Leadership
Management
Vinny Jindal,
President & CEO
Mr. Jindal most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of Reneo Pharmaceuticals through its IPO in 2021. Previously, Mr. Jindal served as the Vice President of Strategy at Reata Pharmaceuticals. Prior to his time at Reata, Mr. Jindal was the Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the University of Texas, Southwestern, and was the founder of several startup companies. Previously, Mr. Jindal was a Managing Director and Head of Healthcare Equity Research at ThinkEquity Partners and served as the Vice President of Biotechnology Equity Research at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He was also a biotechnology and specialty pharmaceuticals research associate at Origin Capital Management and Lehman Brothers. Mr. Jindal earned his M.S. in Pharmacology from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, an M.S. in Endocrinology, and a B.A. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr Karen Smith MD, PhD, MBA, LLM,
Chief Medical Officer
Dr Karen Smith MD, PhD, MBA, LLM
Dr. Smith is a Biotech/Pharmaceutical Executive, Board Director and Clinical/Scientific Advisor. Her breadth of experience covers 100+ clinical trials and 20+ regulatory approvals in multiple jurisdictions including FDA (USA), EMA (Europe), TGA (Australia), ANVISA (Brazil), and PMDA (Japan); leading to product launches across diverse therapeutic areas including oncology (Herceptin, Vyxeos), rare disease (Defitelio), cardiology (Irbesartan), dermatology (Voluma, Botox, Aczone), neuroscience (Abilify, Solriamfetol), and anti-infectives (Teflaro). In addition to growth and creation of R&D pipelines, Dr Smith’s successful record of business development includes acquisitions, divestitures, and partnership deals.
Dr Smith has held various clinical and business roles over the past 20 years including President, CEO, Global Head R&D, and Chief Medical Officer. She has built companies from the ground up and is a strong advocate for women in science and diversity in the Boardroom. Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership roles at Merck, Allergan, AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb before transitioning to Executive roles in several Biotech and startup companies. Dr. Smith currently serves on the Board of Sangamo Tx (SGMO), Aurinia Pharma (AUPH), Mariana Oncology, and Capstan Tx. Previously, Dr. Smith served on the board of Forward Pharma A/S (FWD), Sucampo (SCMP), Acceleron (XLRN), and Antares Pharma (ATRS), all were acquired; and Talaris Therapeutics (TALS) (exit through merger).
Dr. Smith holds several degrees, including an MD from the University of Warwick (UK), a PhD in Oncology from UCLA (USA)/UWA (Australia), an MBA from the University of New England (Aust), and an LLM (Masters in Law) from the University of Salford (UK). Dr Smith holds British and Australian citizenships and is a US Permanent Resident. In her free time she hikes, bikes, skis, and is a competitive triathlete who has completed several Ironmans.
Dr. Rachana Mishra, Ph.D,
Director of Cell Biology, Co-founder
Dr. Mishra, our Director of Cell Biology and Co-Founder at Secretome Therapeutics, is a highly skilled cell biologist with expertise in GMP-grade cell manufacturing. She pioneered the discovery of the therapeutic potential of cardiac progenitor cells derived from the right atrial appendage of human neonatal hearts. Dr. Mishra’s innovative method to purify these cells from tiny biopsies has significantly advanced cellular therapy. With 15 years of experience in developing cellular therapy products, she has generated cardiac progenitor cells from over 500 cardiac biopsies, spanning both neonates and adults, and published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles. Her regulatory acumen has played a pivotal role in establishing cGMP manufacturing facilities for neonatal cardiac progenitor cells. She earned her Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences.
Dr. Sudhish Sharma, Ph.D,
Director of Preclinical Research, Co-Founder
Dr. Sharma, our Director of Preclinical Research and Co-Founder at Secretome Therapeutics, brings a wealth of experience from his tenure as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Ann and Robert H Lurie and the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. His contributions to cell therapy include the identification of the secretome as the functional unit of progenitor cells (Circulation Research, 2017). His research also extends to the modulation of miRNA exosome cargo of transplanted progenitor cells in response to the needs of injured tissue (Science Translation Medicine, 2019). Dr. Sharma’s significant impact includes completing various state and federal grants and publish over 30 articles and reviews in peer-reviewed journals. He earned a master’s in biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology focused on Epigenetics from Manipal University, India.
Dr. Muthukumar Gunasekaran, Ph.D,
Director of Translational Medicine, Co-Founder
Dr. Gunasekaran, our Director of Translational Medicine and Co-Founder at Secretome Therapeutics, is at the forefront of groundbreaking research in the therapeutic application of neonatal cardiac progenitor cells (nCPCs). His focus extends to utilizing the nCPC-derived secretome to address neurodegenerative diseases, notably amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Friedreich’s ataxia. With a robust academic background, Dr. Gunasekaran has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles. Prior to joining Secretome, he served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at esteemed institutions such as Washington University in Saint Louis and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He earned his Ph.D. in clinical proteomics from the University of Verona, Italy, and an M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu, India.
