Scientific Advisors

We look to our Scientific Advisors for guidance in planning and executing all aspects of our scientific strategy and drug discovery programs.

David Cummings, M.D., University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Cummings is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition At the University of Washington. He is a world-renowned expert in the clinical pharmacology of ghrelin and related gut peptides. Dr. Cummings earned his M.D. degree from Harvard Medical School, Harvard-MIT, Division of Health Sciences and Technology and did his Residency at the University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals.. He was Chief Medical Resident at the Seattle VA Medical Center and is the recipient of a Fellowship from the University of Washington, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition.

John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Edison Biotechnology Institute.

Dr. Kopchick is a Professor of Molecular Biology at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Edison Biotechnology Institute. His research focuses on the molecular and cellular events involved in growth, obesity, and diabetes. Transgenic and gene disrupted mice are used to study these areas to determine the mechanism of growth hormone action. Dr. Kopchick earned his Ph.D. in Virology-Biomedical Sciences from the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas System Cancer Center.

Roy Smith, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Smith is the Director of the Huffington Center on Aging, and Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Baylor College of Medicine. From 1987-1998, Dr. Smith served as Senior Director and then as Vice President for Basic Research at Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co., where he was primarily involved in identifying new drug targets for metabolic diseases and drugs that would improve the quality of life in the elderly. Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Smith was a professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Smith is a pioneer in the field of ghrelin receptor pharmacology. He received degrees in chemistry, physics, and mathematics from the Royal Institute of Chemistry in London and received a Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from Queen Mary College in London.In 1972, following postdoctoral work at Vanderbilt University, Smith joined the faculty of Baylor.

Matthias H. Tschöep, M.D., University of Cincinnati Genome Research Institute.

Dr. Tschöep is a Principal Investigator in the Department of Psychiatry Obesity Research Center at Genome Research Institute. He is also an Associate Professor, Obesity Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Cincinnati and Visiting Professor, Department of Pharmacology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbrücke. Dr. Tschöep was a Resident at the Department of Internal Medicine, and a Research Fellow in the Neuroendocrine Unit, at Innenstadt University Hospital, Ludwig-Maxmilians University, Munich.

Stephen R. Farmer, Ph.D.

Dr. Farmer is Professor of Biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine. His current interests focus on understand the role of transcription factors in regulating the switch between growth and differentiation of highly specialized cells. He has specific interests in the adipogenic transcription factors, PPARs (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors) and C/EBPs, and is examining their role in insulin-dependent glucose uptake, lipogenesis, adipogenesis and expression of metabolic genes in hepatocytes. Dr. Farmer received his Bachelors of Science degree from Liverpool University and his Ph.D. from the National Institute for Medical Research in London, UK.

Jeffrey S. Flier, M.D.

Dr. Flier, George C. Reisman Professor of Medicine, is the Harvard Faculty Dean of Academic Programs and Chief Academic Officer for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. His expertise is in insulin action in health and disease, obesity and diabetes. Dr. Flier earned his M.D. at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Jeffrey O. Saunders, Ph.D.

Dr. Saunders provides the Company with chemistry expertise. He is instrumental in coordinating and directing the Company’s outsourced chemistry activities and participating in the protection of intellectual property filings. Dr. Saunders was previously Principal Investigator for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He earned his Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry at the University of South Carolina.

Manuel A. Navia, Ph.D.

Dr. Dr. Navia is currently an Executive-in Residence at Oxford Bioscience Partners. He is an expert in the field of X-ray crystallography, and has focused his career on the application of structural biology to the design and development of novel therapeutic agents through the application of structure-based drug design. Dr. Navia was a founder of Althexis Company, a Vice President at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and he established the first industrial macromolecular structure laboratory in the U. S. at Merck and Company, Inc. He earned his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Bruce Spiegelman, Ph.D., Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Spiegelman has been a full Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute since 1991. His work is focused on the molecular basis of cell differentiation and tissue development, using adipogenesis as a model system. His groundbreaking work on transcriptional control of adipocyte development and metabolism has brought international recognition. He has also made major advances in the biochemical mechanisms of metabolic diseases, especially obesity and insulin-resistant diabetes (NIDDM). Dr. Spiegelman received a B.S. with highest honors from the College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. His graduate work was immediately followed by postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Spiegelman was elected to the National Academy of Science in 2002 and has received numerous awards and other honors.

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