TMC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Vice President, Campus Planning
Leadership
Abbey Roberson joined the Texas Medical Center in February 2016 as the vice president of planning, and focuses on identifying opportunities for enhancing the TMC campus, implementing TMC capital projects and coordinating with member institutions on a variety of campus initiatives.
Prior to joining the TMC team, Roberson spent 12 years at HOK in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Houston, where she led a planning and landscape architecture team. With a specialty in urban design, master planning and urban infill developments, her experience includes serving clients on a broad range of projects, from district plans and mixed use developments to campuses and communities in cities across the country and around the world.
She serves on the Hermann Park Conservancy Advisory Board, South Main Alliance Executive Committee and Construction Career Collaborative Board of Directors. Additionally, she is the Governance Chair of the Houston District Council of the Urban Land Institute and a Junior League of Houston, Inc. sustaining member. Roberson earned a Master of City and Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager for the Accelerator
Ahmad AlRawi joins TMC Innovation as the Program Manager for the Accelerator for cancer therapeutics. He previously worked at MD Anderson since 2014 working on several Moonshot programs in the departments of Leukemia and Molecular Pathology. His training includes an MBBS from Mutah University and a B.S. in Biochemistry and a Master's in Clinical Translation Management from the University of St. Thomas.
He has demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit through supporting the launch of a pharmacy with his family and through participating in I-Corps and related programs.
Job Titles:
- Computational Chemist, Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics
Amit Gupta, Ph.D. is the Computational Chemist for the Texas Medical Center's Cancer Therapeutics Accelerator.
Amit is passionate about drug discovery and science strategy in hopes of ultimately helping patients in need. Though he is trained as a computational chemist and has extensive experience in computational ligand and target-based drug design approaches, he is also well versed in experimental biophysical and biochemical assays. He has an 8+ year track record of success in big pharma and academic environments through learning and implementing computer-aided drug design (CADD) and medicinal chemistry intuition and taking the designs to the bench. Amit's previously held roles include Scientist at AstraZeneca, and postdoctoral fellow at Ewha Woman's University in South Korea, UT Health Science Center at Houston and University of Houston.
Amit obtained his Ph.D. degree from one of India's national laboratories, CSIR-central drug research institute (CDRI) and his research activities are well documented in more than 22 peer-reviewed publications and patents in the fields of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Program Management and Business Operations
Ashley leads TMC Innovation's program management team and business operations ensuring streamlined operational excellence and collaboration across all programs and teams.
Previously, Ashley managed the Accelerator for cancer therapeutics funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and launched in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC) and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) to support Texas-based biotech entrepreneurs and researchers contemplating translations alongside institutional technology transfer teams. Throughout her career working with MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, The Rose, and Harris Health System, Ashley has consistently led integrated and complex programs successfully by enhancing operations and exceeding program goals in fast-paced environments. As a native Houstonian, she is motivated to significantly impact healthcare and the Texas community.
Ashley earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Baylor University and her Master of Public Health from The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Chief External Affairs and Administration Officer
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Chairman of the Texas Medical Center Board of Directors
- Member of the TMC Board
Leadership
Bernard A. Harris Jr. was appointed to Chairman of the Texas Medical Center Board of Directors. Dr. Harris has been a member of the TMC board since 2018. Dr. Harris is currently CEO and Managing Partner of Vesalius Ventures, Inc. a venture capital firm, that invest in early to mid-stage healthcare technologies and companies. He is also Founder of the Harris Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports math/science education and crime prevention programs for America's youth. A former Astronaut for NASA, Dr. Harris has traveled over 7.2 million miles in space and was named the first African American to walk in space 1995.
TMC is privileged to have Dr. Harris co-lead the TMC Board of Directors with our Chairman, Downey Bridgwater.
