ACUMEN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Manager, Clinical Trial Supply
- Manager, Clinical Trial Supply / FINANCE & BUSINESS
Adam Mann joined the Acumen team in April of 2023 as the Manager, Clinical Trial Supply and has over 7 years of experience in clinical operations and clinical supply. Adam has extensive background in clinical site start-up, clinical monitoring, forecasting, IRT systems and oversight, as well as logistics, packaging and labeling. Adam has served in various roles over the years including Clinical Administrative Assistant and Clinical Research Associate at TG Therapeutics; Operations, Project Manager at Clinigen; and Manager, Clinical Supply and Logistics Oversight. Prior to joining Acumen, Adam worked at Veru Inc. where he was responsible for all processes in clinical supply and led efforts to starting up and closing out multiple studies from a supply chain perspective. Adam holds BA in Religion and Philosophy in Jefferson City, TN.
Job Titles:
- Head of Investor Relations
- Vice President
Alex Braun joined Acumen in September 2022 as the Head of Investor Relations and brings industry experience from a range of companies in the healthcare space. In her role, she oversees strategic engagement with the investment community. Prior to Acumen, Alex served as Director of IR at Alkermes, a CNS-focused biotech. Alex was also previously part of the IR team at CVS Health, during which time it acquired Aetna. Alex holds an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business and a BA from Connecticut College.
Job Titles:
- Senior Scientist, Bioanalytical / PK
Alex Davis has been in the bioanalytical industry since 2014. He joined Acumen as a Senior Scientist in September 2023. Alex currently uses his expertise in troubleshooting immunoassay method development and validation to oversee and support the creation of assays used for bioanalytical testing. Prior to joining Acumen, he worked as a lead research scientist and principal investigator at multiple contract research organizations where he engaged in the development and validation of immunoassays (PK, ADA, NAb, Biomarkers). Alex earned his BS in Biotechnology from James Madison University.
Job Titles:
- CMC Scientist
- CMC Scientist, Drug Substance
Alex Hodge joined in June 2022, bringing over six years of experience to the Acumen team with a background in biologics process development and process scale-up. Alex began his career as an Applications Engineer for ThermoFisher Scientific within the bioproduction, single-use technology group. More recently, he served as a process development scientist for KBI Biopharma, leading upstream process development efforts for over a dozen molecules. Alex received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Ohio State University and Ph.D in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University.
Job Titles:
- Supervising Senior Accountant
Alexander Colin, CPA, joined the Acumen team in July 2022 as a Senior Staff Accountant and has over 6 years of experience in Finance and Accounting. He has an extensive background in accounting system implementations and has expertise in financial reporting. Prior to joining Acumen, Alexander was an Associate Staff Accountant at Eli Lilly & Co where he was responsible for tracking dose and shipping costs for Amyvid and Tauvid, and led efforts to implement a new accounting system. Alexander spent 3 years studying Rabbinic Studies in Jerusalem and earned his CPA during his time with Lilly. He holds a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Trial Manager
- Senior Clinical Trial Manager
Alyssa Carroll joined Acumen as a Clinical Trial Manager in 2022. Alyssa has over 7 years' experience supporting Neurodegenerative research, including working on global Phase 3 Alzheimer's Disease trials for Eli Lilly and Phase 3b/4 Alzheimer's Disease trials for Biogen. She has contributed as a Clinical Monitor, Clinical Monitor Manger and Clinical Lead for these trials. Alyssa has demonstrated success in clinical trial oversight including: site activation and management, creating and maintaining study plans, and organizational process improvement. Alyssa received her MS in Anatomy and Neurobiology from Boston University School of Medicine in 2016.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Quality Assurance
Amber Dilley has 18 years of experience in R&D, technical services, IT and quality, and joined Acumen in 2021. She has held various key management positions throughout her career at B2S Life Sciences, Baxter Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly. In her last position as a quality and IT director, she led a quality team in developing and implementing a quality management system and IT network for a biotherapeutic drug development company. Dilley's knowledge expands from development through commercial manufacturing operations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana.
