Dr. Gareth Hughes is a biomedical engineer who has been involved with micro- and nanotechnology for lifesciences since 1994 and has helped start or grow 4 medtech/biotech startups. Dr. Hughes holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from the University of Dallas. He is well-versed in non-dilutive funding, winning $10MM in grants.

Dr. Rob Burgess is Director of Business Development for RayBiotech, Inc. He previously held the positions of Vice President, Business Development for the U.K.-based firm Stem Cell Sciences, LLC and Vice President, Research and Development for Zyvex Corporation. Dr. Burgess holds a B.A. in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr. Rockford Draper is a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas with joint appointments in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology and the Chemistry Department and is a member of the NanoTech Institute. He obtained his BA in chemistry from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Dr. Ellen Vitetta is Director of the Cancer Immunobiology Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She has published 475 papers, edited several books, and is a co-inventor on 13 issued patents. Over the past two decades, she has developed antibody-based “biological missiles” (immunotoxins) to destroy cancer cells. These novel therapeutics have been evaluated in >300 humans. She is the PI on 10 FDA INDs for clinical trials.

Dr. Paul Pantano is an Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry at The University of Texas at Dallas and is a member of the NanoTech Institute. He has published over forty scientific papers and is a co-inventor on three patents. Dr. Pantano was awarded his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of California at Riverside.

Tom Klein has served as the acting CFO of two private startup biotechnology companies, Spine Wave, Inc and Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Rib-X was funded through a $21.85 million Series A round of financing, probably the largest for U.S. biotechs in 2001, then closed a $52 million Series B round in 2003. He was also Director of Finance and Treasurer of Novo Nordisk of North America, Inc., a holding company for the NYSE-listed Novo Nordisk A/S.