Dr. Shannon Rich Ph.D,
Director of Translational Medicine, Co-Founder
Dr. Rich, our Director of Product Strategy, brings expertise in drug development and regulatory submissions, including NDA and MAA filings. Before joining Secretome Therapeutics, she held positions at Biogen and Reata Pharmaceuticals, where she was instrumental in advancing development programs for rare diseases and played a pivotal role in securing FDA and EMA approval of Skyclarys for Friedreich’s ataxia. Dr. Rich earned a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a BS in Health Science Studies from Baylor University.
Jeff Masten, MBA
Senior Vice President CMC Operations
Jeff Masten is an experienced global Biopharmaceutical Cell/Gene Therapy operations C-Suite executive, offering more than 25 years of demonstrated senior leadership in Manufacturing, Quality, Process Sciences, Supply Chain and Technical Operations for the clinical/commercial pharmaceutical industry. He offers extensive experience in Quality US FDA and ROW compliance inspection management and regulatory interactions.
Recognized for his stellar ability to achieve delivery of compliant key programs faced with budget and timeline constraints, Jeff has been accountable for the design/build/qualification of multiple CGMP compliant manufacturing and testing facilities ranging from $50M to $500M USD.
Jeff served as Chief Operating Officer for Theragent Inc, where he was responsible for $80M CDMO operations, and drove 150% P&L growth by building a 95-member team across key departments, and establishing vital corporate paperless systems and processes. As Vice President, Quality Head at Juno Therapeutics (Bristol Myers Squibb), he led a 250+ QA/QC team to achieve GMP site readiness for Breyanzi’s BLA submission, navigating over 500 cGMP deficiencies and standardizing quality policies globally, maintaining product quality through significant deviations. Jeff’s leadership has catalyzed 150% P&L growth, navigated cGMP challenges, and generated significant revenue increases in the high-stakes biotech industry. Dedicated to serving patients and their families facing debilitating diseases.
Board of Directors
Vinny Jindal, President & CEO
Mr. Jindal most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer of Reneo Pharmaceuticals through its IPO in 2021. Previously, Mr. Jindal served as the Vice President of Strategy at Reata Pharmaceuticals. Prior to his time at Reata, Mr. Jindal was the Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the University of Texas, Southwestern, and was the founder of several startup companies. Previously, Mr. Jindal was a Managing Director and Head of Healthcare Equity Research at ThinkEquity Partners and served as the Vice President of Biotechnology Equity Research at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He was also a biotechnology and specialty pharmaceuticals research associate at Origin Capital Management and Lehman Brothers. Mr. Jindal earned his M.S. in Pharmacology from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, an M.S. in Endocrinology, and a B.A. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Sunjay Kaushal, M.D., Ph.D., Founder
Dr. Kaushal is the Division Head of Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Prior to that he was the Professor and Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is an expert in heart failure both in children and adults. He performs over 200 cardiac surgery operations per year, has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, and has a 10-member post-doctorate research laboratory funded partly through National Institute of Health grants.
Dr. Kaushal received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University.
Bill Niland
Bill Niland is a serial life sciences entrepreneur who has founded and successfully exited four companies including a structural heart start-up, a new treatment paradigm for respiratory patients and what was the largest sleep testing company in the U.S. Most recently, Mr. Niland was President and CEO of Harpoon Medical, Inc. He co-founded Harpoon and successfully exited to Edwards Lifesciences in less than five years for $100M upfront (potentially $250M with milestones) with only $6.5M in dilutive capital, generating >100% IRR for investors. Prior to Harpoon, he founded Vapotherm (NYSE: VAPO) a non-invasive ventilation company that created the field of high flow nasal canula therapy for patients in respiratory distress. Vapotherm devices have been used to treat >1.5M patients since being founded in 1997 and the company recently went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Prior to Vapotherm, Mr. Niland successfully founded and exited two businesses, including National Sleep Technologies which was the largest sleep diagnostic and therapy company in the US when it was acquired by Vital Signs. Mr. Niland also holds 16 patents.
Henrik Rasmussen, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Rasmussen has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Prior to joining NeoProgen, Dr. Rasmussen was the CMO at ZS Pharma, where he worked from 2010 to 2016. Prior to joining ZS Pharma, he was the President and CEO of Rasmussen Biotech & Pharma Consulting. Dr. Rasmussen has held the positions of Corporate Vice President, Head of Clinical Development, Medical & Regulatory Affairs at Novo Nordisk, and CMO, for Nabi Biopharmaceuticals and GenVec. He was the Senior Vice President for Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs at British Biotech and Global Study Director for Cardiovascular Drug Development at Pfizer Central Research. Dr. Rasmussen has led numerous global development programs and regulatory filings worldwide, including INDs, clinical trial applications (CTAs), NDAs, supplemental new drug applications (sNDAs), biologic license applications (BLAs), and MMA filings. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers in the therapeutic areas of Nephrology, Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Gastroenterology and Diabetes.
