MANAGEMENT
Mark S. Miller – Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Miller, a business executive and entrepreneur with extensive corporate experience, has held executive management positions at, and served in a consultancy capacity with a number of top Fortune 500 companies. He is the co-founder of BirchBioMed, the co-founder and Board Chairman of The Carlisle Group, Inc., a full service marketing and publishing company, Board Chairman of Trivest-Global Holdings Ltd., and publisher of InsideOut Media, Inc. A former executive with Ford Motor Company, Mr. Miller was part of the Ford executive team assigned to the reorganization and rejuvenation of Jaguar Cars, where he served as Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs. He also has held executive and management positions with Ford Aerospace, Ford Motor Company, and Pepsi-Cola of Central Virginia. A national, award-winning print and broadcast journalist, Mr. Miller has held editorial and senior management positions with The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Hearst Newspapers, Gannett Newspapers, Public Radio (“WBJC”) and WJZ-TV. Twice nominated by his editors for the Pulitzer Prize, Mr. Miller is the recipient of The Paul Myhre Award for journalistic excellence and The New York State Bar Association Media Award. Mr. Miller was Director of Public and Governmental Affairs for the Maryland State College and University System and Professor of Journalism at Towson University. He is the author of numerous articles, including several published in The Johns Hopkins Alcohol Research Report, The Journal of The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, In Brief (journal of The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health), The Associated Press and Reuters. Mr. Miller is an honors graduate of The University of Virginia, a cum laude graduate of the University’s College of Arts & Sciences, and a graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business: Executive Strategic Marketing Program.
Carlos Roberto Camozzi, MD, Ph.D – Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Camozzi is BirchBioMed’s Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Camozzi has more than 40 years’ experience in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining BirchBioMed, he founded CRC-Management Consulting GmbH, which he has led since 2018, advising and consulting C-suite executives in the pharmaceutical industry to bring innovative, safe, and effective therapeutic options to patients suffering rare diseases and those with high unmet medical needs. Dr. Camozzi has successfully led several regulatory interactions, consultations, submissions and approvals, with both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), of several pre-INDs and INDs, CTAs and IRBs/ECs, Orphan Drug Applications (ODA) and Orphan Drug Designations (ODD), Pediatric Investigational Plans (PIP), successful review approaches (i.e. priority review, breakthrough therapy, accelerated approval, fast track, conditional approval, exceptional circumstances), and Marketing Authorizations Applications (MAA). Outstanding regulatory achievements include the FDA approval of Carbaglu™ for the treatment of NAGS deficiency and the EMA re-assessment and first ever approval of a gene-therapy (Glybera™) in the western world. He has served as Medical Director and member of the Executive Committee of NLS Pharmaceutics; Medical Director, Head of Medical Affairs, and Development Projects Coordinator for Orphan Europe (member of the Recordati Group), a pioneer in the development and commercialization of orphan drugs; and Scientific Strategy Director, Division of Molecular Pathology – Basel University Hospital. Dr. Camozzi received his medical degree from the School of Medicine, National University of Buenos Aires, his Ph.D. in Clinical Chemistry from the National University of Buenos Aires, as well as in Pediatrics, Neonatology and Neuropsychiatry. He also received a degree as Doctor in Clinical Pharmacology from the Superior National Institute of Health, Catholic University of Argentina.
