The founders of Unifi Biotechnologies have extensive backgrounds in biotechnology research, structured finance, and entrepreneurial endeavors. The team has direct experience in the pre-clinical development of a wide range of pharmaceutical molecules and biologics, development of clinical devices, preparation of IND applications for the FDA, and the conduction of clinical trials and other forms of patient-oriented research. We provide legal and financial expertise regarding the commercialization of new biotechnologies, and are adept at structuring start-up companies in a manner that investors will find attractive. Our scientific advisory board has a global perspective, composed of internationally leading scientists, biotechnologists, and clinicians from academia, big pharma, and commercial enterprises.
Andre studies the genetic networks involved in cognition. His research has focused on opioid pathways and the oxytocin system and their modulation of both hormonal systems and affiliative behaviors. Andre brings to Unifi Biotechnologies over 20 years of neuropharmacology, neurobiology and behavior research expertise, including serving as the Founding Director of the Animal Behavior Phenotyping Core Facility at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NYC. and the James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center, NYC. He is an active affiliate of Harlem Biospace – the first biotech incubator founded as a public/private partnership in NYC – providing biotechnology consultation and acting as a liaison between HB and the New York City University research community. Andre formerly headed the Bio-Behavior Laboratory and Behavioral Core Facility at the Sophie Davis Medical School of The City College of New York. After earning a Ph.D. in neuropharmacology from the City University of New York, Andre completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in biophysics at The Rockefeller University. He is a US Army GWOT veteran.
Monika is a molecular microbiologist with expertise in genetics, biophysics, and biochemistry. In her graduate studies, Monika extensively studied the molecular mechanisms of cell division in the Gram-negative human pathogen, E. coli. Monika is also a Senior Contributor for the American Society for Microbiology, bringing over 6 years of science communication experience to Unifi Biotechnologies. Monika earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Chemistry from Boston College, and earned her M. Phil. and Ph.D. degrees from The Graduate Center at The City University of New York. During her time at City University, Monika founded the City College of New York Science Alliance (CCNY Sci Alli), an organization dedicated to enhancing scientific collaboration by physically bringing together scientists from all levels and from all campuses around NYC. From undergraduate students to graduate students, postdoctoral associates to faculty, CCNY Sci Alli has put on countless social events, seminars, grant-writing workshops, and encouraged participation in STEM events all around NYC. As Head of Strategic Partnerships, Monika translates the hardcore science behind biotech startups in a manner that investors can understand, increasing the likelihood that these developing companies can get outside investments.
Dimitar is the Head of the Laboratory of Structural Biology and Neuroscience, and is a Member and Professor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The research in his laboratory is aimed at the characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying cell-cell interactions and signal transduction across the cell membrane. Dimitar brings to Unifi over 25 years of experience in basic and applied biomedical research, as well as expertise in structural biology, biophysics, biochemistry, neuroscience and therapeutic-antibody development. Dimitar received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics from The Rockefeller University and joined the faculty of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Medical College of Cornell University the same year. He has co-authored numerous patents and publications in the highest-impact scientific journals.
Maxim is an intellectual property attorney and a serial entrepreneur. Maxim is dedicated to building systems and communities that empower startups and early stage companies to succeed. Since 2010, Maxim has founded and led multiple startups in the fields of crowdsourcing and intellectual property. He believes that all startup successes come from constant experimentation and failure. In his legal practice, Maxim handles a range of matters from high-stakes complex commercial litigations, to IP strategy, to private equity and equity crowdfunding regulations. Maxim brings to Unifi a deep understanding of organizational structures, both from a legal and an executive perspective. His sincere goal is to "help bring about a new era where biotech startups can move with the speed and agility of tech startups."
Hanna conducts research on sources of cell phenotypic variability that affects behavior and population fitness and which may lead to aberrant physiology and pathophysiologic conditions such as cancer. He brings to Unifi 19 years expertise in biophysics research and in its application in understanding complex physiological activity. Hanna obtained his Ph.D. in physics, with a focus on biological physics, from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. He completed postdoctoral work at the Center for Studies in Physics and Biology at The Rockefeller University in New York, where he studied bacterial thermotaxis. Hanna is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh.
