Martin Williams MS, MBA, is an entrepreneurial executive and leader with over thirty years of global biopharmaceutical experience. He has achieved senior leadership positions in several multinational pharmaceutical companies, and public and private biotechnology companies. He has successfully closed over $4 billion in corporate transactions, including financings and strategic partnerships.
Prior to joining Caraway therapeutics, Mr. Williams was the President and CEO of Tokai Pharmaceuticals, an oncology company with a small molecule in Phase 2 for prostate cancer. He is also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Yuma Therapeutics, an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule drugs for neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Earlier in his career, Mr. Williams served as chief business officer at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, an RNA interference platform technology company, where he closed a $1.4 billion partnership with Kyowa Hakko Kirin. He was chief business officer at Synta Pharmaceuticals, a small molecule oncology and inflammatory company, where he completed the company’s IPO and closed a $1 billion collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline for its lead oncology product. He also has significant commercial experience having directed the development and commercialization of several blockbuster brands, including GSK’s Zantac and Zofran; Roche’s Xenical; and Wyeth’s (now Pfizer) Zosyn/Tazocin.
Mr. Williams has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.S. from the University of Manchester, England and a B.A. in biology from the University of Humberside in Hull, England.
Magdalene Moran, PhD, is a leading scientific researcher in the discovery and early development projects in multiple disease areas. She is a noted expert in the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family of ion channels.
Prior to joining Caraway Therapeutics, Dr. Moran was the Senior Vice President of biology at Hydra Biosciences, where she was part of the scientific team for over 15 years. She led discovery and early development projects in pain, pulmonary, CNS, and renal diseases, resulting in six development candidates in six years. In addition, Dr. Moran was the scientific representative for business development activities and coordinated the scientific advisory and medical advisory boards. Before Hydra, Dr. Moran served as a researcher in the laboratory of ion channel expert Dr. David Clapham at Children’s Hospital in Boston, where she studied the basal transcription machinery and cloned several novel ion channels.
Dr. Moran received her bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in neuroscience from Williams College and earned her doctorate degree in neurobiology from Harvard University.
Rhonda M. Chicko is an accomplished financial executive with over 25 years of experience in enhancing performance and developing systems, processes, and procedures to streamline operations for early-stage and high growth companies within the biotechnology and financial services sectors. Most recently, she was Chief Financial Officer at Scholar Rock where sheplayed a key role in Scholar Rock’s initial public offering, subsequent financing, and led the buildout of the financial and operational infrastructure. Prior to joining Scholar Rock she was Vice President, Finance at Editas Medicine, Inc. where she helped build the finance organization. Prior to joining Editas, Ms. Chicko spent 10 years at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in financial roles of increasing responsibility, culminating as Senior Director, Finance and Tax. Earlier in her career, Ms. Chicko held a range of positions at investment management and accounting firms, including Wellington Management Company, LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP.
Jeff Packman, MBA, is a highly experienced clinical development executive with nearly three decades of international experience in regulatory affairs, manufacturing, clinical operations, and orphan drug development.
Mr. Packman was previously Chief Development Officer of Clementia Pharmaceuticals, where he led the successful execution of the company’s palovarotene drug development program in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) prior to the company’s acquisition by Ipsen in April 2019. Prior to his role with Clementia, Mr. Packman served as Chief Development Officer for Apofore Corporation, a start-up focused on the development of novel diabetes therapeutics. Prior to Apofore, Mr. Packman was Vice President of Drug Development Operations at FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Pfizer in October 2010. Mr. Packman also headed development operations at Oscient Pharmaceuticals and worldwide business operations for the regulatory affairs division of PAREXEL International Corporation.
Mr. Packman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Colby College and an MBA with Highest Honors from the F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business Administration at Babson College in Massachusetts.
Cristina Csimma, PharmD, MHP, is a biopharmaceutical leader and strategic advisor with decades of experience in biotechnology, large pharma and venture capital.
Dr. Csimma serves as a Board Director of Neuralstem Inc. (NASDAQ: CUR), Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDRA), and T1D Exchange. She also serves on the Muscular Dystrophy Association Venture Philanthropy Scientific Advisory Committee, the Executive Oversight Board of the National Institutes of Health’s NeuroNEXT, the External Advisory Board of the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard, and the TREAT-NMD Advisory Committee for Therapeutics, where she was the founding chair.
Previously, Dr. Csimma was Executive Chair of the Board of Directors of Exonics Therapeutics (acquired by Vertex), Inc., as well as a board member of Juniper Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (acquired by Catalent), Vtesse Inc. (acquired by Sucamp now Mallinkrodt), and Cydan, where she was also the founding Chief Executive Officer and President. Earlier in her career, Dr. Csimma held roles with Clarus Ventures LLC (now Blackstone), Virdante Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth (now Pfizer), Genetics Institute, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Csimma holds a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Bachelor of Science from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, as well as a Master of Health Professions from Northeastern University.