Hervé Girsault, MBA – Chief Business Officer
Mr Girsault is BirchBioMed’s Chief Business Officer. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the Healthcare industry in executive leadership positions. Prior to joining BirchBioMed, he founded CHG BioVenture SA, an advisory consultancy company located near Zurich, which he has led since 2006, working with CEOs and Boards of Directors in the development and execution of corporate strategies, acting as Chief Business Officer including responsibility for fund raising or as Global Head of M&A, Business Development & Licensing. His major clients include privately owned biopharma companies and biotech in the US and in the EU. More recently, he was instrumental in listing NLS Pharmaceuticals, on Nasdaq. In 2009, Hervé Girsault was appointed CEO of Synarc Inc. a specialist CRO in the US with $90 million in annual revenues and over 600 employees over multiple countries. Under his leadership, the company went from negative Ebit to over $30 million in Ebit in 16 months and was sold at a high multiple to a large PE firm following negotiations he conducted. Prior to founding his advisory company, Hervé Girsault spent 10 years at Novartis, first as Global Head of M&A and Business Development at Novartis Consumer Health, then as CEO of Novartis Consumer Health Benelux and lastly as Global Head of Out-Licensing and Partnering at Novartis Pharma. In that timeframe, he closed 34 transactions and was awarded by Dr. Daniel Vasella, Novartis Chairman of the Board and CEO, the Novartis Leadership Excellence Award in 2002 for having closed 11 transactions in one year, all approved by the Board without any modifications. Prior to joining Novartis, Hervé Girsault was co-founder and General Manager of Gerber France, the first fully-owned company of Gerber Product Company in Europe. Gerber Products Company was ultimately acquired by Sandoz. Hervé Girsault owns an MBA with Honors from Columbia Business School in New York and an Executive Leadership degree from Harvard Business School.
Susan Elliott – Co-founder, Chief Marketing Officer, and Director
Ms. Elliott is an entrepreneur with extensive marketing and sales experience that includes executive and senior management positions with some of the world’s top corporations. Founder of Elliott, Clark Communications, she has developed strategic communications and orchestrated product launches for many prominent companies, including Nissan, The Nissan Foundation, Infiniti, Toyota, Chrysler, BMW, Mitsubishi, Honda, Jaguar North America, The Canadian International Auto Show and Green Living Enterprises. Ms. Elliott was a trusted advisor to C-Suite executives on marketing strategy/implementation, product placement and media relations. Ms. Elliott was also in charge of establishing and directing the Canadian operations for public relations firm Bob Thomas & Associates; served as Vice President, Business Development/PR for Chiat/Day/Mojo Advertising; was in charge of merchandising for Mazda Canada Inc. (handling the company’s marketing, advertising, public relations and sales promotion activities); and served as Senior Account Management for British Leyland/Jaguar, Burmah Castrol and Starword Communications. A long-time member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (“AJAC”), Ms. Elliott was awarded the group’s highest honor, the Tony Sloga Award. Ms. Elliott is also a member of the board of Trivest Global Holdings Ltd. Ms. Elliott attended Ryerson College in Toronto, where she studied Business Management, Marketing and Advertising.
Jon S. Verbeck CPA – Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Verbeck is an entrepreneurial minded business executive and leader, combining strong financial and operational management experience with strategy development and capital formation experience in startup, family-owned, and private equity backed companies. Mr. Verbeck has successfully led companies through transitions including startup to profitable high growth, family owned to private equity backed, turnaround to financial viability, and unregulated to regulated and has advised many early stage companies on financial and deal structure matters. Mr. Verbeck has significant transaction experience including raising startup capital from both private and professional investors, obtaining growth financing, securing credit facilities, leading mergers & acquisitions, and in creating exits for investors.
Mr. Verbeck is the Founder and Managing Director of Verbeck Associates, LLC, a boutique business advisory firm. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of multiple companies with responsibility for all aspects of the business including strategy development, sales management, purchasing, production operations, IT, administration and finance. Mr. Verbeck began his career at KPMG, working on both the audit and tax staff and has also held multiple financial management and CFO positions throughout his career. Mr. Verbeck holds a BS in Accounting from Syracuse University and is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed by the State of New York. He is a member of the New York Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Jon is also an avid skier and an Ironman Triathlete
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Teresa Bair, Esq. – Director
Ms Bair has served as one of our Directors since 2020 and is the Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), since October 2021. Ms. Bair has more than 25 years of combined in-house and law firm experience, serving as General Counsel and Senior Vice President, Administration at Athenex, Inc., from June 2015 to October 2021, where she helped lead the organization through its evolution from a private, preclinical-stage company to a global, publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, directly contributing to multiple new drug application filings and an U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Previously, she was a partner at Harris Beach PLLC from November 1999 to June 2015, advising business clients, including Fortune 500 companies, across diverse industries on commercial litigation matters. Ms. Bair serves on the Boards of Directors of Infinite Group, Inc., a publicly held cybersecurity company, the University at Buffalo Law Alumni Association, and the Western New York Women’s Foundation. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the University at Buffalo Foundation as well as the Advisory Boards of Varia Ventures and the Buffalo Institute for Genomics & Data Analytics. She earned her J.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law and her B.S. in administration from Bowling Green State University. Our Board believes that Ms. Bair’s breadth of experience with and leadership of the introduction and commercialization of new technologies and services within the healthcare industry qualifies her to serve as a director.