Michael brings to Unifi Biotechnologies over 20 years of patient-oriented research experience, 11 of which in the acute care setting, conducting epidemiological, translational and clinical trial studies. He has acted as a co-investigator on over 60 clinical trials and is an author on over 100 peer-reviewed original research papers spanning topics that include physiologic dynamics, predictive biology, patient monitoring, and studies of clinical outcome after acute brain injury. Formerly an Assistant Professor of Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University, Michael was a pioneer and international leader in the field of critical care neuromonitoring and clinical informatics. He has received funding from The Dana Foundation, C.S. Draper Laboratory, IBM, the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and the Department of Defense Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. Michael earned a Bachelor’s of Art in Psychology from Michigan State University, a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology from the City University of New York, and a MSc in Patient-Oriented Research from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Cass Almendral is a seasoned investor who brings to Unifi his strong expertise in business development and social media. He is currently a managing director at WallStreet Business Solutions Corp, which connects investment opportunities in the distressed real estate, cryptocurrency and biotechnology to investment managers, brokerage firms, and high-net-worth individuals.
Phillip is a specialist head and neck surgeon at Northampton General Hospital in the United Kingdom. His areas of special interest include the management of cancer of the oral cavity, skin and other head and neck tumours. He also specialises in reconstructive surgery including micro-vascular free flaps. Phillip has over 40 publications in peer review journals and over 40 presentations at national and international meetings. He wrote a text book of anatomy which was published in English, Turkish, Mandarin and Spanish. He is interested in clinical research and is keen to develop the interface between laboratory based research and clinical practice. Phillip holds a BDS and an MBBS (Hons), both from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and is a Fellow in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Penelope uses personalized genomics to identify novel human disease genes and translate her findings into the diagnostic and clinical settings. As an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine she strives to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms of disease with a special focus on mitochondrial disorders and inborn errors of metabolism. The Bonnen lab develops bioinformatics methods for analyzing next-generation sequence data and metabolomics data as well as applies high throughput functional genomics approaches to testing pathogenic potential of genetic variants. Toward personalizing medical research, the Bonnen lab innovated novel methods to convert healthy human cells into ‘sick’ cells expressing patient DNA and has implemented an extensive array of assays that is leveraged to profile function in patient cells that are benchmarked in the diagnostic setting. Penelope’s combination of expertise in human and molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and functional genomics empowers the discovery of human disease genes that facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disease. Penelope received her Ph.D. in Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and completed her post-doctoral training at The Rockefeller University. Over the course of her career Penelope has collaborated with biotech start-ups and established biotech companies on novel technology platforms in the pre-commercialization and beta test phases. She also serves as a consultant to the financial and pharmaceutical industries on biotechnology, genetics, and diagnostics.
Alexandra brings over 15 years of clinical research experience including working on over 150 cardiovascular device trials at the Harvard Clinical Research Institute. She has expertise in protocol development, data management, adverse event review, reporting and adjudication. Alexandra has also conducted research on reward-seeking, decision-making, the orexin system in narcolepsy and neurologic manifestations of gluten intolerance. Alexandra is currently an NIH-funded Assistant Professor of Neurology at Oregon Health and Science University. Her lab is focused on mechanistic research of acupuncture using electrophysiologic techniques to study its effects on the nervous system. Alexandra completed her medical training at Boston University School of Medicine and Neurology residency at Columbia University, followed by a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the Oregon Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine in Neurologic Disorders (ORCCAMIND).
Francis is dedicated to the creation, development, and application of new technologies in basic and applied settings. Francis has a unique blend of international experience as a neuroscientist and lawyer, currently practicing as a barrister in England with expertise in use of neuroimaging techniques in applied settings. Francis previously was the Director of the Emerging Technologies Research Division for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at Wayne State University, Detroit. He has conducted both basic and applied research having grant funding from NASA, General Motors, The Ford Motor Company and the National Defense University. Francis completed undergraduate and Masters work at the University College Dublin (National University of Ireland), after which he was recruited to the Metropolitan Police Service London. He completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Western University.