Job Titles:
- Staff Accountant
- in 2023 As a Staff Accountant
- Staff Accountant / HR & ORGANIZATION
Brandon Duncan joined Acumen in 2023 as a Staff Accountant. In this role, Brandon supports Acumen's mission through financial reporting and liaising with vendors. Prior to joining Acumen, Brandon worked as a consultant in higher education, collaborating with faculty and student leadership organizations. Brandon received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Oklahoma.
Caleb Finch, PhD, researches the basic mechanisms in human aging with a focus on inflammation. He has received most of the major awards in biomedical gerontology, including the Robert W. Kleemeier Award of the Gerontological Society of America in 1985, the Sandoz Premier Prize by the International Geriatric Association in 1995, and the Irving Wright Award of AFAR and the Research Award of AGE in 1999. He was the founder of the NIA-funded Alzheimer Disease Research Center in 1984. Finch became a University Distinguished Professor in 1989, an honor held by thirty other professors at USC who contribute to multiple fields. In 2018 Finch received an honorary doctorate from The French Academy. Dr. Finch has written six books and 600 articles.
Colin Masters, MD is the Laureate Professor of Dementia Research and Head of the Neurodegeneration Division at The Florey Institute, The University of Melbourne and a consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Dr. Masters has focused his career on research in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. His work over the last 35 years is widely acknowledged as having had a major influence on Alzheimer's disease research world-wide, particularly the collaborative studies conducted with Konrad Beyreuther in which they discovered the proteolytic neuronal origin of the Aβ amyloid protein which causes Alzheimer's disease. This work has led to the continued development of diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease. More recently, his focus has been on describing the natural history of Alzheimer's disease as a necessary preparatory step for therapeutic disease modification.
His achievements have been recognized by the receipt of many international awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer's Disease Research from the Alzheimer's Association, and the Grand Hamdan International Award for Medical Sciences in the field of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Neurological Disorders.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Neurology
Cynthia Lemere, PhD is an Associate Professor of Neurology in the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Lemere's research focuses on using the immune system therapeutically for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Studies out of her lab explore the role of immune system proteins in Alzheimer's disease and the clearance of amyloid-beta from the brain, as well as gaining a better understanding of the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome; identifying the risks of deep space radiation on the brain; and understanding the contributions of a disease-related, modified form of amyloid-beta, called pyroglutamate amyloid-beta, to Alzheimer's disease and determining its value as a therapeutic target.
In 1997, Dr. Lemere started her own lab when she became an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. There, her interests shifted to include the role of inflammation and the immune system in Alzheimer's disease. In 2004, she became an Associate Professor of Neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School and since then, the majority of her work has focused on developing a safe and effective amyloid-beta vaccine for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Lemere serves on several national and international scientific advisory boards, including the ADPD Scientific Advisory Council, the Brightfocus Foundation Scientific Review Council, the National Alzheimer's Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, and the DIAN-TU Therapeutic Evaluation Committee.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Daniel O'Connell has over 20 years of venture creation, venture investment and start-up operations experience with a focus on neurosciences companies. He has served as president and chief executive officer of Acumen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., since December 2014. Under his leadership, Acumen has successfully transitioned from a privately held, pre-clinical biotech company to a publicly traded clinical-stage company developing a potential best-in-class treatment for early Alzheimer's disease.
O'Connell previously cofounded and served as president and chief executive officer of Functional NeuroModulation Ltd., a clinical-stage company developing deep brain stimulation therapies for Alzheimer's disease. O'Connell is a founding member and former managing partner of NeuroVentures Capital, LLC, a firm he helped to invest in emerging neurosciences companies. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Director, Data Management
David Potter joined Acumen in October 2022 and is an accomplished clinical data management (CDM) professional with more than 28 years' experience and extensive background in Data Management operations. He has provided excellent support and management in resourcing, project oversight and governance, supporting project teams, and collaborating with Clinical, Statistics, Programming, IT, and other cross-functional teams to ensure timelines and processes are in place and that deliverables are on time with quality and integrity.
