Charles Polsky, M.D., M.D., is a biotechnology entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience working with startups in the life sciences. He has served in several executive positions, including co-founder of the molecular diagnostic 3PrimeDx (2016-19) developing a cardiac arrhythmia biomarker to predict sudden cardiac death risk; CEO of the gene-delivery company SonoGene (2019-20), which developed ultrasound-induced sonoporation to facilitate focused payload delivery of genetic material; board member of Impossible Objects (2016-present), which is developing an additive manufacturing platform; Executive Board Chair of Bolden Therapeutics, which is developing drugs to enhance endogenous neurogenesis as a means to treat degenerative diseases of the CNS; and Executive Advisor to ReAx Biotherapeutics, which is developing its proprietary SPARC drug discovery engine to hit traditionally-undruggable targets within the Oncology space and beyond, among others. From 2015-2019, Dr. Polsky served as President and CEO of William Harris Investors, a Chicago-based family investment office, and oversaw day-to-day operations of a 35-person staff managing investing, asset allocation, tax accounting and estate planning, trust administration and other services. Beginning in 2019, he retired as CEO of William Harris Investors to pursue early-stage biotechnology consulting fulltime. Since then, engagements have included CEO at SonoGene (Gene Delivery Startup, 2019-2020), Executive Board Chair at RigImmune (Yale University Oncology startup; 2020-21), Executive Board Chair at Bolden Therapeutics (2020-present), Executive Advisor to ReAx Bio (UChicago Cancer drug discovery startup; 2021-present), and Executive Board Chair for Beyond Barriers Therapeutics (2022-present), a developer of intranasal N-acetyl cysteine to treat traumatic brain injury (2022-present). In his various board and advisory capacities, Dr. Polsky has provided strategic guidance, negotiated licenses and material transfer agreements (MTAs) with universities, created pro forma budgets, participated in discussions pertaining to scientific, regulatory, drug development and other technical topics, set up PEO benefits packages for employees and helped create employee handbooks and other corporate governance materials.Beyond his work above, Dr. Polsky has been a named author on several peer-reviewed academic scientific publications and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society in 1997. He holds an M.D. from the University of Chicago and a BA in Mathematics from Yale University, and presently lives in Chicago with his wife and youngest daughter.
Charles Polsky, M.D., M.D., is a biotechnology entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience working with startups in the life sciences. He has served in several executive positions, including co-founder of the molecular diagnostic 3PrimeDx (2016-19) developing a cardiac arrhythmia biomarker to predict sudden cardiac death risk; CEO of the gene-delivery company SonoGene (2019-20), which developed ultrasound-induced sonoporation to facilitate focused payload delivery of genetic material; board member of Impossible Objects (2016-present), which is developing an additive manufacturing platform; Executive Board Chair of Bolden Therapeutics, which is developing drugs to enhance endogenous neurogenesis as a means to treat degenerative diseases of the CNS; and Executive Advisor to ReAx Biotherapeutics, which is developing its proprietary SPARC drug discovery engine to hit traditionally-undruggable targets within the Oncology space and beyond, among others. From 2015-2019, Dr. Polsky served as President and CEO of William Harris Investors, a Chicago-based family investment office, and oversaw day-to-day operations of a 35-person staff managing investing, asset allocation, tax accounting and estate planning, trust administration and other services. Beginning in 2019, he retired as CEO of William Harris Investors to pursue early-stage biotechnology consulting fulltime. Since then, engagements have included CEO at SonoGene (Gene Delivery Startup, 2019-2020), Executive Board Chair at RigImmune (Yale University Oncology startup; 2020-21), Executive Board Chair at Bolden Therapeutics (2020-present), Executive Advisor to ReAx Bio (UChicago Cancer drug discovery startup; 2021-present), and Executive Board Chair for Beyond Barriers Therapeutics (2022-present), a developer of intranasal N-acetyl cysteine to treat traumatic brain injury (2022-present). In his various board and advisory capacities, Dr. Polsky has provided strategic guidance, negotiated licenses and material transfer agreements (MTAs) with universities, created pro forma budgets, participated in discussions pertaining to scientific, regulatory, drug development and other technical topics, set up PEO benefits packages for employees and helped create employee handbooks and other corporate governance materials.Beyond his work above, Dr. Polsky has been a named author on several peer-reviewed academic scientific publications and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society in 1997. He holds an M.D. from the University of Chicago and a BA in Mathematics from Yale University, and presently lives in Chicago with his wife and youngest daughter.