Michael is committed to the development and commercialization of regenerative human therapies and products, with a focus on utilizing stem cells, other biologics, and medical devices. To Unifi Biotechnologies he brings over 25 years of experience leading large-scale laboratory research, translational medicine, and clinical trials requiring collaboration with both industry and academia. For the past 17 years his efforts have focused on utilizing stem cells for clinical applications. He is a leader in the area of establishing methods for producing biologics and innovative approaches for clinical applications that meet the highest regulatory standards of the United States and Europe. Michael is currently the Chief Scientific Officer, Managing Director and acting CEO for ELIVE Medical Ltd., COO of RUMI Scientific, co-founder of several other start-ups, with a primary appointment as Deputy Head of Laboratory and Special Assistant to the President of Stanford University and was previously the Deputy Head of Laboratory for the Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology Laboratory at The Rockefeller University. Michael started his career in pharmaceutical research at Bayer AG before pursuing an academic path in basic research, and eventually translational medicine. During his tenure as Head of Laboratory at University Medical School, Düsseldorf, Germany, he focused on clinical trials of stem cell therapy in patients suffering from heart failure. He later headed the Department for Knowledge Management at University of Cologne where he was the Scientific Coordinator and Project Manager for several large-scale pan-European projects, before returning to Rockefeller University. He studied Chemistry and Biology at University Wuppertal (GER), EMBL Heidelberg (GER), University of Derby (UK), and The Rockefeller University, NYC, where he received his Ph.D. based on research in the field of stem cell biology.
Juha is dedicated to the development of diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer and CNS diseases through the application of three-dimensional information on relevant molecules. He brings to Unifi extensive expertise in biochemistry, molecular biology and protein chemistry and has had his research funded by various foundations and the National Institutes of Health. He is an author on over 50 peer-reviewed research papers and is named on patents, one of which is a joint project for developing small anti-cancer antibody fragments. Juha obtained his M.Sc. in Biology and Lic. Phil. in Molecular Biology from the University of Turku, Finland. He earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the National Public Health Institute, Finland, and conducted research on protein mapping during his post-doctoral work at The Rockefeller University. He was the PI and Director of Research at the JBL Laboratory in Turku and a Visiting Professor at the Minsk State University, Belarus. He is a Research Professor at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research and has organized several major international scientific conferences. Juha is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Turku, serves as the CSO for Biomarket Finland and is a Director at New York City-based Lanik Inc.
Lap brings to Unifi more than 20 years of experience in translational preclinical and clinical neuroscience research. His research focuses the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which pharmaceutics and/or environmental factors may help preserve neurological functions. his research has resulted in over 110 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, and most notably, his work has generated insights on the molecular mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of diverse neurological disorders, and translated this information into multiple therapeutic developments. He is trained in biochemistry, molecular biology and nutrition.
Tony brings to Unifi 14 years of expertise funding early-stage and translational biomedical research aimed at developing new therapies for clinical trial evaluation and commercialization. He has overseen the development of strategic plans and venture funding programs that has led to the administration of over $120M in grant funding, and the sourcing of over 100 companies, while serving in leadership positions at philanthropic organizations including the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Tony founded PharCited, a consultancy firm advising non-profit research foundations on different aspects of Strategic Planning, Analysis, and Biomedical Venture Philanthropy Funding. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the HLRCC Family Alliance and as a Trustee of the VHL Alliance, two foundations dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for rare kidney cancers. Tony was awarded his Doctoral degree by the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, UK, for his work in developmental neurobiology. His post-doctoral research was conducted on molecular aspects of neurodegenerative disease at The Rockefeller University.
Vivian is committed to reducing global health disparities in developing countries as a clinician-scientist who is an epidemiologist and dual board certified in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. She brings a global perspective to Unifi having been a practicing clinician in the United States, Syria, and Sierra Leone and conducting epidemiologic research in the United States and Swaziland. Vivian previously served as the Director of Adult Immunization and Emergency Preparedness for the Bureau of Immunization at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and has served as the Hepatitis B Program Director for the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center In New York City. She obtained a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Maryland, College Park, an M.D. from Howard University, College of Medicine, Washington, DC, and completed her residency in internal medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Vivian earned an M.P.H. from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health while completing a second residency in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Huang is currently working with the Navajo Nation Indian Health Service Center, Chinle, AZ.
