About Us
Experienced in ophthalmology, cell & gene therapies, clinical, regulatory and commercial.
Greg Kunst, Chief Executive Officer
Greg Kunst joins Aurion Biotech with deep and varied experience in ophthalmic medical devices, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical products. His expertise spans global corporate development, strategy, health policy, marketing, commercialization, business development, market access and medical affairs.
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Before Aurion Biotech, Greg spent 6 years at Glaukos Corporation (NYSE: GKOS) in numerous roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as vice president of global marketing, where he led the global marketing, market access, reimbursement, health economics and outcomes research, government affairs, and business development teams. Before Glaukos, Greg worked at Alcon, a Novartis company, as global franchise director over the Alcon glaucoma surgery and retina pharmaceutical businesses. Before joining Alcon, Greg worked at Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (Acelity Inc.) as the global head of market access. Greg is a member of the steering committee for the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine.
Greg received an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a BS in Economics from Brigham Young University.
Michael Goldstein, MD, MBA, President & Chief Medical Officer
Michael Goldstein leads the clinical development, clinical operations, medical affairs, manufacturing and quality teams. Before Aurion Biotech, Dr. Goldstein was president and chief medical officer at Ocular Therapeutix (Nasdaq: OCUL), a developer of longer-duration therapies for patients with ophthalmic diseases. Previously, he was chief medical officer for AGTC and Eleven Biotherapeutics. He is also an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and was co-director of the Cornea, External Disease service at Tufts University/ New England Eye Center and residency director at Tufts University/New England Eye Center.
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For over 20 years, Dr. Goldstein has been actively involved with clinical research and biotechnology consulting to small and large companies for multiple disease indications in the front and back of the eye, including biologics and small molecules. Dr. Goldstein was president of the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians (MSEPS) from 2011-2013 and has been a member of the MSEPS executive board since 2004. He was an AAO councilor representing Massachusetts for six years. Dr. Goldstein was a member of the LDP XIII class in 2010. He was previously director of the ophthalmology residency program at Tufts Medical Center and was chair of the GME Committee at Tufts Medical Center. He has won the Resident Teaching Award at Tufts Medical Center, AAO Secretariat Award for Education, and the AAO Senior Achievement Award. In addition, Dr. Goldstein is a past president and scientific program chair of CLAO, and chair of the Cornea and External Disease Panel for the AAO’s MOC. Dr. Goldstein has authored over 20 textbook chapters and given over 200 presentations across the U.S. and internationally.
Dr. Goldstein earned his MD at Northwestern University Medical School, conducted his postgraduate residency training at Boston University Medical Center and fellowship training in cornea/external diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Institute. He earned his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and his BA in Political Economy from Williams College. A sports enthusiast, Dr. Goldstein also serves as team ophthalmologist for the Boston Celtics and was previously team ophthalmologist for the Boston Breakers (soccer).
Arnaud Lacoste, MBA, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer
As chief scientific officer, Arnaud Lacoste leads the company’s research and development of advanced cell therapies for ocular diseases. Previously, Arnaud spent 12 years at Novartis where he directed cell and gene therapy programs and built iPSC, CAR-T and ophthalmology cell therapy platforms.
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At Novartis, Arnaud and his team were responsible for advancing clinical candidates from early discovery to clinical stages. Prior to Novartis, Arnaud was the director of Rockefeller University’s stem cell facility, and co-founder and chief scientific officer of Inseron, which developed genetic biomarkers for drug discovery and pathway profiling.
Arnaud holds an MBA from Boston University, a PhD in Life Sciences from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), and an undergraduate degree from the University of Bordeaux.
David Rostov, Chief Financial Officer
As chief financial officer, David Rostov is responsible for the finance and accounting team. He brings to Aurion Biotech more than 20 years of strategic financial management, a successful track record of scaling growth companies and deep expertise in M&A, private and public equity financings. Before Aurion Biotech, David was CFO of CorneaGen, a leading ophthalmology company providing biomaterials and assistive devices to transform how ophthalmologists treat patients with corneal disease. Before CorneaGen, David served as CFO at Identity Digital (formerly Donuts, Inc.), a provider of services for digital identity management, where his efforts resulted in accelerated year-over-year growth with high EBITDA profitability and a successful sale to a private equity firm.
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Previously, David was CEO of Lighthouse eDiscovery, a leading provider of information governance, compliance and e-discovery services to Fortune 500 companies and major law firms. David was part of the management team that launched drugstore.com, helped grow the business and took the company public. David has taken a personal interest in cause-related ophthalmology for many years. David holds an MBA and an MA in public policy from The University of Chicago and a BA from Oberlin College.