Prior to Acumen, David was at Daiichi Sankyo as the Director of Data Management, responsible for the Specialty Medicine, Lab, and Coding groups. Prior to Daiichi-Sankyo, David was at Kyowa Kirin USA Holdings, Inc. for 13 years serving in the Biometrics Group as the Head of Data Management and Programming. He supported the growth and development of the department as well as participating in various Regulatory inspections (MHRA, EMA and FDA) as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) and served as one of the companies Cultural Ambassadors.
David started his career at Merck & Company after graduating from Southern Connecticut State University and has experience across various roles in Drug Development and Data Management/Biometrics working in both CRO and Pharmaceutical companies.
Derek Meisner - Chief Legal Officer, Secretary
Job Titles:
- Chief Legal Officer
- Corporate Secretary
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Derek Meisner joined Acumen in 2022 and brings more than two decades of experience providing counsel to public and private companies across key legal and operational functions, including regulatory compliance, debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships and corporate governance.
Prior to Acumen, Derek held similar positions at X4 Pharmaceuticals and Genocea Biosciences. Prior to Genocea, Derek served as General Counsel of multiple Boston-based financial services firms, including prominent life science investor RA Capital Management, and he was previously a partner at the international law firm K&L Gates and Branch Chief in the Division of Enforcement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Derek holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Physician
- CEO: CTRL Therapeutics, Inc
- Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Dr. Porter is a physician-entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in drug development and commercialization. He is currently the CEO of cTRL Therapeutics, a next generation cell therapy company focused on solid tumors, leveraging circulating tumor reactive lymphocytes. Previously, he was founder and CEO of Cellevolve Bio, a development and commercialization cell therapy biotech focused on neglected diseases. Additionally, he served in commercial, strategy and corporate development roles at Atara Bio, Gilead, AbbVie and Amgen. He is also a Board Member at Passage Bio, a genetics medicine company developing therapeutics for disorders of the central nervous system and Portal Innovations, LLC, a venture development engine which delivers seed capital, specialized equipment, lab space, and management expertise to early-stage biotech companies.
Dr. Porter started his career at McKinsey & Company where he worked with multiple biopharmaceutical clients. He earned his M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine and MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Johnson, PhD joined the Acumen team in January 2023 as a bioanalytical scientist. She has extensive background working with amyloid beta oligomers and has expertise in conducting immunofluorescent and biochemical assays to study the effects of amyloid beta oligomers in Alzheimer's disease models. Prior to joining Acumen, Elizabeth completed a PhD in chemistry from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. During her graduate studies, she conducted interdisciplinary work at the interface of chemistry and biology in the labs of Richard Silverman and Bill Klein and authored a dissertation on the effects of small molecules on amyloid beta oligomer-induced dysfunction in primary hippocampal neurons.
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Eric Siemers, MD, has more than 25 years experience overseeing clinical trials of neurodegenerative disease and joined Acumen as Chief Medical Officer in 2018. He joined Eli Lilly and Company in 1998 and was responsible for several clinical trials for Alzheimer's compounds, including five phase III studies as well as phase I and II studies. Prior to Lilly, Dr. Siemers founded the Indiana University Movement Disorder Clinic, where his research included Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Dr. Siemers served on the NIA/Alzheimer's Association working group that proposed new research nomenclature for Alzheimer's disease utilizing biomarkers and clinical symptoms. He was a founding member of the Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable and was on the steering committee for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Dr. Siemers earned his MD from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Expert
- Manager, Bioanalytical Methods
Erika Cline, Ph.D., is an expert in structure-function relationships of amyloid beta oligomers (Aβ Os), the target of ACU193. Cline joined Acumen full time in March 2021 after consulting for Acumen intermittently since 2014. Prior to joining Acumen, Cline worked at Northwestern University as a postdoctoral research scientist/research scientist from 2014-2021, where she developed methods for stabilizing biologically active Aβ Os, characterizing anti-AβO antibodies, and analyzing CSF proteins via multi-dimensional LC-MS. She also authored a review on Aβ Os, which was the most- read review article for the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease in 2018. At Acumen, Cline contributes to development of bioanalytical assays, management of CMC assays utilizing Aβ Os and academic research collaborations aimed at advancing ACU193. She received her doctorate in cellular and molecular biology with a certificate in nanoscience and technology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and mathematics from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Director of Biostatistics
Gopalan Sethuraman, PhD joined the Acumen team in January 2023 as the Director of Biostatistics. Dr. Sethuraman has more than 25 years of experience in biostatistics. Dr. Sethuraman has an extensive background in statistical methodology and has expertise in the design and analysis of clinical trials. Dr. Sethuraman focuses on methodology for statistical analysis of longitudinal data and in sample size estimation and sample size re-estimation.