Brandy O'Bryant is Dr. Luby's and Dr. Reiser's Executive Liaison at Texas Medical Center Innovation (TMCi). With a background in law enforcement and administrative tasks, Brandy emits a strong communications and operations persona. She displays excellence in helping coordinate and organize correspondence and materials amongst TMCi and its Partners.
Before transitioning into Executive Liaison of TMCi, Brandy worked as a Dispatcher at the Texas Medical Center Police Department, making an incredible impact within the community. Born and raised in Houston, Brandy has always set herself to engage and assist the people in her community.
Brandy enjoys the time spent at work and with her family. She believes hard work and faith are the precursors to a successful life.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Vice President, Legal
- Lead Counsel for Real Estate Development and Business Transactions
Leadership
Brian is lead counsel for real estate development and business transactions and is part of TMC's overall strategic development team. Brian was previously Senior Counsel at Live Nation, focusing on venue development, and prior to that, an associate at Mayer Brown in Chicago. Brian is a graduate of Middlebury College and Boston University School of Law.
Job Titles:
- ENTREPRENEUR in RESIDENCE, ACCELERATOR for CANCER THERAPEUTICS
Dr.Chakravarti is a world-renowned scientist with publications in high-impact journals. She was a CPRIT postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center in the laboratory of Dr.Ronald DePinho. Since completing her post-doctoral research, she has worked at multiple seed-stage bio-technology companies focusing on antibody and small molecule-based cancer therapeutics. As a Principal Scientist, she has established protocols, managed recruitment and hiring of employees, co-ordinated meetings with the various stakeholders in the company, and worked with CROs to move the projects forward. Dr.Chakravarti has extensive experience in grant writing and has played an instrumental role in the application of various SEED awards as well as the Product Development Award to CPRIT and SBIR, successfully raising $3 million from CPRIT for one of the companies. As a consulting CEO for Sporos BioDiscovery Inc., she has been an integral part of the team working to raise Series A and has developed relations with investors worldwide.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
Leadership
Denise Castillo-Rhodes is the Chief Financial Officer of Texas Medical Center, where she oversees, accounting, finance, revenue cycle, risk management, tax compliance, debt management, and the investment fund. Ms. Castillo-Rhodes has served Texas Medical Center in this capacity since 2004. Oustide of her work, Ms. Castillo-Rhodes services in leadership roles, including as the University of St Thomas Secretary of the board of directors and as Chair of the audit and finance committee. Additionally, Ms. Castillo-Rhodes is a Houston City Council-appointed Trustee of the Houston Municipal Employee Pension system. In 2022, Ms. Castillo-Rhodes was appointed by Governor Abbott to serve on the Governor's Commission for Women.
Ms. Castillo-Rhodes holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El paso and a Master of Business administration from the University of St. Thomas. She is a certified public accountant and is a member of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Public accountants.
Job Titles:
- Head of the Accelerator for Health Tech
- Head, Healthtech Accelerator
- Strategy Consultant
Devin is the Head of the Accelerator for Health Tech. In her role she collaborates with health tech companies to refine business models, hone value propositions and identify strategic needs.
Prior to joining TMCi, Devin was one of the first 10 employees at Series C funded Huma, a London based Digital Health company focused on Remote Patient Monitoring, Decentralized Clinical Trials and SaMD applications. Having worn many hats over a high growth period, most recently she led the Operations team in US market entry.
Devin is an experienced strategy consultant, having worked with provider systems, ACOs and integrated networks across the US in preparing for the transition to value-based care.
Devin earned her bachelor's degree in Biological Basis of Behavior and Healthcare Management from the University of Pennsylvania. After moving to Houston, she received her Master's in Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Texas Medical Center Innovation
- Associate Director, TMC Innovation
Dr. Emily Reiser is the Associate Director of Texas Medical Center Innovation, spearheading the Accelerators for Cancer Therapeutics, Healthtech, and international BioBridge programs. Since joining TMC in 2019, she transitioned from direct engagement with startup founders to overseeing a vast stakeholder network and now leading the recruitment of entrepreneurs in residence. Prior to joining TMC, Emily lead Eventure, an entrepreneurial community organization empowering the next generation of talent in Houston. She also contributed to the successful launch of local medtech startup, Noleus Technologies.
