy.
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Dr. Smith is a distinguished leader in biopharmaceutical development with over two decades of experience driving innovation in oncology, gene therapy, and immunotherapy. Currently, she serves as the President of Triangle Therapeutics Consulting, LLC and holds a position on the Board of Directors at Lifordi Immunotherapeutics. Dr. Smith has held key leadership roles at SpringWorks Therapeutics, where she led the development and FDA approval of Ogsiveo®, the first GSI approved for desmoid tumors, and led the development of mirdametinib for neurofibromatosis.
Her career includes pivotal contributions at United Therapeutics Corporation, where she was instrumental in the approval of Unituxin®, the first immunotherapy for high-risk neuroblastoma in both the U.S. and Europe. Dr. Smith's work has consistently focused on advancing treatments for rare and complex diseases, demonstrating her commitment to improving patient outcomes through innovative medical solutions.
She earned her PhD in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire and has published extensively in leading medical journals.
Lauren S. Baker, Ph.D.
Founder, Insight Medical Consulting
Dr. Lauren S. Baker founded Insight Medical Consulting in 2021 where she and her team are assisting companies with regulatory and clinical strategy work. Dr. Baker has a unique background that has leveraged her technical engineering background and strong medical experience.
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Dr. Lauren S. Baker founded Insight Medical Consulting in 2021 where she and her team are assisting companies with regulatory and clinical strategy work. Dr. Baker has a unique background that has leveraged her technical engineering background and strong medical experience. In 2000, she established Boston Biomedical Associates, a boutique consulting and clinical research organization that leveraged her experiences from BSC to support multiple companies in multiple therapeutic areas. She continued to grow the business organically and ultimately sold the business as part of a roll-up of several internationally-based small consulting and CRO entities to form what is today branded as Avania.
Prior to that, Dr. Baker worked at Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC). Her entrepreneurial spirit thrived at BSC during the time when the company expanded from a privately held “small” entity to a formidable public company. She worked with the engineering teams as well as clinical and regulatory to refine the necessary interaction of these critical pillars of successful product development. Her role was refined when she established the international clinical research presence for BSC and expanded to take on the role of Head of Corporate Clinical Research.
Dr. Baker received a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters and PhD in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis on cardiovascular fluid mechanics. Her engineering expertise was applied to the medical arena during her tenure at UMASS Medical School where she served as an assistant professor of cardiac surgery. She performed both clinical and preclinical research and taught both medical students/surgical residents as well as engineering students on the fundamentals of cardiac mechanics and the technical application of engineering principles to the cardiovascular system.
