SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

PAOLO RENZI, M.D.
Founder of TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Dr. Renzi is an expert pulmonologist and received his medical training at the University of Montreal and at Harvard University. He has received the prestigious Cecile Lehman award for his scientific work on inflammation and asthma. Dr. Renzi is currently Professor of Research at the University of Montreal. He has performed basic science research in the field of asthma for the last 18 years, participated in over 40 Phase II and III clinical trials for major pharmaceutical companies, and is also a member of several scientific advisory boards for these companies. Dr. Renzi has published over 60 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals, is a National Scholar of the FRSQ (Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec) and has operating funds for research on asthma from the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the FRSQ.

MASAD J. DAMHA, Ph.D., FCIC

Dr. Masad Damha is the James McGill Professor of Chemistry at McGill University, Montreal, where he is working at the interface of nucleic acid chemistry and molecular biology. Dr. Damha has over 20 years experience in nucleic acid chemistry and has published more than 120 articles/patents in this field. In 1999, Dr. Damha co-founded Anagenis, Inc., a start-up company with proprietary antisense technologies that was later acquired by TOPIGEN Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. Damha studied chemistry at McGill University where he earned his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. He has received numerous honors/awards including, The John Charles Polanyi Chemistry Prize (Ministry of Colleges and Universities, 1989), The IUPAC Award (Chemical Institute of Canada, 1991), the Merck-Frosst Award for Therapeutic Research (Canadian Society for Chemistry, 1999), and the Bernard Belleau Award (Canadian Society for Chemistry, 2007).

ALAN GEWIRTZ, M.D.

Dr. Alan Gewirtz is the C. Willard Robinson Professor of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Leader of the Hematologic Malignancies Program in the Cancer Center. Dr. Gewirtz’s research is focused on studies of normal and malignant human hematopoiesis and ways of translating basic scientific discoveries into clinically useful therapies for patients with disorders of blood cell formation. Dr. Gewirtz earned his M.D. degree and a M.A. in microbiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed his internal medicine residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, and fellowships in Hematology and Oncology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

TRACY HUSSELL, Ph.D.

Dr. Tracy Hussell is Professor of Inflammatory Disease at Imperial College London and heads a team investigating immunity, pathology and vaccination to respiratory infections. Particular areas of interest include the interaction of Influenza, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Cryptococcus neoformans and Haemophilus influenzae with innate and adaptive immune cells in the respiratory tract. Dr. Hussell and her team have published extensively on immune modulation strategies to alleviate inflammatory lung disease and acute respiratory distress.

DOUGLAS KORNBRUST, Ph.D., DABT

Dr. Douglas Kornbrust is a world renowned toxicology expert and an independent consultant. He serves as a consultant for several pharmaceutical companies in the area of non-clinical product development. Dr. Kornbrust has worked for Merck Research Labs, Rhone Poulenc Rorer, Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp. and Isis Pharmaceuticals in a variety of senior positions. Dr. Kornbrust earned a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Rochester in 1979, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology.

ELIZABETH B. VADAS, Ph.D.

Dr. Elizabeth B. Vadas is an Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutics at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal and an independent consultant. Previously, Dr. Vadas was Executive Director of Pharmaceutical Research and Development at Merck Frosst, the Canadian subsidiary of Merck & Company where she lead the product development efforts for the regulatory approval of several products including Singulair® (Montilukast Sodium), a leukotriene receptor antagonist. Dr. Vadas earned her undergraduate degree in colloid and surface chemistry in Budapest, Hungary and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from McGill University in Montreal.

PAOLO RENZI, M.D.

Dr. Paolo Renzi is an expert pulmonologist and received his medical training at the University of Montreal and at Harvard University. Dr. Renzi has received the prestigious Cecile Lehman award for his scientific work on inflammation and asthma. He is currently Professor of Research at the University of Montreal. Dr. Renzi has performed basic science research in the field of asthma for the last 18 years, participated in over 40 Phase II and III clinical trials for major pharmaceutical companies, and is also a member of several scientific advisory boards for these companies. He has published over 60 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals, is a National Scholar of the FRSQ (Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec) and has operating funds for research on asthma from the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the FRSQ.

JEAN BOURBEAU, M.D.

Dr. Jean Bourbeau is associate professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McGill University and the Director of the Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit (RECRU) and the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit at the Montreal Chest Institute of the McGill University Health Center (MUHC). He is also the Director of the COPD axis of the Respiratory Network of the FRSQ. His areas of research and expertise are in COPD, randomized clinical trials and clinical evaluative research. His work, particularly in COPD has had impact in research and clinical practice. He has authored numerous publications in peer reviewed journals, book chapters and edited a book in COPD “Bourbeau J, Nault D, Borycki E. Comprehensive Management of COPD. 1st ed. BC Decker, 2002.”

MARK FITZGERALD, M.D., FRCPC, FRCPI, FACCP

Dr. Mark FitzGerald, is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, Respiratory Division of the University of British Columbia where he has an extensive program of research focusing on the development of new treatments in asthma, asthma education and epidemiology of asthma. He has participated in the Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines process and is also a member of the Global Initiative For Asthma (GINA) Scientific Committee, which is responsible for keeping the global evidence-based asthma guidelines updated. These guidelines have been developed and coordinated by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the U.S. and the World Health Organization.

MITCHELL GLASS, M.D.

Dr. Mitchell Glass is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Aqumen Pharmaceuticals, NA, Inc, a subsidiary of Aqumen Pharmaceuticals KK. Dr. Glass has held senior positions with emerging biotech and large pharmaceutical companies including Vice President of the CardioPulmonary Therapeutic Unit at SmithKline Beecham and Senior Director of Pulmonary Therapeutics at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, where he directed the successful drug development of Accolate^® (zarfirlukast), the first FDA approved leukotriene receptor antagonist for the treatment of asthma. Dr. Glass was the Chief Operating Officer of GeneRX, a gene-therapy start-up focused on emphysema and the Chief Medical Officer at AtheroGenics, a company focused on inflammatory atherosclerosis. He has successfully filed numerous investigational new drug applications and product approvals. Dr. Glass earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago and is a member of the American Thoracic Society and American Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology.

MARIANNE MANN, M.D.

Dr. Marianne Mann is a board-certified pulmonologist and consultant who provides clinical and regulatory advice primarily in her specialty area of pulmonary drug development. Dr. Mann served as a branch chief at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) after spending 9 years at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including three years as Deputy Director in the Division of Pulmonary and Allergy Drug Products.

PAUL O’BRYNE, M.D., FRCPC, FRCPI, FCCP

Dr. Paul O'Byrne is an internationally renowned respiratory researcher and Professor of the E.J. Moran Campbell Chair and Chairman of the Medicine Department at the McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Dr. O'Byrne has published 224 articles in peer-reviewed publications on respiratory diseases. He is also the internal peer-reviewer for more than 14 publications and is on 18 renowned committees, including the president of a scientific committee studying a global initiative for asthma. Dr. O’Byrne completed his internship at St-Vincent's Hospital in Dublin and residence at McMaster University.

GORDON L. SCHOOLEY, Ph.D.

Gordon Schooley Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific Officer at SkyePharma where he is responsible for worldwide medical and scientific affairs. He has a vast experience in Clinical and Regulatory affairs including inhaled technology. Dr. Schooley provides clinical and regulatory support for sustained release formulations for the treatment of respiratory diseases along with CNS, pain management and cancer. He initiated clinical development of pulmonary projects involving a newly designed metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and a dry-powered inhaler (DPI). Both products have received approval letters from the FDA and are awaiting final approval.