Month: October 2022

Arun Balakumaran, MD PhD

Oncologist, Scientist, SAB Members

Oncologist, Scientist, and Biotechnology Executive. He is an MD, Ph.D., Board Certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology with a Master’s degree in Health Care Management at Harvard University.

He has a long-standing interest in cell and gene therapy. His experience ranges from lab research, phase 1 -3 clinical development, including breakthrough designations and successful registration experiences, through medical affairs and business development. Arun began his biotech/pharma career at Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) where he was responsible for clinical development as Medical Director and North American Medical Led.

Prior to joining Amgen, he spent 6 years with the NIH, where he was the Medical Lead for Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (MSC) Transplant Center. He joined Allogene (NASDAQ: ALLO) in the fall of 2018 and is currently the Head of Clinical Development running clinical programs in allogeneic CAR-Ts targeting CD19, BCMA, and CD70.

Before Allogene, Arun was Executive Director and Product Development Lead, Hematological Malignancies at Merck (NYSE: MRK), driving the approval of Pembrolizumab in lymphomas. Additionally, he is on the scientific advisory board of diagnostic companies.

Prof. Andrius Kazlauskas, PhD

Molecular Biologist, Chemist, SAB Member

Andrius Kazlauskas, PhD is a vascular biologist seeking to understand the pathogenesis of blinding eye diseases. He received his PhD in Chemistry from Cleveland State University and complete his postdoc at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where he investigated signaling pathways by which receptor tyrosine kinase initiate cell proliferation in cases of cancer.

As a faculty member at the University of Colorado and then Harvard Medical School, Dr. Kazlauskas interrogated signaling events underlying pathogenesis of cancer and retinal disorders such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), age-related macular degeneration, and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Dr. Kazlauskas obtained first-hand experience and insight into translational research while working in the Ophthalmology Department of F. Hoffman-La Roche in Basel, Switzerland (SMI: RO). He returned to academia to investigate the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Currently serves as Professor at University of Illinois Chicago.

Avi Dukler, PhD

Biotechnologist, Business Leader, SAB Member

Dr. Dukler is a healthcare business leader who focuses on new applications for digital health, personalized medicine, and molecular diagnostics. He received his PhD in biotechnology and B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the Tel Aviv University in Israel.

During his 23+ years in the diagnostics industry, Dr. Dukler co-founded Kepler Diagnostics, Inc, Fantestico Inc, and Glycominds Ltd., where he commercialized innovative digital health and clinical diagnostics products.

Dr. Dukler led Glycominds IPO in 2011 at TASE and structured a strategic deal with LabCorp (NYSE: LH). Dr. Dukler is an inventor and author of multiple patents and scientific publications, completed several transactions including M&A, asset sales, IP licenses, private and public fundraising.

Prof. Wojciech Polkowski, MD, PhD, DSc

Surgical oncologist, SAB Member

Surgical oncologist, graduated from the Medical University of Lublin. He completed post-graduate studies at the European School of Gastroenterological Surgery of the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, where he obtained a doctorate degree. He has served for 15 years as the head of the Clinic of Surgical Oncology at the Medical University in Lublin. During this time, several novel clinical approaches had been implemented, including intraoperative radiotherapy, soft tissue (breast) reconstruction employing the transplantation of the patient fat tissue enriched with stem cells, and intraperitoneal chemotherapy in hyperthermia (HIPEC).

From 2008 to 2014 he served as the President-Elect, President, and Outgoing President of the Polish Society of Surgical Oncology. In 2012, he became a member of the Board of the European Society of Oncological Surgery (ESSO), currently chairs its Website and Editorial Committee. He is a member of the exclusive European Surgical Association.

Prof. Polkowski is an official voivodeship consultant in the field of surgical oncology. The main areas of his scientific interests include pathogenesis, molecular biology, and combined treatment of gastrointestinal cancer, in the particular multidisciplinary treatment of colorectal cancer metastases to the liver, intraoperative radiotherapy in patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancer, total cytoreductive surgery, and HIPEC in the treatment of peritoneal surface cancers. He is the author of nearly 200 published articles and chapters in books and monographs.

He is a recipient of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Poland award, the Honorary Medal of the President of the Lublin City in the field of medical care, and the Silver Cross of Merit awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland.

Magdalena Staniszewska, PhD, DSc

Co-founder, Chief R&D Officer, and Head of Scientific Advisory Board

Graduated from the Wrocław University of Technology – M.Sc., specialty: molecular biology and biocatalysis; PhD in biological sciences, specialty: immunochemistry at the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences and post-doctoral degree in medical sciences, specialization in biochemistry. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Assistant Professor affiliated with the Catholic University of Lublin.

An expert in the field of eye diseases related to diabetes, aging, and genetic predispositions. Experienced initiator and leader of interdisciplinary research projects aimed at discovering the mechanisms of diseases and creating new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies of application importance.

Prof. Staniszewska has over 20 years of experience in R&D projects, managing high-specialized laboratories, and successful cooperation between the academic community and biotechnology industry gained in the world’s best scientific centers – Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA and CWRU, Cleveland, OH in the USA. Scientific achievements in basic science and translational research area that is supported by 50 publications and patents, including diagnostic methods for the examination and treatment of pathological blood vessels. Her scientific achievements include understanding the modification of proteins in diabetes, aging, and cancer, establishing the role of new genes leading to vision loss, as well as creating many research models for the development and testing of novel gene therapies and regenerative medicine strategies. Experienced public speaker, and co-author of a number of patents implemented, among others, by Novartis AG and numerous scientific publications.