Richard B. Silverman, Ph.D., the founder of AKAVA Therapeutics, is the Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and Pharmacology at Northwestern University, where he has been a professor for 50 years. He is the inventor of the molecule that became the blockbuster drug Lyrica®, marketed by Pfizer for fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury pain, and epilepsy; inventor of CPP-115, which successful completed a Phase I clinical trial and has been taken by a child with infantile spasms, refractory to all other medications, for the last eight years; and inventor of OV329, licensed to Ovid Therapeutics for epilepsies. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the following (since 2009): Elected to National Academy of Sciences (2023), Member, National Academy of Sciences (2023), Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry (2021), Creative Invention Award of the American Chemical Society (ACS) (2017), Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014), Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2014), iCON Innovator Award of the iBIO Institute (2014), Medicinal Chemistry Prize of the Israel Chemical Society (2014), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) (2013), Centenary Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2013), Bristol-Myers Squibb-Edward E. Smissman Award of the ACS (2013), Sato Memorial International Award of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan (2012), Fellow of the ACS (2011), E.B. Hershberg Award for Important Discoveries in Medicinally Active Substances of the ACS (2011), Perkin Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry (2009), Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame of the ACS (2009). He has published nearly 400 research papers, five books, and holds 130 patents. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University, and carried out postdoctoral studies in enzymology at Brandeis University prior to joining the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University.
Richard B. Silverman, Ph.D., the founder of AKAVA Therapeutics, is the Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor in the Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and Pharmacology at Northwestern University, where he has been a professor for 50 years. He is the inventor of the molecule that became the blockbuster drug Lyrica®, marketed by Pfizer for fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury pain, and epilepsy; inventor of CPP-115, which successful completed a Phase I clinical trial and has been taken by a child with infantile spasms, refractory to all other medications, for the last eight years; and inventor of OV329, licensed to Ovid Therapeutics for epilepsies. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the following (since 2009): Elected to National Academy of Sciences (2023), Member, National Academy of Sciences (2023), Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry (2021), Creative Invention Award of the American Chemical Society (ACS) (2017), Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014), Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2014), iCON Innovator Award of the iBIO Institute (2014), Medicinal Chemistry Prize of the Israel Chemical Society (2014), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) (2013), Centenary Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2013), Bristol-Myers Squibb-Edward E. Smissman Award of the ACS (2013), Sato Memorial International Award of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan (2012), Fellow of the ACS (2011), E.B. Hershberg Award for Important Discoveries in Medicinally Active Substances of the ACS (2011), Perkin Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry (2009), Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame of the ACS (2009). He has published nearly 400 research papers, five books, and holds 130 patents. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University, and carried out postdoctoral studies in enzymology at Brandeis University prior to joining the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University.
Olga Jasinsky, MBA, MS, Director of Operations, joined AKAVA Therapeutics with over 35 years of drug development experience at both large and small pharmaceutical companies. Her experience covers all phases of pharmaceutical and clinical development in multiple therapeutic areas including neuroscience, immunology, metabolic conditions, and infectious disease. She has led cross functional pharmaceutical project teams to numerous successful IND submissions and other development milestones. Olga has also managed a variety of Phase 1-4 clinical programs including pivotal registration studies for several New Drug Applications and supplemental submissions for label extensions. She has a proven track record for successfully managing complex global drug development programs within timelines and budget. Olga holds a B.S. in Biology from DePaul University, an M.B.A. from Loyola University, and an M.S. in Product Development from Northwestern University.
Olga Jasinsky, MBA, MS, Director of Operations, joined AKAVA Therapeutics with over 35 years of drug development experience at both large and small pharmaceutical companies. Her experience covers all phases of pharmaceutical and clinical development in multiple therapeutic areas including neuroscience, immunology, metabolic conditions, and infectious disease. She has led cross functional pharmaceutical project teams to numerous successful IND submissions and other development milestones. Olga has also managed a variety of Phase 1-4 clinical programs including pivotal registration studies for several New Drug Applications and supplemental submissions for label extensions. She has a proven track record for successfully managing complex global drug development programs within timelines and budget. Olga holds a B.S. in Biology from DePaul University, an M.B.A. from Loyola University, and an M.S. in Product Development from Northwestern University.