Martin Williams MS, MBA, is an entrepreneurial executive and leader with over thirty years of global biopharmaceutical experience. He has achieved senior leadership positions in several multinational pharmaceutical companies, and public and private biotechnology companies. He has successfully closed over $4 billion in corporate transactions, including financings and strategic partnerships.
Prior to joining Caraway therapeutics, Mr. Williams was the President and CEO of Tokai Pharmaceuticals, an oncology company with a small molecule in Phase 2 for prostate cancer. He is also the Co-Founder and Chairman of Yuma Therapeutics, an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule drugs for neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Earlier in his career, Mr. Williams served as chief business officer at Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, an RNA interference platform technology company, where he closed a $1.4 billion partnership with Kyowa Hakko Kirin. He was chief business officer at Synta Pharmaceuticals, a small molecule oncology and inflammatory company, where he completed the company’s IPO and closed a $1 billion collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline for its lead oncology product. He also has significant commercial experience having directed the development and commercialization of several blockbuster brands, including GSK’s Zantac and Zofran; Roche’s Xenical; and Wyeth’s (now Pfizer) Zosyn/Tazocin.
Mr. Williams has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, an M.S. from the University of Manchester, England and a B.A. in biology from the University of Humberside in Hull, England.
Jonathan Behr, PhD, brings over 10 years of venture and venture creation experience to the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) including as managing director of a mission driven fund.
Dr. Behr currently serves as Partner for the DDF. Prior to joining the DDF, Dr. Behr was the first managing director of the JDRF T1D Fund, a growing $90 million mission-driven fund focused on venture investments in companies developing solutions for type 1 diabetes. In less than three years, he led the development of the fund’s investment strategy with the board of directors, built an investment team, and led 14 of the fund’s first investments including Semma Tx (acquired by VRTX), Pandion Therapeutics (PAND), and Provention Bio (PRVB). He has held senior venture creation roles, including Principal at PureTech Ventures (PRTC) and Vice President of New Ventures for Enlight Biosciences. In his prior roles he was a director or observer on more than 14 venture backed company boards.
Dr. Behr earned a PhD in Biological Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellow, and received his BS in Bioengineering summa cum laude as phi-beta-kappa co-valedictorian from Rice University.
Peter Dudek, PhD, has over 13 years’ experience in the life sciences industry spanning research, company building, as well as corporate and traditional venture capital, across a broad range of therapeutic areas and modalities.
He currently serves as President and Managing Partner of Merck’s MRL Ventures Fund and is responsible for its investments in Carisma, Hotspot, Kymera (NASDAQ: KYMR), Imago, Xilio, and Caraway Therapeutics. Prior to MRLV, he was a Principal with Wellington Partners, a Munich and London based European venture fund with more than $1B under management and was involved in investments across a broad range of life science companies including Middle Peak Medical (sold to Symetis/Boston Scientific), Atopix (sold to Chiesi), Optinose (NASDAQ:OPTN), Prosonix (sold to Circassia), iOmx, Imevax, Oxagen and Vasopharm. Before this he held roles at Entrepreneurs Fund and at the corporate venture arm of Novartis.
Dr. Dudek holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors from the University of British Columbia, obtained his PhD from the University of Geneva, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford.
Christian Schubert, PhD, has over 10 years’ experience in the life sciences industry spanning corporate development, strategy and external innovation, company building, and venture capital.
Dr. Schubert is currently Vice President and Head of AbbVie Ventures, where he directs AbbVie’s strategic venture capital investments in core therapeutic areas of interest. Prior to joining AbbVie Ventures, he was an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at Atlas Venture where he helped conceive, launch, and operate next generation biotechnology companies. Prior to his role at Atlas, Dr. Schubert was the Global Head of R&D External Innovation at Servier and Managing Director of Servier BioInnovation, and earlier in his career held roles in Corporate Development and Strategy at Biogen and Worldwide R&D at Pfizer.
Dr. Schubert holds BSc and MSc degrees from the Technical University of Munich, received his PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Nikola Trbovic, PhD, has over 10 years’ experience in the life sciences industry spanning research strategy, company building, clinical portfolio management, and corporate venture capital, across therapeutic areas and modalities.
Dr. Trbovic is a Partner in the Biotech team at SV Health Investors and is responsible for investments in Nimbus, Sitryx, TRexBio, and Caraway Therapeutics. Prior to SV, he was a Partner at Pfizer Ventures, where he was responsible for investments in emerging companies developing transformative medicines aligned with Pfizer’s strategic vision. Prior to his role with Pfizer Ventures, Dr. Trbovic held responsibilities for R&D strategy and early clinical portfolio management within Pfizer’s R&D organization. Dr. Trbovic joined Pfizer from McKinsey & Co., where he advised leading pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare companies on a range of strategic and commercial topics as a senior member of the Pharmaceuticals Practice.
Dr. Trbovic holds a Diplom in Biochemistry from Goethe University Frankfurt and received his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from Columbia University.