Dr. Sethuraman has served in various roles over the years including most recently as associate professor of research at the University of South Carolina (USC). Prior to joining Acumen, Dr. Sethuraman worked at Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute (USC), where Dr. Sethuraman was responsible for the AHEAD study platform and led efforts in the design of the studies and statistical analysis.
Dr. Sethuraman holds a doctoral degree in biostatistics from the Medical University of South Carolina and a master's degree in applied statistics from the University of Michigan.
Grant Krafft, PhD, is a co-founder of Acumen and currently serves as chief scientific adviser. Prior to forming Acumen, Dr. Krafft was research professor of molecular pharmacology and biological chemistry at Northwestern University Medical School, where he and his colleagues discovered Amyloid-beta Derived Dementing Ligands (ADDLs). Dr. Krafft also served as director of research development for the ENH Research Institute. Previously, Dr. Krafft was chief technical officer of Tibotec-Virco, a HIV therapeutics and pharmacogenomics company, and a Volwiler Research Fellow at Abbott Laboratories in its diagnostics and pharmaceutical products divisions.
Dr. Krafft holds a BS in chemistry from Valparaiso University, and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is an author on more than 75 scientific papers and a co-inventor on more than 20 issued and pending patents.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager, Bioanalytical Methods
Hao Zhang, PhD, is an experienced professional in the field of immunoassay method development, validation, and sample analysis in support of drug development. His expertise focuses on the Ligand Binding Assay (LBA) on ELISA and MSD platforms in a regulated environment. He has over 5 years of experience working on method development and validation of PK, Immunogenicity (ADA, Nab), and Biomarkers. In his role at Acumen, he develops highly specific and sensitive immunoassays for measuring biologic molecules in various matrices in partnership with vendors and oversees Contract Research Organizations (CROs) as a scientific liaison and Subject Matter Expert (SME).
Prior to joining Acumen, Dr. Zhang worked as Principal Investigator and Lead Scientist at LabCorp responsible for developing and validating PK and immunogenicity assays under GLP regulations to support preclinical and clinical studies.
Zhang earned his PhD in Molecular Immunology from Academy of Military Medical Sciences, China and was a postdoctoral fellow in the program of Molecular Therapeutics at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Vice President, Head of Regulatory Affairs
Janice Hitchcock, Ph.D., has extensive experience in regulatory affairs and drug development, with over 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Hitchcock joined Acumen in 2018 to lead regulatory strategy for ACU193. She was previously at Eli Lilly and Company for 17 years, where she was regulatory affairs director responsible for Alzheimer's disease drug development programs and supported several public-private collaborations in Alzheimer's disease. Hitchcock received Lilly Research President's Awards for establishing regulatory recommendations for biologics development and for engaging external stakeholders on Alzheimer's disease regulatory policy. She was also named one of Lilly's top 100 Innovators for her contributions to the first clinical trial in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. She received her doctorate in psychology from Yale University, and headed a behavioral pharmacology laboratory for 10 years at Hoechst Marion Roussel/Aventis. Hitchcock is also co-author of several patents.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Bioanalytical Methods
Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD is Director Emeritus of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Vice Chair of the department of brain health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, and a Principal Investigator/Director of the NIH/NIGMS-funded Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience.
