Arshak R. Alexanian VMD, PhD, Associate Professor, Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Alexanian is a Chief Scientific Officer at the Cell Reprogramming & Therapeutics LLC (CR&T) and is responsible for scientific and administrative oversight of the projects conducted at the company. Dr. Alexanian has a degree in Vet Medicine (VMD) and PhD in Biochemistry (Biochemical Pharmacology). He received training at universities and centers worldwide (Pasteur Institute and University of Montpelier in France, University of Saarland in Germany, Institute of Biochemistry in China (Shanghai) and Russia (Moscow), WiCell Research Institute in Madison, Wisconsin, and at the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience in New Jersey. Before joining CR&T Dr Alexanian held Faculty positions (Associate Professor) in the Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology as well in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, at the Colorado State University (1997-2000) and in the Departments Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy as well as Neurosurgery (Associate Professor) at the Medical College of Wisconsin - MCW (2000-2013). He currently holds Adjunct Associate Professor position in the Department of Medicine at MCW. Over the past two decades his research has been focus in areas such as Neurobiology, Cardiovascular pharmacology, Cancer biology, Stem cell biology and Regenerative medicine. These studies supported by governmental agencies such as NIH (NIA, NIC, NCATS), NSF and VA Merit review, by several privet foundations such as Spinal cord society, Sophia Wolf Quadracci Memorial Fund for Stem Cell Research, The Bryon Riesch Paralysis Foundation's. AOSpine North America, AOSpine International, by WI State and many others.
James R. Bamburg PhD, Professor, Colorado State University
Dr. Bamburg has graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana, received his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison and prior to joining the Colorado State University Faculty was Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University Medical School. Currently, he is a Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Director of Undergraduate Degree Program in Neuroscience, Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Colorado State University. He is a member of several editorial boards such as American Journal of Neurodegenerative Disease; BioArchitecture; Biochemistry; Current Neuropharmacology; Cytoskeleton; Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinsonism and the Open Neuroscience Journal. He served as a reviewer on NIH, NSF, Swiss NSF, and Alzheimer’s Association study sections.He received total of over 120 Awards NIH, NSF, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Research Corporation, Guggenheim Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, March of Dimes, Spinal Cord Research Foundation, American Paralysis Association, Alzhemier’s Association, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation, Cure Huntington Disease Initiative (CHDI) Foundation, Camille and Henry Dryfus Foundation) totaling over $12,400,000.
Michael G. Fehlings MD, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery, Toronto University
Dr. Fehlings is Head of the Spinal Program at the Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network. He is a Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, holds the Gerry and Tootsie Halbert Chair in Neural Repair and Regeneration, is a Sr. Scientist at the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine and a McLaughlin Scholar in Molecular Medicine. In the fall of 2008, Dr. Fehlings was appointed the inaugural Director of the University of Toronto Neuroscience Program (which he held until June 2012) and Co-Director of the newly formed University of Toronto Spine Program. In addition, he is the Associate Scientific Director of the NeuroDevNet Network Centre of Excellence which is focused on finding improvement treatments for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. In 2014, Dr. Fehlings was appointed Vice Chair Research, Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. Dr. Fehlings combines an active clinical practice in complex spinal surgery with a translationally oriented research program focused on discovering novel treatments for the injured brain and spinal cord. This is reflected by the publication of over 500 peer-reviewed articles (h-index 60) chiefly in the area of central nervous system injury and complex spinal surgery. Dr. Fehlings leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers which is examining the application of stem cells, nanotechnology and tissue engineering for CNS repair and regeneration. He is also a principal investigator in the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation North American Clinical Trials Network, chair of the internationally renowned AOSpine North America network and leads several international clinical research trials. Dr. Fehlings is active in many medical societies and journal editorial boards including Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine (Past-Chairman Editorial Board), Journal of Neurotrauma (Editor, Special Topics), Neurosurgery (Associate Editor) and Spine where he holds the position of Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Dr. Fehlings has received over 240 research grants and awards totaling approximately $33 million. Major funding organizations include Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Cervical Spine Research Society, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Krembil Foundation, North American Spine Society, Ontario Brain Institute, Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, Physicians` Services Incorporated Foundation, Rick Hansen Institute, Stem Cell Network and Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation, to name a few.
Andrey Sorokin, PhD, Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin
Dr. Sorokin is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He has graduated from the St. Petersburg State University and received his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry in 1981 from the Institute of Cytology Academy of Sciences of Russia. After working at Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Uppsala, Sweden), in 1990 he has joined the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Schlessinger, a world leader in signal transduction, in the Department of Pharmacology at NYU Medical Center (New York, USA). In 1995 he has moved to Medical College of Wisconsin, (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA) and established his laboratory at the Department of Medicine where he is currently holding the position of Full Professor with secondary appointments at Department of Physiology and Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics. Dr. Sorokin’s laboratory is nationally and internationally renowned for his work on cellular signaling. His research at MCW has been supported by uninterrupted funding from external granting agencies (NIH, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Foundations, ect). The current support includes three active NIH grants. He has multiple publications at such top-tier journals as EMBO J., Cancer Res., Mol Cell Biol., JCI, J. Biol. Chem., Oncogene, Mol. Biol. Cell and others. His teaching experience includes participation in multiple courses offered by Departments of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Physiology at MCW.
LEVON GABRIELIAN MD, PhD MEDICAL SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
Dr Levon Gabrielian received his MD degree from the State Medical University of Armenia, with specialisation in pediatrics. He received his PhD degree with Dean’s commendation for thesis excellence from the School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide, City of Adelaide, Australia. He also holds an M.S. in Clinical Psychology. During his research in neuroscience conducted at the University of Adelaide Dr Gabrielian has developed a novel pharmacological treatment for increased intracranial pressure following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Also for the first time he has applied Gaussian Processes and did simultaneous 3D analysis of dynamic correlation between intracranial pressure (ICP)/cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), brain tissue oxygenation (PbO2) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Based on the results of these analysis he developed a novel chart of the dynamic correlation between ICP/CPP, PbO2, and MABP which has a potential for clinical application and proposed a modification for the formula of CPP. The results of Dr Gabrielian’s research have been published in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
Commercialization Consultancy
Brian D. Curry, Ph.D., MBA. President & Chief Executive Officer at Simply 1Life Inc.
Dr. Curry serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer at Simply 1Life Inc. He holds a Ph.D in Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy and an M.S. in Pharmacology & Toxicology from the Medical College of Wisconsin, M.S. in Biological Sciences & Physiology from Western Michigan University and a B.S. in Physics from Michigan State University. Dr. Curry has a proven track record of strategic planning and commercialization. Prior to PhysioGenix, Dr. Curry served as President of Functional Design for 10 years, which provided biomechanical design, testing and consulting to National and global companies. During this time, he brought products from concept sketches through manufacturing and product launch. Dr. Curry has written and orchestrated the submission of over $32 M of federal grants from 7 different agencies, resulting in multiple peer-reviewed articles and international speeches.