Senior Management
Mary Gardner, Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Mary Gardner has more than 25 years’ experience in the life science industry. She is the founder and inventor of DelNova core assets in 2016 and has led the company through its early research phase and into its Series A financing.
Mary has been a mentor for early stage life science companies since 2014, with CONNECT and MATTER; both startup company accelerators in the greater San Diego and Chicago areas, respectively. As former Director of Technology Assessment with Hospira, a Pfizer company (~11 years), she was responsible for the front end of innovation, including supporting business development via the sourcing and evaluation of external new technology and product opportunities to generate future topline growth in healthcare products (pharmaceuticals, drug delivery and medical devices). She is experienced in the healthcare and biotechnology industries, including positions in consulting, process design engineering and project management.
Prior to joining Hospira, Mary led the Business Development office of The Lawson Health Research Institute & London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, where she was responsible for managing the IP portfolio, technology transfer & spin-off companies created from innovations arising from leading Canadian teaching hospitals.
Mary is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) and earned an MBA (finance major) from McMaster University, Hamilton and a BEngSc (Chemical & Biochemical) from the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Dr. Sameer B. Shah – Chief Scientist, PhD
Dr. Sameer B. Shah is a bioengineer with broad experience in neuromuscular physiology. After completing his BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, he was an NSF Graduate Fellow and received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from UCSD, with an emphasis on muscle cell mechanics and physiology. He completed a NIH/NRSA postdoctoral fellowship in neurobiology in the UCSD Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, working on projects related to axonal transport and Alzheimer’s Disease. His first faculty position was in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, after which he returned to UCSD, in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
He is currently an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering, and directs a cross-disciplinary research program addressing diagnosis, prevention and treatment of peripheral neuropathy, and development of novel strategies for peripheral nerve regeneration. He has published over 50 manuscripts in impactful peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has secured over $5M in funding from federal, private, and industry sources.
Dr. Steven Yoelin, MD – Chief Medical Strategist
Steve Yoelin, M.D. is a board-certified ophthalmologist based in Orange County, CA, with approximately 20 years of experience in minimally invasive medical aesthetics, such as dermal fillers, neurotoxins, and fat reduction. He serves as a strategic advisor to multibillion-dollar industry leaders and operates a private practice that focuses on injectable medical aesthetics procedures and has a multi-year waitlist, which he has built exclusively from repeat visits and word-of-mouth referrals. He has trained other clinicians through 2,000+ industry-sponsored global training programs and hundreds of continuing medical education (CME) programs. He has also led dozens of clinical trials (Phases 1 – 4) and has authored or coauthored many peer-reviewed journal articles, posters, and presentations. He has been awarded several patents for his research. He completed his ophthalmology residency and Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of California, Irvine.
Dimas Jiménez, MBA – Chief Financial Advisor
Dimas Jiménez, MBA, Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Jiménez received his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Management, his BA from Dartmouth College and has earned the CFA, Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has worked for Wall Street and life science firms for two decades. Prior to joining StemoniX, he was CFO at Orphagen Pharmaceuticals; VP Finance and Administration at Spinal Modulation; Controller at Pearl Therapeutics, and a Portfolio Manager at JP Morgan. Mr. Jiménez has led the acquisition of two of his companies including the ~$450M purchase of Spinal Modulation by St. Jude Medical.