Dr. Rasmussen received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and is trained in Internal Medicine and Cardiology.
Margot Conner
Margot Conner brings over 30 years of experience in the healthcare and life science industries, Connor brings executive level expertise in leadership, business growth, operational execution, corporate development, strategic planning, and M&A. She most recently served as CEO and Board Member of RoosterBio, Inc., where she joined as a founding team member in 2015 and led multiple rounds of investment funding. Over the course of her career, Connor has been involved in over 20 M&A transactions valued at over $1 billion. She has held various senior leadership roles at companies including Lonza, Unilever, FMC and Chr. Hansen.
Clinical Advisory Board
Javed Butler, M.D.
Javed Butler is President of the Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, Dallas, TX, and was previously the Patrick H. Lehan Chair of Cardiovascular Research, Chairman of the Department of Medicine, and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS. Prior to joining the University of Mississippi, he was Charles A. Gargano Professor, Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and co-Director of the Stony Brook University Heart Institute, NY, USA. Dr. Butler served as Director for Heart Failure Research at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA, and prior to this served as the director of the heart and heart-lung transplant programs at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. He also serves on the FDA Cardio-Renal Advisory Committee and on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed cardiovascular journals. Dr. Butler has authored over 650 peer-reviewed publications, and has been listed in Best Doctors in America numerous times.
Sanjiv Shah, M.D.
Dr. Sanjiv Shah is the Stone Endowed Professor of Medicine, Director of Research for the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, and Director of the HFpEF Program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. His clinical expertise is in HFpEF, pulmonary hypertension, echocardiography, hemodynamics, and rare cardiomyopathies such as cardiac amyloidosis. Dr. Shah’s research interests include understanding the physiology, mechanisms, epidemiology, and treatment of HFpEF. He started the first dedicated HFpEF clinical program at Northwestern University in 2007 and has been the overall principal investigator or on the steering committee/executive committee of > 25 international HF clinical trials. His research interests also include the study of acquired and genetic risk factors for abnormal cardiac mechanics, and novel machine learning techniques for improved classification and therapeutic targeting for HF syndromes. Dr. Shah is currently the PI of multiple active NIH R01 grants and an AHA Strategically Focused Research Network project grant. Dr. Shah has published over 320 peer-reviewed research publications, and he is an Associate Editor for JAMA Cardiology.
Barry H Greenberg, M.D.
Barry H. Greenberg, MD is Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Treatment Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD). He serves on the executive steering and data safety monitoring committees of numerous national and international clinical trials in heart failure. He is a founding member and a past President of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Dr. Greenberg’s research interests include the basic cellular mechanisms of heart failure and the development of new forms of therapy. He has published extensively in these areas. He is co-editor of Congestive Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Comprehensive Approach to Management, the first comprehensive text in this field, now in its 3rd edition, and editor of Myocardial Remodeling: Mechanisms and Treatment, published in 2006, and Management of Heart Failure published in 2010. He is co-author of Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Congestive Heart Failure. He served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology from 2001-2014, and he sits on the editorial boards of several other cardiology specialty and subspecialty journals.
Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., FAAP, FAHA
Dr. Steven E. Lipshultz, MD, FAAP, FAHA, is the A. Conger Goodyear Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; the Chief of Service of Pediatrics at Kaleida Health; the Medical Director of Pediatric Services Business Development at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital; President of UBMD Pediatrics (University at Buffalo Pediatric Associates, Inc.); and a Consultant in Pediatrics and Cardio-Oncology for the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. His primary research interests are in the pediatric cardiomyopathies, especially those of genetic/metabolic, toxic (e.g., those associated with cancer and HIV therapy), or infections/inflammatory etiologies (e.g., viral and HIV) etiologies. Clinical research on determinants of outcome for children with cardiovascular disease has been a major focus of interest as well.
Arshed Quyyemi, M.D.
Dr. Quyyumi is currently a tenured Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine and Co-Director at Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Medicine. Previously, he served as Senior Investigator and Director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at the Cardiology Branch of the National Institutes of Health.
His research focus over the last quarter century has focused on clinical and translational research in vascular biology, progenitor cells and angiogenesis, biomarkers and cardiovascular genomics. He has published over 250 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.
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comments, or inquiries you may have.
Secretome Therapeutics
323 W. Camden Street, Suite 600
Baltimore, MD 21201
BioLabs at Pegasus Park
3060 Pegasus Park Dr., Building 6
Dallas, TX 75247