Emily earned her bachelor's degree in Biology from Emory University and a PhD in Bioengineering from Rice University, where her research focused on drug delivery for cancer immunotherapy.
Job Titles:
- ENTREPRENEUR in RESIDENCE, ACCELERATOR for CANCER THERAPEUTICS
Dr. Tinashe Chandauka is a life science company builder with a MD/PhD, venture capital and business development background. He is an EIR at the Texas Medical Center's Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics. Prior to this role, he was Director, Early Pipeline Development at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, an Irvine based ophthalmology company. He began his company creation career as an Associate at Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), an Oxford based venture capital fund backed by Sequoia, Google Ventures and Goldman Sachs and other limited partners. He was part of early-stage company builds across cell, gene, vaccine and immuno-oncology therapies. He was a founding member of OSE's portfolio management team. In addition, he served on the Board of Circadian Therapeutics through its Series A fundraise. Outside of work, Tinashe is a Director and Trustee of AMREF Health Africa UK. He received his PhD from the University of Oxford where he was Rhodes Scholar. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Cape Town with distinction. In Texas, he is excited and motivated to identify, build and launch several pioneering biotechnology companies that address cancer and rare diseases.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager, Biodesign and HealthTech Accelerator
Elliana Tuttle is a creative thinker and with her entrepreneurial spirit she hopes to be apart healthcare innovation and change. She began her healthcare career over 7 years ago, where she worked in various technical and operational roles before working her way into healthcare management. In her most recent role, she was the Director of Clinical Operations for an ultrasound diagnostics company. Elliana Tuttle graduated from State University of Oneonta in Communication Studies and is ARDMS registered.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved the acquisition of a 118-acre site on the corner of Old Spanish Trail and Almeda to be used as naval hospital. The hospital located on the property is now known as Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
Isaac Middleton is the Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Medical Center. He is responsible for day-to-day operations as well as developing and driving critical initiatives in support of Texas Medical Center's strategic vision. Isaac joined Texas Medical Center in 2020.
Isaac previously served as a management consultant where he focused on strategy, operations, and capital excellence across the Logistics, Transportation, Real Estate, and High Tech industries. Isaac led global teams working on top-priority strategic initiatives for his clients throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Prior to consulting, Isaac served as a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, during this time he deployed to Iraq as part of a Light Armored Reconnaissance battalion.
Isaac holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Marquette University, and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Life Director
Job Titles:
- Scientist
- Head, Biodesign
Jason Sakamoto is a scientist and entrepreneur committed to the clinical translation of transformative medical innovation that addresses the challenges and unmet needs of human disease and patient journey. He presents a unique combination of experience that features over 20 years of innovative nanomedicine-based research and developing biotech startups, with a foundation in the medical device industry. Currently, Jason runs his consulting company Minus Nine Consulting, LLC, to provide technical expertise, business development, and entrepreneurial services to his clients. Recently, he joined TMC Innovation as an Innovation Strategist with hopes to contribute to the growth and development of the local biotech/life sciences community.
Prior to Minus Nine Consulting, Jason served as the VP of Development at NanoMedical Systems (NMS: Austin, Texas) where he and his colleagues translated academic-based medical device technology from the drawing board to product launch (and early sales). He joined NMS in 2015 after leaving his Assistant Professor position where he served as a Co-Chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at the Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI). As a faculty member, he lead research efforts developing novel nano-therapeutic drug delivery systems and nano-based regenerative medicine methods for lung regeneration and wound healing. He is a co-inventor of the Multistage nanoporous silicon nanovector delivery system technology that is currently on its way down the translational pathway. During his academic tenure, he also served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Alliance for NanoHealth. The Alliance was a consortium of eight institutions of the Texas Medical Center and the Greater Houston Texas Region. The mission of the Alliance was to collectively bridge the disciplines to develop nanotechnology-based solutions to unresolved problems in medicine and to facilitate the clinical translation of these new technologies through commercialization.
