In addition to an experienced, qualified staff of research scientists, Q Therapeutics has enlisted the advice and assistance of some of the world's leading experts in the development of therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.
Ian Duncan, BVMS, MRCVS, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Wisconsin
Dr. Duncan is a leading research authority on myelin repair by cell transplantation, with multiple sclerosis (MS) as a main interest. Dr. Duncan has also done extensive studies treating leukodystrophies with stem cells. He received degrees in veterinary medicine and a Ph.D. from Glasgow University in Scotland and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy. Dr. Duncan collaborates with Q Therapeutics in running animal studies in inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as MS.
Linda L. Kelley, Ph.D.
Director, University of Utah's Cell Therapy Facility, and Professor of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine
Dr. Kelley has been Director of the University of Utah's Cell Therapy Facility since 1994, gaining international recognition in the cellular therapy field for her work there. She serves on multiple boards and committees advising on scientific policy and establishing standards and regulations for the stem cell field, including the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), the Cord Blood Standards Committee for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), and the Committee of the National Academy of Sciences to advise congress on structure and budget for the national cord blood program. She has also established the Utah Umbilical Cord Blood Program. Dr. Kelley and her team are currently facilitating FDA approval for iniation of several Phase I clinical trials for treatment of degenerative diseases using novel stem cell therapies. She was recently awarded a Center of Excellence in Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine for the State of Utah.
Douglas Kerr, MD, Ph.D.
Director, Transverse Myelitis Center, and Associate Professor of Neurology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Kerr serves as the Director of the
Transverse Myelitis Center at Johns Hopkins, the world's leading clinical and research center specializing in Transverse Myelitis (TM). Dr. Kerr's clinical practice focuses on the comprehensive evaluation of TM, and his research is directed towards determining its causes and developing new treatment options. Dr. Kerr also works on stem cells as a therapeutic tool for functional recovery in patients with TM and motor neuron diseases, and will be the Principal Investigator for the Company's Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial in Transverse Myelitis. Dr. Kerr is also conducting preclinical studies with Q Therapeutics.
Nicholas J. Maragakis, MD
Associate Professor of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Maragakis treats patients with a variety of neuromuscular disorders, with an emphasis on patients with motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). This expertise is coordinated with the ALS clinic at Johns Hopkins, a multidisciplinary clinic. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Maragakis' laboratory studies the role of astrocytes (the supporting cells of the brain) in causing and propagating neurological diseases, such as ALS. Q Therapeutics is conducting animal studies with Dr. Maragakis in models of ALS.
Thomas N. Parks, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research and Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Utah
Executive Director, The Brain Institute at The University of Utah
Dr. Parks's work in developmental neurobiology has provided an influential model of how the brain responds to early deafness. His current research interest is in the neurobiology and genetics of human auditory processing disorders. He is studying how early exposure to sound, and early deafness, affect the development of the brain circuits that support normal hearing.
Under his leadership, The Brain Institute has launched collaborative research teams that bring University of Utah scientists, physicians and engineers together with industry and community partners to find better approaches to a wide array of brain disorders including multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and stroke.
In 1986, Dr. Parks co-founded NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., using licensed technology developed in his University of Utah laboratory. Now a public company, NPS has brought two drugs to market and has several others in development. Dr. Parks completed his undergraduate work at the University of California, Irvine, and holds a Ph.D. from Yale University. He has been on the faculty at the University of Utah's School of Medicine since 1978.
Mahendra Rao, MD, Ph.D.
Scientific Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Consultant
Dr. Rao is a world leader in glial stem cell biology and serves as Chief Scientific Consultant. Dr. Rao received his M.D. from Bombay University in India, his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology, and did his postdoctoral studies at Case Western Reserve University. From 1994 to May 2001, he was a professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where his research focused on stem cells of the central nervous system. Dr. Rao served as stem cell section chief in the Laboratory of Neuroscience at NIH’s National Institute of Aging until October 2005, and joined Invitrogen as head of stem cell research in 2006. He was also a member of the Biological Response Modifiers Committee (BRMC) that plays an advisory role to the FDA on cell-based therapies. Dr. Rao currently is Vice President of Stem Cell Research at Invitrogen, Corp.
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