Leadership

 

Karl Thor, PhD - President.  Dr. Thor was most recently Co-founder and VP of Research of Urogenix Inc., a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma.  Prior to that, he was Founder and CSO of Dynogen Pharmaceuticals, Founder and CSO of PPD GenuPro, Co-Director of the Laboratory of NeuroUrology at Duke University Medical Center, and Research Scientist at Eli Lilly. Dr. Thor has served as a member of the FDA-PhARMA Industry Guidelines for Urinary Incontinence Trials, the NIH Urology Special Emphasis Study Section, and serves on the WHO’s International Consultation on Incontinence.

Eboo Versi, MD, PhD – Chief Medical Officer.   Dr. Versi is also President of Versi Consulting LLC and previously served as Head of Development and CMO at Mt Cook Pharma Inc, Senior Vice President of Development at Plethora Solutions, Vice President of Medical Affairs at Astellas (Yamanouchi) and Director of Urology and Women’s Health at Pfizer (Pharmacia). He is a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and received his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from Oxford University and his medical degree from Cambridge University.

Daniel Ricca, PhD – Vice President, Chemistry.  Dr. Ricca began his professional career in medicinal chemistry at Glaxo.  He subsequently co-founded SARCO, a combinatorial chemistry company, where he served as VP of Chemistry.  Following a successful acquisition and exit, Dr. Ricca assumed the role of VP of Chemistry for two small venture-backed drug discovery companies, Cogent Neuroscience and Dynogen Pharmaceuticals.  He holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Michigan and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California, Irvine.

Ed Burgard, PhD – Vice President, Preclinical Development.  Dr. Burgard is also Co-founder of Efflux Biosystems and was most recently Co-founder and Director of Cellular Pharmacology at Urogenix Inc.  Prior to that he held positions of Director, In vitro Pharmacology at Dynogen Pharmaceuticals, and Research Investigator at Abbott Laboratories.  Dr. Burgard received his PhD in Pharmacology from the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Alabama, Birmingham and the University of Michigan.

Lesley Marson, PhD – Vice president, Clinical Research.  Dr. Marson is also Co-founder of Efflux Biosystems and was most recently Director of Sexual Health Research at Urogenix Inc.  Prior to that she held the position of Professor in the Urology Division of the Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Here she directed a successful NIH-funded research program  and served as Study Coordinator for several clinical trials.  Dr. Marson is an internationally-recognized expert in lower urinary tract and sexual function.

Velu Karicheti, PhD – Vice President, Preclinical Research.  Dr. Karicheti is also Co-founder of Efflux Biosystems and was most recently Co-founder and Sr. Director of Research Operations at Urogenix Inc.  Prior to that he held positions of Director of Model Development at Urogenix Inc, Senior Scientist at Dynogen Pharmaceuticals, and Scientist II at Millenium Pharmaceuticals.  Dr. Karicheti received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, and completed  postdoctoral training in urology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Aura Kullmann, PhD – Director, Preclinical Research.  Dr. Kullmann is also Co-founder of Efflux Biosystems and was most recently Principal Scientist at Urogenix Inc.  Dr. Kullmann received her PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training in urology in the Pharmacology Department of the University of Pittsburgh.