A World Class Leadership Team Driving Innovation
Krishnan (Nandu) Nandabalan Ph.D.
President and CEO
Over the past decade, Dr. Nandabalan has pioneered the application of big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to monitor emerging healthcare innovation through the assimilation and query of large data sets. He successfully led the spinout of BioXcel Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BTAI), and InveniAI, from parent company BioXcel LLC. InveniAI has successfully created an AI- and ML-powered platform that monitors drug targets, drugs, and healthcare products and technologies. Dr. Nandabalan is a serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including R&D, operations, and business development. He has extensive experience in M&A and in- and out-licensing. He has completed deals with key industry players such as AstraZeneca, Biogen, BMS, Daiichi Sankyo, GSK, J&J, Kyowa Kirin, Merck KGaA, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Organon, Otsuka, Pfizer, Pharmacia, Shionogi, and Takeda, among others.
He served as VP of Corporate Development at Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, a trailblazer in pharmacogenomics and its widespread cceptance. Before this, he was Group Leader of the Functional Genomics Group at CuraGen Corp. He has 12 issued patents and published in leading journals such as Cell and Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Indian Institute of Science, India, and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Yale University, Connecticut.
Aman Kant
Chief Business Officer
Mr. Kant is a passionate leader with over 15 years of experience driving organizational strategy, productivity and efficiency, P&L, competitive strategy, and building and leading global, cross-functional teams. Mr. Kant is responsible for managing external partners including IR/PR, marketing agencies for branding and positioning, and designing and implementing best practices and strategy to drive value for corporate stakeholders via industry collaborations. His extensive knowledge of competitive strategy, deal-making, and alliance management has led to the consummation of more than two-dozen significant transactions across the US, EU and Asian markets. He is highly focused and adept at delivering value to partners through technology solutions with a depth and breadth of knowledge spanning all major therapeutic areas and modalities impacting biopharma innovation. Mr. Kant has expert knowledge across adjacencies such as consumer healthcare, vaccines, animal therapeutics, and nutrition. He also played a key role raising both private and public capital for BioXcel LLC and its subsidiaries.
Prior to joining InveniAI, Mr. Kant played a significant role in the parent Company, BioXcel LLC, where he led the assessment and negotiation of numerous collaborations that expanded and strengthened the value proposition of big data analytics and AI tools across the pharmaceutical R&D value chain. Mr. Kant has forged strong relationships with key opinion leaders and industry executives with a focus on bringing people together to ultimately impact human health and wellness. Mr. Kant holds a B.Tech in Biotechnology.
Madan Anant, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Anant is a target discovery professional with over 20 years of experience in diverse biomedical research. He has expertise in conducting scientific due diligence and designing and developing proof-of-concept programs in all major therapeutic areas As a scientist with a proven track record in target identification and validation and a crucial inquisitiveness, he has provided valuable biological insights and recommendations on novel target discovery programs in a number of major therapeutic areas. In his previous roles at CuraGen, Genelogic, and Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, as Program Lead and Director of Scientific Alliances, he led multiple biotech and pharmaceutical collaborations and provided actionable scientific insights on target selection to their target discovery teams. He has been instrumental in prioritizing R&D initiatives for biologics, small molecules, biomarkers, and technologies based on feasibility of development, clinical impact, and their commercial potential. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Veterinary sciences, a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Cell Biology from the Indian Institute of Science, India, and Post-doctoral experience from Yale University.
Michael Aiello, CPA
Vice President, Finance and Accounting
Having worked for several life-science companies, he brings diverse financial management experience in executing financial plans with consistent success in improving performance and company value. He has a history of starting, growing, and improving profitability in small and medium-sized companies while positioning them for the next phase of growth. Mr Aiello began his career in public accounting with KPMG followed by financial leadership roles, most notably as CFO of Precision X-Ray, a manufacturer of biological lab equipment, where he helped achieve double digit revenue growth resulting in a substantial increase in enterprise value. As Corporate Controller of SurgiQuest, a medical device start-up, he helped to lead a $265 million acquisition of SurgiQuest after an initial public offering. Prior to that, he served in several financial leadership roles working for both private and publicly traded companies where he honed his skillset as a financial leader. He earned his degree in Accounting from Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut. Michael is a Certified Public Accountant.
Anita Ganjoo, Ph.D.