Jason received his undergraduate degree in Materials Science Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. After working at the Guidant Corporation (Santa Clara, CA) making cardiovascular and peripheral stents, he attended The Ohio State University where he received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.
John S. Reale, Jr. (JR) serves as Executive in Residence (EIR) at TMC Innovation. As EIR, he is an in-house resource for companies throughout the community. In addition, he advises the Healthcare Accelerator on strategy to advance how the TMC delivers value to its Member Institutions and entrepreneurs. JR also leads the TMC Venture Fund, a $25 M fund that invests in early-stage companies changing the face of healthcare connecting through the Texas Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Vice President of Real Estate Development
Leadership
Kristen Kupperman is the Vice President of Real Estate Development at Texas Medical Center (TMC). She brings over ten years of construction experience working in New York City, Chicago, Iowa City, San Diego, and Houston. Kristen brings extensive knowledge in leading various projects while engaging directly with employees, clients, subcontractors, vendors, and our medical community. Before working at TMC, Kristen was a Project Manager for PCL Construction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Vice President of Business Analytics
Leadership
Marcus Nelson is the Vice President of Business Analytics at Texas Medical Center (TMC). In this role, he oversees all diligence for the TMC Venture Fund and leads strategic analyses for top initiatives. Marcus joined the Texas Medical Center in 2022.
Marcus previously served as the Director of Strategy and Business Operations at a logistics and technology startup in Houston (cart.com), where he co-led sourcing through the close of four M&A transactions. Prior to the startup, Marcus worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. His work spanned across healthcare and advanced industries, with a focus on strategy and analytics. Marcus started his career as a field engineer at Schlumberger, working on drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Marcus holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA from UVA's Darden School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Entrepreneur in Residence, Accelerator for Cancer Therapeutics
Michael is the Co-Founder of ReCode Therapeutics; an LNP delivery platform company spun out of UT-Southwestern Medical Center. Michael transitioned an academic project into a VC-backed company, raising $280M over two years from a syndicate of top-tier healthcare funds that includes Orbimed, MPM Capital, Colt Ventures, and Vida Ventures, among others. Michael was VP of R&D and Texas site head, overseeing the planning, budgeting, and project management of 3 therapeutic programs and several discovery projects. Additionally, he is a business development expert with a deep network of buy-side and sell-side contacts.
Michael earned his bachelor's degree in Biology from Dallas Baptist University in 2006. While at DBU, he was selected as a National Institute of Health UGSP Scholar and spent a year performing research at the National Cancer Institute before entering a Ph.D. program. Michael earned his Ph.D. in cancer biology from UT-Southwestern Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Secretary
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Vice - Chair
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Vice Chairman Emeritus / Texas Medical Center / President George H.W. Bush
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Emeritus and Ex - Officio Members
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Board of Directors
- Life Director
Rose is the Front Desk Coordinator at TMC Innovation.
She is always eager to help by making all the visitors to TMC Innovation feel welcome and comfortable before meetings, events, and campus tours.
Before joining TMC Innovation, Rose worked as a Patient Specialist representative at a local medical clinic, reducing the administrative workload for staff and management. She has extensive experience in many other fields such as Front of house hostess, brand ambassador, hospitality, and customer service.
She enjoys listening to music, cooking for family and friends, and strategically organizing any chance in her spare time.