Dr. Cummings is a world-renowned Alzheimer's researcher and leader of clinical trials. He has been recognized for his research and leadership contributions in the field of Alzheimer's disease through the Henderson Award of the American Geriatrics Society (2006), the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Award of the national Alzheimer's Association (2008), and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology (2017). In 2010, he was honored by the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry with their Distinguished Scientist Award. In 2018, he was honored with the Leadership and Achievement Award by the International Society of CNS Drug Development, and he received the Bengt Winblad Lifetime Achievement Award from the national Alzheimer's Association.
Dr. Cummings' interests embrace clinical trials, developing new therapies for brain diseases, and the interface of neuroscience and society, and he has authored or edited 43 books and published over 725 peer-reviewed papers.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Advisor, Access Biotechnology
- Compensation Committee
- Member of Our Board of Directors
Jeffrey L. Ives, Ph.D. Dr. Ives has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2014. He is an Advisor to Access Biotechnology and a former Venture Partner at New Leaf Venture Partners. Dr. Ives also serves as a director on the board of Cara Therapeutics since 2014.
He currently also serves on the boards of several neurodegenerative disease companies including Pinteon Therapeutics, Orthogonal Neuroscience, and Astrocyte Pharmaceuticals. From 2008 until 2013, Dr. Ives served as the Chief Executive Officer of Satori Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focused on Alzheimer's disease. Prior to Satori, he served as senior vice president at Pfizer, leading the neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatry and pain research areas. Dr. Ives received his doctorate and master's degrees from Yale University and received his B.A. from Colgate University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- President
- President and Chief Development Officer at Acumen Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Doherty (Jim) is President and Chief Development Officer at Acumen Pharmaceuticals and brings over two decades of leadership experience in CNS R&D, including the development of novel medicines, such as Zulresso and Zurzuvae. Before joining Acumen, he was Chief Development Officer at Sage Therapeutics, where he led the development of novel medicines to treat CNS disorders. Dr Doherty held multiple roles during his tenure at Sage, leading efforts at various times in Preclinical Research, Experimental Medicine, and Clinical Development. Jim has led multiple program teams to progress candidate molecules through the stages of drug discovery and development. His experience with company-building, collaboration management, investor relations, and regulatory interactions has helped to build significant value to CNS pipelines.
Before Sage, Dr. Doherty was head of the preclinical Neuroscience department for the CNS and Pain Innovative Medicine unit of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for leading preclinical neuroscience research and advanced over 20 programs into clinical development. He has extensive experience leading programs in neurology, psychiatry, analgesia, seizure control, and cognition.
Dr. Doherty has published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers, abstracts, and conference presentations, and holds multiple patents. He received his B.A. from the University of Delaware, Ph.D. from Georgetown University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Quality Control Manager
- Manager, Quality Control
John Stuart, PhD, joined Acumen in 2022 and has 25 years quality control management experience with pharmaceutical products. Dr. Stuart's experience includes API, peptide, medical device, solid oral dose, and liquid products for a variety of indications. Throughout his career his focus has been on the release and stability of commercialized NDA and ANDA products. He received his PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry at Lehigh University and a BS in Chemistry at Moravian College.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President
- Head of Human Resources
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Document Control Specialist
Julie Haydon has over 20 years of experience in research, drug development, and quality. She joined Acumen in 2022. Her previous employers were Indiana University School of Medicine, Strand Diagnostics, and AIT Bioscience where she conducted medical and clinical research, DNA analysis, and assay and method development of large molecules. In her previous position she served as Quality Associate II at B2S Life Sciences. She holds a Master of Science degree in Biology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Scientist
Karen Sundell has over 30 years of experience in drug development, spanning discovery research through Phase 4 clinical trial design, implementation, analysis and data dissemination. Karen was at Eli Lilly and Company for 29 years, with her last 10 years as Principal Research Scientist on the Alzheimer's Disease Platform Team, responsible for Phase 3 clinical development. Karen has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal publications and has a broad range of experience that includes cross-functional data collection, validation, interpretation and visualization; dataflow and processing; clinical trial design and implementation; technical, medical and strategic leadership including risk mitigation and contingency planning. Karen joined Acumen in 2020.
