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Management Team
Dr. Nandan Padukone, Ph.D., MBA, President & CEO
 Dr. Padukone has 17 years in biotechnology management involving diagnostics (Nuvera), therapeutics (Altus Pharma, Vertex), bioinformatics (Silico Insights), and renewable energy (NREL). He helped create Nuvera Biosciences as founding CEO in 2005 as a venture focused on cancer therapy and pharmacogenomics with MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has been responsible for venture capitalization, assay validation, and business development and has forged alliances with cancer centers and diagnostic companies in US and Europe. He has actively engaged with regulatory agencies, healthcare organizations, and patient advocacy groups. He was formerly in senior management at Altus Pharma (1996-2000) heading development of enzyme-based products; the company completed an IPO (NASD:ALTU) in 2006. He also led scientific teams at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborated with leading industrial partnerships in areas of bioethanol and biodegradable polymers. Dr. Padukone holds a Ph.D., Biochem. Engg., from NC State Univ, an MBA from U. Denver, and B. Tech. from IIT, Mumbai, India.
Dr. Christos Hatzis, Ph.D., Founder and VP, Technology
 Dr. Hatzis is a founder of Nuvera Biosciences. He has 16+ yrs in senior research and management roles in biocomputational techniques, genomic analysis, and clinical diagnostics development. He is an active member of the Biostatistics committee of FDA’s Microarray QC program and co-investigator on the NCI Cancer Biospecimen Integrity Program, and recipient of several grant awards as principal investigator from DoD and NCI, and as a co-investigator in studies by Breast Cancer Foundations. He has lectured in pharmacogenomics, molecular analysis and biocomputations. He was previously Principal Scientist at Kelco, subsidiary of Monsanto Co and also held senior research positions at AE Staley and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He holds a Ph.D. in Biochem. Eng. from the Univ. of Minnesota.
Dr. Fraser Symmans, MD, (Scientific Advisor), Professor, Pathology, U Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
 Dr. Symmans is Professor of Pathology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he practices Breast Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology and co-directs the Breast Cancer Pharmacogenomics Program. Dr. Symmans received his medical degree from the University of Auckland, New Zealand in 1987. He completed his residency training in Anatomical Pathology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City and fellowship training in Cytopathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Dr. Symmans joined the faculty of New York University Medical Center in 1993 and moved to MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2000. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, and has been awarded several prestigious grants in breast cancer pharmacogenomics including Komen Promise, FDA’s MAQC Program and NCI Biospecimen Integrity. Dr. Symmans has chaired international symposia at ASCO, San Antonio, AMP, and ESMO annual conferences, and lectured widely on molecular pathology, pharmacogenomics, therapy response, and diagnostics.
Board of Directors
Dr. Nandan Padukone, Ph.D., MBA, President & CEO
Dr. Padukone has 17 years in biotechnology management involving diagnostics (Nuvera), therapeutics (Altus Pharma, Vertex), bioinformatics (Silico Insights), and renewable energy (NREL). He helped create Nuvera Biosciences as founding CEO in 2005 as a venture focused on cancer therapy and pharmacogenomics with MD Anderson Cancer Center. He has been responsible for venture capitalization, assay validation, and business development and has forged alliances with cancer centers and diagnostic companies in US and Europe. He has actively engaged with regulatory agencies, healthcare organizations, and patient advocacy groups. He was formerly in senior management at Altus Pharma (1996-2000) heading development of enzyme-based products; the company completed an IPO (NASD:ALTU) in 2006. He also led scientific teams at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborated with leading industrial partnerships in areas of bioethanol and biodegradable polymers. Dr. Padukone holds a Ph.D., Biochem. Engg., from NC State Univ, an MBA from U. Denver, and B. Tech. from IIT, Mumbai, India.
Dr. Christos Hatzis, Ph.D., Founder and VP, Technology
Dr. Hatzis is a founder of Nuvera Biosciences. He has 16+ yrs in senior research and management roles in biocomputational techniques, genomic analysis, and clinical diagnostics development. He is an active member of the Biostatistics committee of FDA’s Microarray QC program and co-investigator on the NCI Cancer Biospecimen Integrity Program, and recipient of several grant awards as principal investigator from DoD and NCI, and as a co-investigator in studies by Breast Cancer Foundations. He has lectured in pharmacogenomics, molecular analysis and biocomputations. He was previously Principal Scientist at Kelco, subsidiary of Monsanto Co and also held senior research positions at AE Staley and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He holds a Ph.D. in Biochem. Eng. from the Univ. of Minnesota.
Dinesh Patel, Ph.D., Founding Managing Director, vSpring Capital
 Dr. Dinesh Patel is considered by many to be the father of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals in the Rocky Mountain region. Dr. Patel is a founding managing director of vSpring Capital. From 1999 to 2004 he was the Founder, Chairman, President & CEO of Ashni Naturaceuticals, Inc., a company that specializes in the research, development and marketing of clinically tested and patent-protected naturaceutical products. He currently holds 15 US Patents and Foreign Counterparts. Prior to vSpring, Dr. Patel was an active angel investor in over 20 biotech and technology companies. In 1999, Dr. Patel co-founded and was the Chairman of Salus Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including antisense and gene therapy drugs. From 1985 – 1999 Dr. Patel served as Co-Founder, Chairman of The Board of Directors and President & CEO of TheraTech, Inc., a biotechnology company which he took public and eventually sold for $350 million to Watson Pharmaceuticals.
Frank Montgomery, Managing Partner, Moss Forest Ventures
Frank has been serving as Managing Venture Partner of Moss Forest Ventures since 1985. He has invested widely in healthcare and biotechnology ventures including US Oncology, Exelixis and Cengent. Frank is a founder of two start-ups and brings a seasoned career in financial management in leading Wall Street firms.
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