Charles N. Ellis, MD – Director
Dr. Ellis has served as one of our Directors since 2019 and is currently Professor Emeritus of Dermatology in the University of Michigan Medical School. Prior to this he served as the William B. Taylor Professor of Dermatology at the University of Michigan Medical School from 2008 to 2018. For nearly forty years, Dr Ellis served the University of Michigan Department of Dermatology in multiple roles including as William B. Taylor Professor and Associate Chair; director of the Residency Training Program; and director of the Clinical Research Unit. While directing the Research Unit, he designed and managed hundreds of clinical trials in dermatology and published more than 250 journal articles and book chapters. The importance of his publications has made Dr. Ellis one of the dozen most influential and cited dermatologists worldwide. He has been a consultant for many large and small pharmaceutical companies, undertaken many visiting professorships, served on the editorial boards of various journals. and has been granted five patents. He was the Founder and Director of the Medical Center’s Department of Service Excellence. Dr. Ellis was also Chief of the Dermatology Service at the VA Ann Arbor Hospital, where he continues his teaching and clinical practice. Dr. Ellis has been named an Honored Member of the American Academy of Dermatology. At the University of Michigan, he received the H. R. Johnson Award for Leadership in Diversity. In the University’s Health System, Dr. Ellis has been recognized as a “doctor’s doctor” and was chosen as an Inaugural Member of the Medical School’s League of Educational Excellence and named to its Academy of Medical Educators. Dr. Ellis received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School with Distinction in Research and served his residency in the University’s Department of Dermatology.
Joseph Sardano – Director
Mr. Sardano has served as one of our Directors since 2018 and is a co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Sensus Healthcare Inc. (Nasdaq: SRTS), since its inception in 2010. Mr. Sardano has more than 40 years of experience in the healthcare industry. From 2008 to 2009, Mr. Sardano served as Chief Commercial Officer of Xoft, Inc., an electronic brachytherapy medical device company. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Sardano served as managing partner and healthcare consultant for Molecular Imaging Ventures. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Sardano served as Sr. Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing of CTI Molecular Imaging and Pet Net Pharmaceuticals, a developer of imaging and isotope solutions for the healthcare industry acquired by Siemens Medical Solutions, of which Mr. Sardano served as Vice President in 2005. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Sardano served as Americas Sales Manager for Functional Imaging at GE Medical Systems. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Sardano served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Elscint Inc., a developer and manufacturer of medical imaging solutions, including nuclear medicine, computed tomography magnetic resonance imaging, and x-ray scanners, the imaging activities of which were sold to GE Medical Systems in 1999. From 1991 to 1995, Mr. Sardano served as Region Sales Manager of Toshiba America Medical Systems. Mr. Sardano also currently serves as a board member for Birch BioMed, a Canadian company, as well as a board member for BioFlorida, which promotes Florida based healthcare companies and technologies. Mr. Sardano has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, as well as several Business Certificates from McGill University School of Management. Our Board believes that Mr. Sardano’s breadth of experience with and leadership of the introduction and commercialization of new technologies and services within the healthcare industry qualifies him to serve as a director.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
Charles N. Ellis, MD – Director