Vice President, External Communications
Dr. Ganjoo is a marketing and corporate communications specialist with 10 years of experience. She has created, developed, and managed content for all corporate functions, including marketing, media, and investor relations, as well as developing and implementing corporate communications goals and strategies. She has primarily worked for start-ups that have grown through to IPO. She previously worked for BioXcel LLC, where she headed their corporate communications, and prior to this, she worked in scientific communications at Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, a trailblazer in pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. She completed two Post-Doctoral Fellowships at Lund University, Sweden, and at The University of Reading, UK, where she also received her Ph.D. in Biotechnology. She is the author of numerous publications and a book chapter on the applications of aqueous two-phase systems in protein purification.
Mansi Joshi
Vice President, Business Development & Alliances
Mansi is a dynamic and seasoned professional with over 12 years of experience in the biopharma industry, specializing in business development and alliance management. She is recognized for her ability to forge and manage industry collaborations, driving successful outcomes in highly competitive markets. Mansi's strategic insights have been instrumental in shaping and executing AI-driven drug discovery deals for InveniAI, where she has made significant contributions across the US, EU, and Japan. Her diverse skill set and extensive knowledge span various sectors, including pharma, consumer health, vaccines, and animal health. Mansi's professional journey includes pivotal roles at organizations such as LG Life Sciences, where she spearheaded product out-licensing, in-licensing, and co-marketing initiatives and developed product launch strategies. With a background in both biotechnology and marketing, Mansi brings a unique blend of scientific expertise and strategic acumen to her roles. She holds a Master's in Biotechnology from St. Xavier's College, India, complemented by an MBA in Marketing from the Institute of Management Technology, India.
Govindan Vijayadamodar, Ph.D., MBA
Vice President, AI & Analytics
Dr. Vijayadamodar is a passionate data science professional with over 27 years of experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, machine learning, experimental design, statistics, and data engineering. He has dedicated his career working at the forefront of applying technology-enabled solutions to expedite drug discovery and development for areas of high unmet medical need. He previously worked at CuraGen, 454 Life Sciences, Roche Diagnostics, and Clinical Data, where he applied his diverse cross-disciplinary expertise and creativity to drive drug discovery innovation logically, rapidly, and efficiently. He is a strong leader with project management experience involving cross-functional teams. He holds a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science, India, and completed Postdoctoral fellowships at Tel Aviv University, Israel, and Boston University, MA. In addition, he holds an MBA from the University of New Haven, CT.
Sanatan Upmanyu
Head of Data Sciences and Switzerland Site Head
Mr. Upmanyu is a seasoned data scientist with a background in molecular biology and more than 15 years of experience executing data-driven solutions to increase the efficiency and accuracy of scientific data processing and assimilation. He specializes in utilizing statistical, mathematical, and machine learning models with a business strategy perspective, to build algorithms necessary to pose the right questions to find the most appropriate solutions, in the pursuit of advancing global healthcare and life science innovation. Mr. Upmanyu has maintained a deep understanding of the domain and his work has been the basis of several scientific projects, patents, and research publications. He has taken the initiative and conducted exploratory data analyses and experimental designs that have provided a deeper understanding of the trends and behaviors within these markets to ultimately customize the most suitable strategies and innovative solutions. Mr. Upmanyu is also responsible for managing processes, design, research, development, and delivery of our AlphaMeld® Platform and ChatAlphaMeld. He was also responsible for conceptualization, building, and executing innovative solutions across the life cycle of drug discovery and development by leveraging Data Science and the power of Artificial Intelligence. He is also responsible for managing and growing our business in the EU from Basel, Switzerland. Mr. Upmanyu holds a B.Tech in Biotechnology.
Amit Agrawal, Ph.D.
SVP, Global Head of Portfolio Strategy and Management, Global Drug Development, Novartis
Dr. Agrawal drives pharma industry’s largest clinical development portfolio. He joined Novartis in 2018 from Amgen where he was Head of Corporate Strategy. At Amgen, he was responsible for managing strategic planning processes and communications to the Board, company-wide resource allocation planning and transformation, and driving M&A (e.g., Amgen’s acquisition of Onyx) and capital investment projects. Prior to Amgen, he was at McKinsey and finished a postdoc from MIT, where he developed and tested siRNA delivery formulations in ovarian cancer and Glioblastoma mouse models. He finished his graduate studies in Biomedical Engineering/nanotechnology from Georgia Tech, where he developed reagents, assays, and instruments for ultrasensitive biological detection/ imaging at Georgia Tech. He has an undergraduate and master’s degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. He has also worked at two startups, one of which was a small, public biotech company where he served as chief operating officer. He is an author on over 20 research articles, and in his spare time, he plays percussions for charitable causes.