Jonathan Sparks, JD, PhD, Chief Legal Officer
As chief legal officer, Jonathan Sparks leads Aurion Biotech’s global legal and IP affairs. In addition to his role at Aurion, Dr. Sparks is also a partner and chair of the Intellectual Property practice at McCarter & English, LLP.
He has over 20 years of experience as a legal professional representing life science companies, both as outside counsel and as an executive at companies. In his private practice, Dr. Sparks counsels clients on general intellectual property matters, including patent prosecution, domestic and foreign patent strategy, due diligence, and patent lifecycle management. He also has extensive experience with patentability, infringement, validity, and freedom-to-operate analysis. Dr. Sparks has previously served as general counsel, chief Intellectual property counsel and chief compliance officer for Ocular Therapeutix, Inc., and general counsel for Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation.
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Prior to starting his legal career, Dr. Sparks conducted research in the areas of physical biochemistry and molecular biology while obtaining his PhD at Texas A&M University. In addition to his PhD, Dr. Sparks holds a JD from Suffolk University Law School and a BA in Biochemistry from Ithaca College.
Dr. Sparks is a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the US Patent & Trademark Office, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Boston Patent Law Association and the Boston Bar Association.
Tim Largen, Vice President Manufacturing
Tim Largen leads strategy and development of the company’s global cell manufacturing capabilities. He manages the internal manufacturing team, as well as relationships with external contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs). Tim has over 20 years of experience helping companies move from clinical development into commercial production in cell and gene therapies and specialty sterile pharmaceuticals.
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Tim joins Aurion Biotech from Lykan Bioscience, a start-up CDMO where he led manufacturing sciences and technologies supporting a diverse cell and gene therapy client base. Prior to Lykan, he spent nearly a decade in roles of increasing responsibility at Dendreon, where he was responsible for establishing and overseeing multiple high-volume cell therapy production processes, facilities, and CDMOs. In addition to Dendreon, Tim has held operations, supply chain, and quality leadership positions at several life sciences companies, including Caladrius Biosciences, Argos Therapeutics, Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc., NeoRx, and others. Tim holds an M.B.A. in Operations Management Sciences and a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Texas.
Eris Jordan, OD, Vice President Global Clinical & Medical Affairs
Eris Jordan is responsible for clinical trial strategy, development and execution. In addition, she manages relationships with Aurion Biotech’s medical advisors, KOLs and clinical trial investigators. She provides strategic and tactical support to the company’s scientific, clinical and regulatory teams, as well as medical counsel for communications and publications.
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As a seasoned practicing clinician, her insights and perspectives on patients’ needs are critical to Aurion Biotech’s mission and strategy. Before Aurion Biotech, Eris served as Senior Director of Medical Affairs at CorneaGen. Previously, she was a clinical team lead and surgeon educator at AcuFocus, Inc., and tasked with delivering both clinical and strategic success. Before AcuFocus, Eris was an executive clinical outcomes specialist in Bausch & Lomb’s surgical division. Before transitioning to the ophthalmic industry, she spent a decade providing direct patient care and serving as a clinic director for a cornea and anterior segment surgical practice.
Eris completed her post-graduate training at Bascom Palmer Eye Care Institute, the #1 US ranked multi-specialty eye care institute. She earned her Doctor of Optometry and Bachelors of Optical Sciences degrees in a fast-tracked program from Pennsylvania College of Optometry/Salus University, and graduated with highest clinical honors.
Sterling Chung, Vice President Global Regulatory Affairs
Sterling manages worldwide global regulatory affairs for Aurion Biotech. He has more than 19 years of pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs experience, encompassing a broad range of functions including Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Writing and Publications. In addition, he has worked on the successful submission and approval of multiple INDs, NDAs and sBLAs in the US, EU, Canada and Japan. Before joining Aurion Biotech, Sterling held regulatory leadership roles at Neolukin Therapeutics, Molecular Templates, Immatics, US, Seattle Genetics, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Abbott Laboratories.
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Sterling holds a BA in Political Science and a BS in Biology from the University of Michigan, and a Regulatory and Quality Assurance certificate from Purdue University.
Sherita Hall, Vice President Clinical Operations
Sherita is responsible for leading the execution of the clinical strategy alongside the clinical and medical teams. Prior to joining Aurion, Sherita led Clinical Operations before transitioning to leading the Program Management Office at Ocular Therapeutix. Sherita has held various clinical operations and quality roles at Radius Health, Spinal Motion, Baxter Healthcare, and Otsuka and led the team assigned to Wet AMD at Regenxbio.