Kurt brings to Unifi over 20 years of academic and industry experience designing and conducting epidemiological studies and clinical trials in degenerative dementias (e.g., Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinsons, etc), cerebrovascular disorders (e.g., hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke), and multiple sclerosis. Kurt is currently the Senior Director of Medical Affairs at SAGE Therapeutics and was formerly the Senior Director of Global Medical Affairs for Biogen Idec. His specific expertise in information governance and knowledge management, neuropsychology, patient reported outcomes and quality of life helped prepare him for IND submissions, product launches and drug development. He earned a BSc in Psychology from the University of Houston, TX, and a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology from the City University of New York. Kurt completed his post-doctoral work at Columbia University, which led to an Assistant Professor appointment to study the neuropsychological impact of acute brain injuries.
Steve brings to Unifi over 20 years of experience in understanding the physiochemical basis for small molecule-protein interactions and in identifying potential target proteins through the analysis of large data sets. He explores how new properties emerge from the interactions between proteins in a cell and amino acids within a protein, which together determine their function. This type of information is essential to understand why subtle mutations in a genome can result in catastrophic changes to signal processing or metabolism in an organism, sometimes leading to neurological disorders or cancer. He earned a PhD in Biophysics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and completed post-doctoral work in Neurobiology and Chemistry at The Rockefeller University, NYC. Steve is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Texas A&M University and is a member of the Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience.
Jens brings to Unifi over 15 years of educational and commercial experience with complex enterprise networks. Specializing in network design and security, Jens has extensive knowledge of all aspects of Information technology including cloud computing, clustered computer systems, complex networking and secure access systems. He is currently working as the Network Security Architect at Rockefeller University and oversees all aspects of server and endpoint security, vulnerability testing of external systems, compliance with state and federal regulations and secure access for faculty, affiliates and vendors. Due to his expertise with many different systems, business requirements and regulations he is very well suited to architect custom solutions and analyze cost/resource impact of the chosen implementation. He has a master degree in Physics from the University of Freiburg and PHD studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and City College in New York City, before committing to computing full-time in 2000.
Rachelle is an expert in organization and implementation of early phase clinical trials in Asia. She has been the Principal Investigator and Study Director of more than 10 clinical trials performed in Southeast Asia, for international and Philippine-based pharmaceutical companies. She is committed to optimizing clinical study designs to increase cost-effectiveness and reliability. She also brings extensive experience in clinical trial protocol and CSR development, quality control, compliance with international standards, adverse event monitoring, and analysis of drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Rachelle obtained her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of the Philippines and her M.D. from De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. She is the Acting Head of The Center for Biopharmaceutical Research at De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. She is also consulting for multiple international biopharmaceutical companies. Rachelle is currently specializing in Clinical and Anatomical Pathology at the State University of New York Medical Center in Brooklyn.
Kevin is committed to developing novel therapies for nerve recovery after injury and disease. His research has focused on the molecular mechanisms of neurologic disease and developmental axon growth. To Unifi, Kevin brings scientific expertise in regeneration, neuromolecular mechanisms and neuro-oncology, as well as experience developing therapeutic drugs through animal models of neurologic disease. Kevin is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences at the United States Military Academy with an adjunct faculty appointment at the Brain Mind Research Institute at Burke Medical Research Institute, NY. His research has been most recently funded by the DOD Medical Research and Development Program, DARPA, and the US Medical Research and Material Command. Kevin earned a BSc degree, summa cum laude, in Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas, and received a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins University for work on gene regulation in learning and memory. He conducted postdoctoral work at The Rockefeller University to understand the molecular basis of devastating neurological disorders.
Adler is dedicated to the development and commercialization of devices and technologies that leverage data science and metabolomics in healthcare. He brings computational, technological, and entrepreneurial expertise to Unifi Biotechnologies. Adler is an Associate Research Scientist in the Columbia University Biomedical Informatics department where he applies machine learning techniques to analyzing electronic health record data to solve clinical problems. He is also the Assistant Director for Technology at the Center for Advanced Information Management at Columbia University where he is charged with supporting entrepreneurial technology development within New York State. Adler earned his A.B., magna cum laude, in Psychology/Neuroscience from Princeton University. He completed medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Adler also holds a Masters degree and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Biomedical Informatics from Columbia University.