Dr. Ellis has served as one of our Directors since 2019 and is currently Professor Emeritus of Dermatology in the University of Michigan Medical School. Prior to this he served as the William B. Taylor Professor of Dermatology at the University of Michigan Medical School from 2008 to 2018. For nearly forty years, Dr Ellis served the University of Michigan Department of Dermatology in multiple roles including as William B. Taylor Professor and Associate Chair; director of the Residency Training Program; and director of the Clinical Research Unit. While directing the Research Unit, he designed and managed hundreds of clinical trials in dermatology and published more than 250 journal articles and book chapters. The importance of his publications has made Dr. Ellis one of the dozen most influential and cited dermatologists worldwide. He has been a consultant for many large and small pharmaceutical companies, undertaken many visiting professorships, served on the editorial boards of various journals. and has been granted five patents. He was the Founder and Director of the Medical Center’s Department of Service Excellence. Dr. Ellis was also Chief of the Dermatology Service at the VA Ann Arbor Hospital, where he continues his teaching and clinical practice. Dr. Ellis has been named an Honored Member of the American Academy of Dermatology. At the University of Michigan, he received the H. R. Johnson Award for Leadership in Diversity. In the University’s Health System, Dr. Ellis has been recognized as a “doctor’s doctor” and was chosen as an Inaugural Member of the Medical School’s League of Educational Excellence and named to its Academy of Medical Educators. Dr. Ellis received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School with Distinction in Research and served his residency in the University’s Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Aziz Ghahary, Ph.D.
Dr. Ghahary is a co-inventor of FS1/FS2. A Professor in UBC’s Department of Surgery, Dr. Ghahary is also Director of the Burn and Wound Healing Research Group at Vancouver General Hospital. Dr. Ghahary has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles in eminent, internationally recognized journals and has extensive experience in the field of wound healing and dermal fibroproliferative disorders. He has previously identified a keratinocyte releasable anti-fibrogenic factor for dermal fibroblasts for a protein identified as “stratifin” (a sigma isoform of the 14-3-3 family proteins). He later showed two isoforms of 14-3-3 (eta and gamma) specifically present in the synovial fluid of the patients with rheumatic arthritis. Dr. Ghahary is the lead inventor on patent application “14-3-3 Proteins as Biomarkers for Arthritis” originally filed (UILO File # 06-117) in 2007. UBC licensed that technology to a spin-off company, Augurex Life Science Co., in 2007 and filed a PCT /CA2007000817 thereafter. Among 85 different technologies submitted to the BC Innovation Competition, this project ranked #1 and later received CIHR POP Phase 2 funding (equivalent to NIH funding in the U.S.). This product is now on the market in the U.S. and recently received Health Canada market approval for sale in Canada.
Dr. Reza Jalili, MD Ph.D.
Dr. Reza Jalili is a co-inventor of the autoimmune therapy technology licensed by Birch. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, at UBC. Dr. Jalili obtained his M.D. at Tehran University of Medical Sciences and his Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from UBC before completing his Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Jalili’s work focuses on finding novel treatments that can repair chronic wounds efficiently, while also reducing side effects in injured individuals. To do so, part of his research is centered on identifying which wound types heal easily and which cell types are involved in the wound healing process. In addition, Dr. Jalili also studies transplantation immunology: specifically, how to prevent graft rejection after transplantations. Dr. Jalili is currently investigating ways to suppress the immune system with few side effects so that graft rejection does not occur. Dr. Jalili is currently working with Dr. Aziz Ghahary to use IDO expressing dermal fibroblasts to prevent the progression of Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disease. In his earlier work Dr. Jalili was a lead investigator on strategies to induce tolerance following islet transplantation in mice with naturally occurring Type 1 Diabetes. While a Ph.D. student in Dr. Ghahary’s lab, he discovered a novel cell-based therapy to increase the survival rate of regulatory immune T-cells and prevent graft rejections following transplantation. His work has been published in several leading journals, including “Diabetes”, which is a top journal in the field.