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For more than 20 years, Sherita has gained valuable experience collaborating with cross-functional teams consistently meeting timeline and budgetary milestones. Sherita holds a BA in Psychology from American University and a MA in Human Services Counseling from Liberty University.
Judith McGarry, Vice President Marketing & Communications
For over 20 years, Judith has held marketing and communications leadership roles and consulted to leading tech and biotech companies, including Adaptive Biotechnologies, Hyperion Therapeutics, Trius Therapeutics, CoTherix, Novacea, Identity Digital (formerly Donuts, Inc.), Avalara, and many others.
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Her expertise is in marketing and brand strategy, demand generation, field sales enablement and stakeholder communications. As founder and principal of Keen Consulting, Judith provided strategic counsel to over 70 companies in preparation for the IPO road show and she helped hundreds of others in preparing their private fundraising presentations. Judith holds an MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a BA from Middlebury College.
Meet Our Medical and Scientific Advisors
Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, PhD
Inventor, Corneal Endothelial Cell Therapy
Professor Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, PhD, graduated from Osaka University Medical School in 1974. In 1992, he was appointed professor and chair of the department of ophthalmology at Kyoto Prefecture University of Medicine (KPUM). Since 2015, he has held the title of professor and chair in the department of frontier medical science and technology for ophthalmology at KPUM.
In the early 1980s at Harvard University’s Schepens Eye Research Institute, he (in collaboration with Dr. Richard A. Thoft) established the concept of centripetal movement of the corneal epithelium, and his groundbreaking work has shed new light on the importance of the limbal epithelium. His series of findings has had an enormous impact on this subject, ultimately contributing to the development of the corneal endothelial cell theory.
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Dr. Kinoshita is a recipient of the 1999 Alcon Research Institute Award and the 2008 Castroviejo Medal Lecturer of the Cornea Society. He served as an ARVO Program Committee Member in the Cornea Section between 1996 and 1999, and was Vice President of ARVO in 2011. Dr. Kinoshita has also served as Associate Editor of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, and as an Editorial Board Member of Experimental Eye Research and Cornea.
Edward Holland, MD
Advisory Board Chair
Dr. Edward Holland is the director of Cornea Services at Cincinnati Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati. He attended the Loyola Medical School in Chicago and trained in ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota. He completed a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the University of Iowa, and then a second fellowship in ocular immunology at the National Eye Institute. Prior to his current position, Dr. Holland served as director of the cornea service at the University of Minnesota and was promoted to the position of professor and was granted the Lyon Chair in ophthalmology.
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Dr. Holland was a former member of the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and received both the Senior Achievement Award and Life Achievement Honor Award from the AAO. He also served as the president of American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and presently serves as the program chair. He received the ASCRS top award, the Binkhorst Medal, in 2008.
Dr. Holland has served as the chair of the Eye Bank Association and was the former chair of their Medical Advisory Board. He was a recipient of the 2002 Paton Society Award given by the EBAA. Dr. Holland is a past president of the Cornea Society and previously served on its Board of Directors for over 20 years. He was awarded the Castroviejo Award from the Cornea Society in 2013.
Dr. Holland has a national and international reputation for his knowledge and expertise in the field of cornea and external disease. He is frequently invited to attend lectures both nationally and internationally. Dr. Holland is the author of over 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has co-edited 5 editions of Cornea, the most widely read textbook on corneal disease and surgery.
John Berdahl, MD
Dr. John Berdahl specializes in advanced cataract, corneal and glaucoma surgery at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He earned his medical doctorate, graduating with honors from Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, and finished his internship at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. He completed an ophthalmology residency at Duke University where his published work, research, teaching and care of patients brought him many honors, including best resident and national recognition as first-place winner of the Resident Writers Award. Dr. Berdahl pursued additional advanced surgical training at one of the most coveted cornea and glaucoma fellowships in the country at Minnesota Eye Consultants. As a fellow he received the Claes Dohlman Award from Harvard University, which is given to the top cornea fellow in the country.
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Dr. Berdahl has published numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed articles, and his extensive research has been presented nationally and internationally. His commitment to those in need is demonstrated by his leadership role in EyeCare America and the numerous surgical mission trips he continues to participate in worldwide. Dr. Berdahl was recently selected as one of the top 40 ophthalmologists under 40 years old in the world and the top young physician in South Dakota.
