Scientific Advisors
Dennis Roop, Ph.D.
Professor of Dermatology and Director of the Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (UCD). Dr. Roop’s expertise in stem cell biology will be key in advancing Taiga’s programs related to the development of a universal donor hematopoietic stem cell line.
Peter Kiener, Ph.D.
President and CEO of Zyngetia. Prior to joining Zyngentia, Dr. Kiener served as the executive vice president of biologics and global head of biologics R&D at AstraZeneca PLC/MedImmune. Dr. Kiener has expertise in the area of antibody-based therapeutics as well as the design and implementation of clinical trials. His expertise will be key in the advancement of Taiga’s fully-human therapeutic antibody platform.
David B. Weiner, Ph.D.
Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board, Inovio Biomedical and Professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Weiner is a world-renowned leader in immunology as well as gene vaccines and therapy. Dr. Weiner has been selected by the Institute for Scientific Information as one of the top cited scientists in the world. He serves and has served as an advisor to and collaborator with several leading companies. He is a special employee and advisor for FDA/CBER and the NIH-NIAID-DAIDS Grant Review process. Dr. Weiner was a co-founder of VGX Pharmaceuticals, which merged with Inovio Biomedical in June 2009.
Jakub Tolar, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota in the Division of Hematology-Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and attends on both the Pediatric Hematology Oncology and the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation service. He received an M.D. from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and his Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota. He completed his residency in Pediatrics and a fellowship in hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplantation at the University of Minnesota. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Hematology/Oncology. Dr. Tolar has served on the Program Committee and Non-Immune Cytopenias Committee of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology since May 2004.
Jack McGuire
Former President and CEO of the American Red Cross (ARC). Prior to that, Mr. McGuire’s career included more than 22 years as a leader in the biomedical field, including senior executive positions at companies including Whatman PCL-North America, Hemasure, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho Diagnostics. Mr. McGuire’s extensive business experience relating to hematology and other critical medical products will be vital for advancing Taiga’s red blood cell pharming technology platform.