Kasey Spencer has worked in IT for over 16 years. Over half of that time has been in IT management and engineering for regulated industries like power, wastewater, and biopharma. He has direct experience building and securing IT networks for the bio-pharma industry and has spent the last 5+ years focused on cloud-based products and offerings. He holds an Associate's Degree in Computer Network Administration and multiple Microsoft and Cisco certifications.
Job Titles:
- Director, Clinical Operations
Job Titles:
- Director, Human Resources
Katie Rink has 15 years of experience in human resources, spending the last 10 years at small, biopharmaceutical companies. She joined Acumen's Human Resources team in early 2022 as a talent acquisition/HR business partner. Prior to Acumen, she was the senior director of Human Resources at the clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, Aptinyx Inc., where she successfully shifted between strategic and tactical responsibilities to lead human resource initiatives such as talent acquisition, employee engagement, employee development and operations. She has also held roles of progressing responsibility at Circassia Pharmaceuticals and Durata Therapeutics. Rink holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and a certificate in organizational and leadership coaching from Northwestern University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Finance & Accounting / Corporate Controller
- Vice President, Finance and Accounting, and Corporate Controller
Kelly Carranza joined Acumen in July 2023 as Vice President, Finance and Accounting, and Corporate Controller, after serving Acumen for over two years in an advisory role and assisting with Acumen's initial public offering and ongoing public company reporting. Kelly brings more than 25 years of accounting, reporting and management experience to Acumen.
Prior to joining Acumen, Kelly was a Managing Director at WilliamsMarston where she assisted clients prepare for initial public offerings and SPAC transactions. Additionally, Kelly supported clients with SEC reporting, interpretation of U.S. GAAP and audit preparedness. Kelly has held VP/Controller and/or Director-level positions at several publicly-held companies in the pharmaceutical, IT services and financial services industries, as well as at a private equity-backed national consumer services business. Kelly began her career in the audit practice of KPMG after receiving her M.A. in Accounting from the University of Iowa and her B.A. in Economics from Knox College.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Audit Committee
- Biotechnology Executive
Job Titles:
- Principal Science Writer
- Principal Science Writer / QUALITY
Kimber Price, Ph.D., has over 12 years of experience in neuroscience research and more than 10 years of experience in biomedical writing. Her science background includes animal behavior and mouse models of human disease, clinical trial research and translational research in neurobehavioral pharmacology. In addition to her own research publications, Kimber has provided editing and publication support services for scientific journal submissions across multiple disciplines, including Alzheimer's disease. As a science journalist, she has also published articles in a variety of scientific and medical publications. Price earned a doctorate in neuroscience, a Master of Science in clinical research from the Medical University of South Carolina and a graduate degree in science writing at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Office Administrator
Kris Newhart joined the Acumen team in January 2023 as an Executive Assistant and Office Coordinator. She has an extensive background in office administration, C-Suite support and conference planning execution. She has spent most of her career in the healthcare sector, where she finds personal and professional growth and satisfaction in supporting a mission of bettering the quality of life for individuals.
Prior to starting at Acumen, Kris held positions at Assembly Biosciences, Hoosier Oncology Group, Pepper Construction and Eli Lilly. Much of her career, was spent at Eli Lilly where her roles included Executive Assistant in Global Market Research, Marketing Associate in Global Pricing, Recruiting Specialist in Human Resources and Global Program Management Associate for the Oncology Portfolio.