Demetrios Kydonieus
President, R-Pharm
Mr. Kydonieus is a senior pharmaceutical executive with proven success leading small, medium, and large Biopharma companies in executing their corporate strategies, resulting in significant growth and shareholder value. Today, heis leading R-Pharm US, a differentiated specialty BioPharma company focused on Oncology and Immunology. R-Pharm US has marketed products in Oncology and assets in development for oncology and immunology.
In 2014, Mr. Kydonieus partnered with Mark Pavao to create a differentiated specialty BioPharma company. The opportunity to work with Russia's premier pharmaceutical company, R-Pharm JSC, presented a unique opportunity to accelerate the growth and importance of the BioPharma start-up (R-PHARM US). Prior to R-Pharm US, he was the Vice President, Strategy, Alliances and Transactions (SAT) at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) where he was instrumental in helping BMS implement the BioPharma transformation and execute the String of Pearls strategy.
Mr. Kydonieus began working at BMS in 1998 as Director, Worldwide Regulatory Affairs in the Health Care Group. After leaving the Health Care Group, he joined the Corporate Strategy and Issues Management Group as Director, Business Risk Management, where he identified and helped manage the largest risks to the BMS strategy. He later moved with his family to Boston to be General Counsel for BMS Medical Imaging, where he was a member of the business unit's Executive Team and helped lead the divestiture of the business to private equity.
Mr. Kydonieus earned his Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law and his Masters of Business Administration from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business.
Jonathan Zalevsky PH.D.
Chief Research & Development Officer, Nektar Therapeutics
Dr. Zalevsky has over 15 years of research and discovery experience in large pharmaceutical and biotech. Dr. Zalevsky joined Nektar in 2015 to lead biological and translational research and guide strategy for the Nektar discovery portfolio. Dr. Zalevsky’s expertise in immunology, as well as his experience across biological modalities and therapeutic areas, have helped fuel the growth of the company’s immuno-oncology and immunology pipeline. He led the discovery and preclinical development for NKTR-358 (a T regulatory cell stimulatory agent developed for auto-immune diseases with partner Eli Lilly & Co.) and NKTR-262 (a small molecule TLR agonist developed in combination with NKTR-214). Before joining Nektar, Dr. Zalevsky was Global Vice President and Head of the Inflammation Drug Discovery Unit at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. At Takeda, he was responsible for an immunology pipeline that spanned from early target discovery to late-stage development. Before this, Dr. Zalevsky held several research and development positions at Xencor, where he was responsible for the discovery and development of Xencor's first four clinical-stage assets. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Tetrad Program at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF).
Krishnan (Nandu) Nandabalan, Ph.D.
President and CEO, InveniAI and Co-Founder BioXcel LLC
Over the past decade, Dr. Nandabalan has pioneered the application of big data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) to monitor emerging healthcare innovation through the assimilation and query of large data sets. He successfully created two spinouts from the parent company, BioXcel (Est. 2005), a therapeutics company, BioXcel Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BTAI), and an AI applications company, InveniAI, where he is now President and CEO. InveniAI has successfully created an AI- and ML-powered platform that monitors drug targets, drugs, and healthcare products and technologies. A serial entrepreneur, Dr. Nandabalan, has over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including R&D, operations, and business development. He has extensive experience in M&A and in- and out-licensing. He has completed deals with key industry players such as AstraZeneca, Biogen, BMS, Daiichi Sankyo, GSK, J&J, Kyowa Kirin, Merck KGaA, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Organon, Otsuka, Pfizer, Pharmacia, Takeda, among others.
He has served as VP, Corporate Development at Genaissance Pharmaceuticals - a trailblazer in pharmacogenomics and its widespread acceptance. Before this, he was Group Leader of the Functional Genomics Group at CuraGen Corp. He has 12 issued patents and published in leading journals such as Cell and Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Indian Institute of Science, India, and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Yale University.