Eric Donnenfeld, MD
Dr. Eric Donnenfeld is a founding partner of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island and Connecticut. He graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1977 and first in his class at Dartmouth Medical School in 1980. He was a resident and Chief Resident at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital and he completed a Cornea Fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in 1985. He is a trustee of Dartmouth Medical School and a clinical professor of Ophthalmology at NYU.
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Dr. Donnenfeld has served as resident instructor at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital and as program director at North Shore University Hospital. He is a national medical director of TLC and surgical director of the Lions Eye Bank for Long Island. Dr. Donnenfeld served as president of many professional societies including the Nassau Surgical Society, cornea section of ASCRS, the ophthalmology division of the Nassau Academy of Medicine, and the International Ocular Microbiology and Immunology Group. He is the past president of ASCRS and is in the presidential succession line for the International Intraocular Implant Society. Dr. Donnenfeld is the editor-in-chief of EyeWorld and the editor-in-chief emeritus of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today.
He has written over 200 peer review papers on cornea, external disease, cataract and refractive surgery, and 30 book chapters and books. He is on the editorial board of 9 journals and has participated in over 60 FDA studies. He was a primary investigator of both the excimer laser and femtosecond laser for cataract surgery. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has received its Honor Award, Senior Honor Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Secretariat Award.
Marjan Farid, MD
Dr. Marjan Farid is director of the cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery and vice chair of ophthalmic faculty at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California Irvine. Dr. Farid graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in Biology. She earned her medical degree at UC San Diego in 2002. She then came to UC Irvine where she went on to complete her residency and fellowship training in cornea under the mentorship of Dr. Roger Steinert.
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Dr. Farid’s clinical practice is divided between patient care, teaching, and research. She serves on the Residency Education Committee and is the director of the cornea fellowship program at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. She performs all forms of corneal transplantation – including femtosecond-enabled and lamellar keratoplasty (DSEK and DALK). Additionally, Dr. Farid serves as an associate medical director for SightLife. She also serves as an editorial board member of Ophthalmology, the leading journal in the field.
Nicole Fram, MD
Dr. Nicole Fram is a nationally recognized ophthalmologist in refractive and complex cataract surgery, corneal transplantation, and external disease. She is the managing partner of Advanced Vision Care and a clinical instructor of ophthalmology at the Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She completed her residency at the prestigious Wills Eye Hospital and served as the co-chief resident, followed by a fellowship in cornea and external disease at Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
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She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters in the areas of cataract and corneal disease. She serves as the chair of the cataract subcommittee of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the editor of the cataract consultation section of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (JCRS) and is an active member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) cataract committee.
Dr. Fram is passionate about being an early adopter and implementing innovative medical and surgical techniques to advance the field of ophthalmology. She participates in multiple clinical trials and investigator-initiated research in the areas of cataract and corneal disease. Dr. Fram lectures both nationally and internationally and enjoys teaching innovative surgical techniques to colleagues, residents and fellows.
Matthew Giegengack, MD
Dr. Matthew Giegengack is currently an associate professor at Wake Forest University Eye Center and the co-director of the Wake Forest cornea fellowship program. Dr. Giegengack received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and completed medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, followed by an ophthalmology residency and fellowship at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, OR. He joined the faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 2007 and has become one of the busiest cornea transplant surgeons in North Carolina, performing DSEK surgery for the entirety of his career, and DMEK for appropriate cases since 2014.
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Dr. Giegengack has been a medical director for SightLife Eye Bank, and has been involved in SightLife’s global outreach, teaching and performing cornea surgery in India, Nepal, Honduras, and Ethiopia. He currently serves as co-medical director for CorneaGen, Inc.
Jose Güell, MD
Dr. Jose L. Güell is the director of the cornea and refractive surgery unit at the Instituto de Microcirugia Ocular de Barcelona (IMO). He studied Medicine and Surgery at the Universitat de Barcelona (UB). Dr. Guell completed his residency at UAB Vall d’Hebrón and a clinical fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at Emory University. Prior to IMO, Dr. Guell was the director of cornea and refractive surgery in the ophthalmology department of the Vall d’Hebrón Hospital.