She was responsible for administrative support, leading projects to support the global pricing platform for Eli Lilly Affiliates, marketing plan execution, administrative assistant recruiting and global medical conference implementation. Kris attended Indiana University where she studied Business.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Senior Project Manager
Kristen Elkins joined the Acumen team in August 2022 as Project Manager, she brings over 10 years' experience in the research field. Kristen has successfully contributed to several complex projects for a board range of indications including pediatrics, rare disease, and oncology. During Kristen's career she has worked in several different roles within the industry, most recently working at Parexel as Project Leader in their Biotech division. In this role she was responsible for managing multiple global studies in different phases for numerous clients. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Audit Committee
- Principal on the Investment Team
- Principal, RA Capital Management
Laura Stoppel, PhD, is a Principal on the Investment Team at RA Capital Management. Laura works on both public and private investments and serves as a Board Director for Artiva Biotherapeutics, Nimbus Therapeutics, and Acumen Pharmaceuticals. Previously, Laura covered hematologic malignancies, cell therapies, retinal diseases, and orphan neurodevelopmental disorders. Laura holds a B.A. in Biology and Psychology from Harvard University, and a PhD in Neuroscience from MIT. Her graduate research investigated synaptic translation in syndromic autism.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Vice President, Head of
Liean Schenck brings over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in biologics process development, manufacturing, and CMC program management. Liean started her career at Lonza Biologics (UK) in fermentation development before spending more than 20 years at Eli Lilly and Company in various CMC roles, including several years within Lilly's Chorus group. Liean is a dedicated leader in clinical delivery as well as commercial submissions, launches and post marketing product changes. Liean's most recent role was the Head of CMC program management at Novavax. Liean received an BSC in Microbiology with Biotechnology from University of Kent at Canterbury and a MSc in Biochemical Engineering from University College London.
Liz has worked in the IT field for over 6 years. She brings her expertise from both the manufacturing and utilities industries. Liz has and continues to focus her career on providing excellent support for her team and internal customers as well as providing a focus on continuous improvement, communications, and sustainability. Liz is proud to be part of the team that is bringing hope to those affected by degenerative brain disease. She is inspired by the work done and the labor of love provided by each and every member of Acumen. She looks forward to helping create change and making the dreams of Acumen and its beneficiaries a reality.
Job Titles:
- Chief Business Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Michael Weiner, MD is a Professor in Residence in Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, Psychiatry, and Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. He is Principal Investigator of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a 14-year national longitudinal study of over 1500 subjects which is aimed at validating biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, and served as the Director of the Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND) at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center for nearly 10 years. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Weiner has worked to develop and optimize the use of MRI, PET, and blood-based biomarker methods to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of Our Board of Directors
- Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Professor of Neurology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Professor of Neurology, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Dr. Fountain has served as a member of our board of directors since June 2021. Dr. Fountain is Professor of Neurology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and has served as Director of the F.E. Dreifuss Comprehensive Program since 1998. Dr. Fountain serves as a consultant to a number of companies, including Sands Capital. Dr. Fountain is the founding co-chair of the Epilepsy Foundation's Research Roundtable for Epilepsy. Dr. Fountain is immediate past-president of the National Association of Epilepsy Centers where he remains on the board of directors ex officio. Dr. Fountain served on the FDA Peripheral and CNS Drugs Advisory Committee from November 2010 to June 2021, most recently serving as chair of the committee from February 2018 through June 2021. Dr. Fountain has been the chair of the Professional Advisory Board for the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia since 2009. Dr. Fountain received an M.D. from the University of Iowa College of Medicine and a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Assistant / OPERATIONS
Rebecca T. Jolin, MS joined the Acumen team in February 2023 as an Executive Assistant. She has an extensive background in office administration, program coordination and group facilitation. New to the pharmaceutical space, she brings the translatable skills of critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and consistency in her work, and uses her expertise in communication and organization to successfully serve in her position.
Prior to starting at Acumen, Rebecca co-founded a start-up company in Central Virginia. She was responsible for scheduling, accounts payable and receivable, employee onboarding, sales, marketing, and materials acquisition. She has successfully served in a range of roles including Director of Admissions at Oakland School and was an instructor at Appalachian State University. In her position as the Health Education Coordinator at the Virginia Center for Diabetes Prevention and Education at the University of Virginia, Rebecca developed virtual courses about the adoption and implementation of telehealth and was a Master Coach for the CDC's National Diabetes Prevention Program. Rebecca holds a BS in Biological Anthropology and an MS in Exercise Physiology, both from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Communications
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Head of Clinical Operations
Job Titles:
- Butler Hospital Brown Univesrity
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, Finance / Corporate Treasurer
Job Titles:
- Senior Clinical Research Scientist
Job Titles:
- VP, Drug Safety & Pharmacovigilance
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Business Development