Mark S. Nestor, MD, PhD
Dr. Nestor is recognized as a world expert in skin cancer and cutaneous oncology, superficial radiation therapy, cutaneous laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, and the use of fillers and toxins in aesthetic medicine. Director of the Center for Cosmetic Enhancement® and the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research® in Aventura, Florida, he is a voluntary associate professor of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, and past president of the American Society for Photodynamic Therapy, the International Society for Cosmetic and Laser Surgeons, and Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Nestor received his Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology and Immunology from UCLA and his medical degree from UCLA School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Dermatology at New York University. Dr. Nestor conducts FDA and non-FDA clinical trials on pharmaceuticals and devices used in clinical and aesthetic dermatology. He also serves as a consultant to numerous pharmaceutical and device companies—assisting them in the development of new medications, devices, and cosmeceuticals. Dr. Nestor also has authored more than 65 articles and book chapters and has delivered over 600 major presentations around the world. He has also directed over 50 meetings and symposia on relevant topics in the field of cosmetic dermatology, laser surgery and practice management. He also chairs the Annual South Beach Symposium.
Anthony Papp, MD, PhD, FRCSC – Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Papp is a plastic surgeon and Clinical Professor of Surgery at UBC Medical, with specific responsibility for the medical center’s Spinal Cord Injury Wound Clinic and Complex Wound Clinic. As a director for the BC Professional Firefighters’ Burn Unit at Vancouver General Hospital, he leads the Provincial Burn Program with responsibilities in teaching and research in addition to his clinical patient care. Dr. Papp completed his initial medical training in Finland, graduating from the University of Kuopio, Finland, and later specializing first in general surgery and plastic surgery. Dr. Papp served as a senior consultant (active staff) in the Department of Plastic Surgery in Kuopio University Hospital, where he was in charge of a national burn center. He also acted as the Head of Plastic Surgery there before he relocated to Vancouver in 2007. Dr. Papp has also worked in Abu Dhabi as a senior consultant in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Hospital, taught and consulted for several of Finland’s leading hospitals, and served as a visiting professor in Winnipeg and Kuwait City. Dr. Papp has 35 original publications in international scientific journals, 60 international conference abstracts, 15 other publications and has written 20 book chapters. A world-renowned lecturer and reviewer/editor for several international scientific journals, Dr. Papp was named “Leading Physician of the World” and “Top Plastic Surgeon in British Columbia” by the International Association of Plastic Surgeons in 2015.
Scott Rineer, MD, MPH FACEP FAAEM
Dr. Rineer is board-certified in emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and the American College of Emergency Physicians. An expert in wounds and trauma injuries, Dr. Rineer received his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine and received flight surgery training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. Dr. Rineer served as Force Surgeon for the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command, where he was responsible for the medical lay down and care for both OIF and OEF conflicts in Afghanistan. He was directly responsible for coordinating implementation of the Royal Jordanian Medical Services alongside USMC/USN, and joint and coalition medical forces. He was General Medical Officer at the Recruit Training Command in San Diego, flight surgeon in the Second Marine Aircraft Wing for VMA(AW)-332, VMAQ-3, SOES and Group Surgeon, MWSG-27. Multiple deployments included a six-month period at the MCAS Iwakuni, Japan with the “Moondogs” VMAQ-3. During his combat tours, Dr. Rineer earned the Combat Action Ribbon and the U.S. Army’s prestigious expeditionary field badge. He completed “Deep Freeze” Antarctica and is the recipient of the Antarctica Service Medal, a number of U.S. Naval Commendation Medals and the USN/USMC parachutist designation. Prior to reporting as the Senior Medical Officer aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, he completed his Aerospace Medicine Residency and the USAF Critical Care Air Transport Team training. Dr. Rineer’s postgraduate work includes a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance from at the USF’s College of Public Health. Since retiring as a Captain in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Rineer has been practicing Emergency Medicine in Florida.