Saniya Mansuri previously worked as a Senior Privacy Specialist at Ontario Health, where she supported and led activities related to the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Ontario Health Privacy Program. She served as an advisor providing consultation on a diverse range of complex, multi-stakeholder health privacy issues and Information Technology (IT) initiatives. In addition to her corporate career, Saniya is the founder of Smart Steps, a non-profit organization that provides free academic assistance to underprivileged youth in low-income neighborhoods. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Saniya is a global citizen who values diversity and inclusivity.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
Leadership
Santos Hinojosa is the General Counsel at Texas Medical Center, where she represents the interests of the company in all legal matters. Santos' responsibilities include oversight of legal activities and policies including real estate, employee relations, financing, compliance with the TMC covenants, non-profit corporate and tax regulation, intellectual property, litigation, and the company's general business transactions. Santos was previously Texas Medical Center's Deputy General Counsel.
Prior to joining Texas Medical Center, Santos was an attorney at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., representing clients in the areas of public finance and corporate finance.
Santos holds a Bachelor of Arts - Magna Cum Laude in Government and Mexican-American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas School of Law. Santos is actively involved with the Mexican-American Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association, Annunciation Orthodox School, the Women's Mentorship Network and serves on the board for DePelchin Children's Center and the Houston Food Bank.
Job Titles:
- Innovation Community Liaison
Job Titles:
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Vice President, Marketing
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- Director, TMC Innovation
Tom Luby Ph.D. is the Director of Texas Medical Center (TMC) Innovation. In this role, he oversees all of the innovation efforts of TMC focused on research, education, and commercialization of novel healthcare solutions. Prior to this, he was the head of JLABS @ TMC in Houston, Texas. In that role, he catalyzes and support the translation of science and technology into valuable solutions for patients and consumers across the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer healthcare sectors.
Tom started at Johnson & Johnson Innovation as a New Ventures Lead at the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center in Boston. In that role, he was instrumental in fostering many deals for the Boston office, which included the expansion of JLABS to JLABS @ Toronto. Prior to J&J, Tom spent 14 years in various R&D and business development positions, most recently as Sr. Director, Research Ventures at Shire. Nine of those years were spent working in R&D and operational roles across three start-up biotech companies in the Boston area.
Tom received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from State University of New York, and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
William "Bill" McKeon is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Medical Center. He is responsible for driving strategic, operational and programmatic initiatives across the Texas Medical Center's member institutions to enhance its leadership position in the life sciences. McKeon joined the Texas Medical Center in 2013 as executive vice president, chief operating and strategy officer.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the TMC Executive Team
- President
Leadership
McKeon has served as an executive for some of the leading companies and institutions in the world, including DuPont, Stanford University Medical Center, Raytel, US Oncology and Medtronic. His experience as a President and CEO includes heading up industry-changing companies MicroPort Medical Co. in Shanghai and Cellnovo in London.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in legal studies from Roger Williams University and earned a Master's Degree from the University of San Francisco - School of Management.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President & CEO of TMC, Highlighted 2022 Achievements, Spoke about Exciting New Developments, and Discussed Future Opportunities for Collaboration
William McKeon, President & CEO of TMC, highlighted 2022 achievements, spoke about exciting new developments, and discussed future opportunities for collaboration.
Job Titles:
- Entrepreneur in Residence, Medtech
Zaffer Syed serves as Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at TMC Innovation. He brings over 20 years of broad operational experience at publicly traded and venture backed companies in the medical device sector. Prior to TMC Innovation, Zaffer was on the executive team at Saranas, a Houston-based medical device startup. As CEO of Saranas, he led the recapitalization of the company that led to the FDA De Novo classification and commercial launch of a novel real-time internal bleed monitoring system for endovascular procedures.
Zaffer oversaw clinical development, regulatory affairs and strategic marketing at OrthoAccel Technologies, a private dental device startup focused on accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Prior to working in startup ventures, Zaffer spent the first 13 years of his career in various operational roles at St. Jude Medical and Boston Scientific to support the development and commercialization of Class III implantable devices for cardiovascular and neuromodulation applications.
As an expert in the medical device field, Zaffer has published over 60 articles in scientific journals and has been invited to speak at multiple international conferences and seminars. Zaffer earned an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, an MS Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BE Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.