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Dr. Güell’s areas of interest are full and partial thickness corneal transplantation (Deep Anterior lamellar keratoplasty and endothelial keratoplasty), complex cataract and anterior segment reconstructive procedures, including permanent keratoprothesis surgery (artificial cornea). He has lectured nationally and internationally on these topics. Dr. Güell has given 700 talks at global meetings and conferences, and he has published 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as several book chapters. Dr. Güell is the former president of the IMO Foundation, and he is a member of the Catalan Academy of Medicine and director of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS). He is scientific coordinator and professor of the cornea and refractive surgery module, ESASO, European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology in Lugano, Switzerland.
Terry Kim, MD
Dr. Terry Kim, professor of ophthalmology at Duke University Eye Center, received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine and completed his residency and chief residency in ophthalmology at Emory Eye Center. He continued with his fellowship training in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at Wills Eye Hospital, and was then recruited to Duke University Eye Center, where he serves as principal and co-investigator on many research grants. Dr. Kim has published more than 300 peer-reviewed journal articles, textbook chapters, and scientific abstracts. He has earned honors and grants from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), National Institutes of Health, Fight for Sight/Research to Prevent Blindness, the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation, Alcon Laboratories and Allergan.
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Dr. Kim serves on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), the Annual Program Committee of the AAO, and the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Cornea Society. He also serves as consultant to the ophthalmic devices panel of the FDA and to numerous ophthalmic companies.
Richard Lindstrom, MD
Dr. Richard Lindstrom is the founder and attending surgeon at Minnesota Eye Consultants, Adjunct Clinic Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology and visiting professor at the UC Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. Dr. Lindstrom is a board-certified ophthalmologist and internationally recognized leader in corneal, cataract, refractive, glaucoma and laser surgery. He has been at the forefront of ophthalmology’s evolutionary changes throughout his career, as a recognized researcher, teacher, inventor, writer, lecturer and highly acclaimed physician and surgeon.
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After graduating magna cum laude from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lindstrom completed his doctorate degree in medicine in 1972. He has been awarded over 40 patents in ophthalmology and has developed a number of corneal preservation solutions, intraocular lenses and instruments that are used in clinical practices globally. He has co-edited 7 books, and published over 350 peer-reviewed journals and 60 book chapters.
He is the recipient of numerous awards for distinguished service by national and international ophthalmology associations, including the LANS, Barraquer and the first lifetime achievement award from the International Society of Refractive Surgery.
Elizabeth Yeu, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Yeu earned her medical degree through an accelerated program at the University of Florida College of Medicine that combined undergraduate education and medical school. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where she served as chief resident. Dr. Yeu continued to the Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, to complete a fellowship in cornea, anterior segment and refractive surgery, where she was an assistant professor after her fellowship training. Dr. Yeu joined Virginia Eye Consultants in 2013, and also continues her commitment to residency training in ophthalmology as an assistant professor at the Eastern Virginia Medical School.
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Dr. Yeu provides guidance and governance across several national medical boards and committees, including as an examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, current Chair of the Young Eye Surgeons (YES) Committee of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), and as a Communications Secretariat for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Dr. Yeu has authored numerous articles and is a frequent lecturer in the areas of refractive cataract surgery, anterior segment reconstruction, ocular surface disease management and surgical management of astigmatism. She is the incoming editor-in-chief of US Ophthalmic Review and serves as the medical editor of the digital journal, Millennial Eye. Dr. Yeu was awarded The Ophthalmologist’s global Top 40 Under 40 honors in 2015, and more recently recognized as Top 40 Under 40 through Virginia’s Inside Business journal.
Meet Our Board
Tom Frinzi, Executive Chair
Tom Frinzi is the former Worldwide President, Surgical, Johnson & Johnson Vision business, which includes a broad ophthalmology portfolio across the areas of cataracts and refractive surgery (LASIK). Tom was appointed to his position in February 2017 at the conclusion of Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), a wholly owned subsidiary of Abbott. Mr. Frinzi joined AMO in January 2016 as Senior Vice President of Abbott Laboratories and President, Abbott Medical Optics.
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Prior to joining Abbott, Mr. Frinzi held a number of leadership positions in ophthalmology and medical device companies. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of WaveTec Vision, a developer of surgical systems for eye surgery. He also held senior positions in commercial operations, business development, and sales and marketing at Bausch & Lomb Surgical, Refractec and Johnson & Johnson. In recognition of his leadership, expertise and vision in the field, Mr. Frinzi was awarded the 2015 Ophthalmology Innovation Award by the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tampa.
