Founder and CEO, Aqualung Therapeutics

Associate Vice President for Research, UF Health, Dr. Herbert A. Wertheim Professor of Inflammation Science, Director, Center for Inflammation Science and Systems Medicine at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology at the University of Florida

Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine

Dr. Joe G. N. “Skip” Garcia is a highly acclaimed physician-scientist with a distinguished presence in the field of medicine. He is an expert in the genetic underpinnings of lung conditions, as well as the prevention and management of inflammatory lung injuries. He is widely recognized for pioneering research that has led to the creation of innovative biomarkers and treatments for critically ill individuals suffering from acute inflammatory lung diseases. Additionally, Dr. Garcia's research encompasses the pursuit of improved healthcare equity for underserved populations. His remarkable accomplishments are evident through his extensive body of work, which includes over 650 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Garcia's commitment to advancing medical knowledge is exemplified by his leadership in substantial federally-funded programs and an impressive portfolio of research sponsored by the NIH.

Former Founder and CSO of Kehpri and Rigel, Founding BOD member Sana

Don Payan, MD, is an experienced hands-on biotechnology physician-scientistexecutive. During the past 30 years in biotechnology in the two companies he has founded and ran as CSO (Khepri and Rigel), he has hired, organized and led highly productive multi discipline target and drug discovery and development teams in the areas of Immunology, Oncology and Muscle Wasting diseases. His teams have discovered and developed the first FDA approved oral SYK inhibitor for an autoimmune disease, as well as an additional 12 IND candidates. Moreover, he was instrumental in establishing multiple collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. He received his BS in Physics and MD from Stanford University, and his MS in Physics from MIT. His residency in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease fellowship were done at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. An additional fellowship in Allergy Immunology was done at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, also at HMS. Following his training at Harvard, he joined the faculty of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is an author of over 200 published articles and chapters, and an inventor on over 90 issued patents. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation. Don Payan was a founding member of the BOD of Sana Therapeutics. He is currently a member of the SABs of Terray Therapeutics and Unnatural Products. He is a co founder of Evade Therapeutics

Roy and Elaine Patterson Professor of Medicine Professor of Medicine (Allergy and Immunology), Microbiology-Immunology and Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Northwestern University School of Medicine

Founder Allakos Therapeutics

Dr. Schleimer is an expert in the molecular mechanisms of allergic disease, focusing on inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity and is a co-discoverer of Siglec-8. Dr. Schleimer has published over 400 papers and was recognized as one of the most highly cited researchers worldwide by The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). Dr. Schleimer has served on numerous boards and review committees for the NIH and on dozens of scientific and medical advisory boards for pharma, biotech and startup companies. He has also been on the editorial board of numerous medical journals relevant to Allergy and Immunology. Prior to his current position at Northwestern, Dr. Schleimer was Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Dr. Schleimer’s laboratory has had continuous funding from the NIH for over 35 years. Dr. Schleimer majored in Biology at The University of California at San Diego and received a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of California at Davis.

Dr. Streeter is the Director of Ventures at the University of Florida. His illustrious career includes founding medical technology firms such as PhotoThera and American Veterinary Laser, as well as holding the position of CEO at Banyan Biomarkers. Moreover, he has served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Quanterix (NASDAQ: QTRX), and as the CEO of the Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research, an organization dedicated to funding early-stage companies in Florida.

His leadership extends to various board appointments, including roles with the Florida Research Consortium, the Governor’s Life Science Task Force for the State of Florida, the FBI Counter Terrorism Southeast Working Group, the Walter H. Coulter Center Committee at the University of Miami, and the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Notably, Dr. Streeter also served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy and achieved the distinction of becoming the first Navy Flight Surgeon selected as a TopGun instructor. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Nevada Reno and an M.D. from the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Streeter is the inventor of more than 20 patents and an author of multiple scientific publications.