Jeannette Bankes
Jeannette Bankes is President & General Manager, Global Surgical Franchise for Alcon. Prior to joining Alcon, Ms. Bankes was General Manager, Urology & Pelvic Health for Boston Scientific, where she was responsible for the entire scope of the global business including commercial sales, marketing, R&D, regulatory, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, clinical research, and new business development. During her 15-year tenure at Boston Scientific, Ms. Bankes served as Vice President of Clinical & Regulatory Affairs, Director of Scientific Communications, and Director of Medical Affairs. Ms. Bankes began her career with Merck & Co., where she held diverse roles of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing, clinical and biological manufacturing. Ms. Bankes holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Medical Technology from Kutztown University.
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Andrew ElBardissi, MD
Dr. Andrew ElBardissi is a partner on the Deerfield Medical Technologies team and joined the Firm in 2017. Prior to Deerfield, Dr. ElBardissi was a principal at Longitude Capital, where he focused on investments in medtech and biotechnology. Before that, he was an associate in JPMorgan’s healthcare investment banking practice. Dr. ElBardissi received residency training in General Surgery at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University. He has been independently funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has authored over 30 publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented his research at numerous medical and surgical conferences. Dr. ElBardissi holds an M.D. from the Mayo Clinic, an M.P.H. in Quantitative Methods from Harvard University, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S. with honors in Biology (Phi Beta Kappa) from the Schreyer Honors College at the Pennsylvania State University.
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Greg Kunst
Greg Kunst is the CEO of Aurion Biotech. He has deep and varied experience in ophthalmic medical devices, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical products. His expertise spans global corporate development, strategy, health policy, marketing, commercialization, business development, market access and medical affairs.
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Before Aurion Biotech, Greg spent 6 years at Glaukos Corporation (NYSE: GKOS) in numerous roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as vice president of global marketing, where he led the global marketing, market access, reimbursement, health economics and outcomes research, government affairs, and business development teams. Before Glaukos, Greg worked at Alcon, a Novartis company, as global franchise director over the Alcon glaucoma surgery and retina pharmaceutical businesses. Before joining Alcon, Greg worked at Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (Acelity Inc.) as the global head of market access. Greg is a member of the steering committee for the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine.
Greg received an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a BS in Economics from Brigham Young University.
Patrick Lally
Patrick Lally is a partner at Petrichor Healthcare Capital Management, a life sciences-focused investment firm. Prior to joining Petrichor, Mr. Lally was a vice president at OrbiMed Advisors in their healthcare special situations and structured finance practice. Before OrbiMed, Mr. Lally was a healthcare investor in the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund at Fortress Investment Group. Mr. Lally holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an A.B. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University.
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William Link, PhD
Dr. William Link is a leader in the healthcare industry. He is a Managing Director of Versant Ventures, a leading venture capital firm focused in healthcare. At Versant, Bill has specialized in early-stage investing in medical devices. With more than two decades of operations experience in the healthcare industry, he has a proven record of building and managing large, successful medical product companies. Bill is also the Principal at Flying L Partners, the investment firm that funded SightLife’s creation of SightLife Surgical.
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Prior to entering venture capital, Bill founded two companies that still today are leaders in the field of surgical ophthalmology. In 1987 Bill founded and served as chairman and CEO of Chiron Vision, a subsidiary of Chiron Corporation specializing in ophthalmic surgical products. Prior to Chiron Vision, Bill founded and served as President of American Medical Optics, a division of American Hospital Supply Corporation.
Before entering the healthcare industry, Bill was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Bill received his BS, MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.
Christine Z. McCauley
Christine McCauley is Corporate Vice President, Global Human Resources, for Edwards Lifesciences. Christine has served in this role since 2012 and has over 30 years of experience working in all the functional disciplines of Human Resources. Christine leads the network of more than 300 global HR professionals who provide programs and services for approximately 13,000 Edwards employees in over 40 countries, of which more than 4,000 are located in Orange County.
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Christine’s leadership is fueled by a passion for Edwards’ patient-focused mission and fostering an inclusive culture where all employees engage, grow, and thrive. Christine’s broad expertise in HR and leadership, as well as her strategic mindset for developing and mobilizing talent, have contributed to the success of the global corporate strategy since the inception of Edwards in 2000. Her authentic and caring leadership style is one she generously offers not only within Edwards but also in the community, where she serves as a member on several boards.
Before joining Edwards Lifesciences in 1999, Christine held a variety of HR positions at Texas Instruments, Loral (Ford) Aerospace, and Bally’s Health and Tennis. She earned a dual bachelor’s degree in business administration and organizational effectiveness at The College at Brockport State University of New York and a master’s degree in human resource management from Chapman University.
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