Guiding the Science, Purpose, and Progress Behind Aurion Biotech

Experienced Leaders Driving Our Mission

Aurion Biotech’s leadership team brings together deep expertise across ophthalmology, regenerative medicine, clinical development, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, and global commercialization. We are guided by a mission to restore vision for patients worldwide.

Leadership

Medical Advisors

Board of Directors

Leadership Team

Arnaud Lacoste, PhD, MBA

CEO and Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Arnaud Lacoste is Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer at Aurion Biotech, where he leads the company’s strategic vision and scientific innovation in regenerative cell therapy for corneal disease.

Eris P. Jordan, OD

Chief Development Officer

Dr. Eris Jordan is Co-founder and Chief Development Officer at Aurion Biotech, where she leads clinical development and professional affairs for the company’s regenerative cell therapy targeting corneal endothelial disease.

Edward J. Holland, MD

Chief Medical Officer

In addition to his role at Aurion Biotech, Dr. Edward Holland is the director of Cornea Services at Cincinnati Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati.

Andrew Torres, PhD

Chief Manufacturing Officer

Dr. Andrew Torres serves as Chief Technical Officer at Aurion Biotech, where he leads all aspects of chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) for the company’s cell therapy platform.

Sterling Chung

Chief Regulatory & Quality Officer

Sterling Chung manages Regulatory Affairs and Quality for Aurion Biotech, Inc. He has more than 20+ years of industry experience, encompassing a broad range of functions including Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Writing and Publications.

Brad Shutzberg

Vice President Finance & Infrastructure

Brad Shutzberg is the Vice President, Finance & Infrastructure at Aurion Biotech, responsible for managing the Finance, Facilities, and IT functions.

Sara Rosetti, PhD

Vice President Human Resources

Dr. Sara Rosetti leads the HR organization at Aurion. Her focus is on building organizational capability through attracting, retaining and developing individual employees, people managers and leaders.

J.D. Osborne, MBA

Vice President, Alliance Management

J.D. Osborne is Vice President of Alliance Management at Aurion Biotech, where he leads the strategy, execution, and oversight of key external partnerships supporting the development and future commercial launch of the company’s endothelial cell therapy.

Jen Watts, M.S.

Vice President, Global Head of Clinical Operations

Jen Watts brings more than two decades of global leadership in clinical operations and development to Aurion Biotechnology.

Heidi Chandler

Executive Director, Head of Program Management

Heidi Chandler is Head of Program Management at Aurion Biotech, where she leads development planning and execution while driving cross-functional alignment across the company’s pipeline.

Medical Advisors

Marjan Farid, MD - Chair of MAB

Marjan Farid, M.D. is the Director of Cornea, Cataract, and Refractive Surgery at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California-Irvine. Her Board positions and consulting expertise drive innovation in anterior segment pharmaceuticals and devices contributing to informing the strategic decisions for a product from concept through clinical research.

Shigeru Kinoshita, MD, PhD

Dr. Shigeru Kinoshita, a Japanese clinician scientist, graduated from Osaka University Medical School in 1974 and has held the position of Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine since 1992. After relinquishing his role in March 2015, he assumed the new position of Professor and Chair of Frontier Medical Science and Technology for Ophthalmology at the same university in April 2015.

Richard Lindstrom, MD

Richard L. Lindstrom MD is Founder and Attending Surgeon Emeritus at Minnesota Eye Consultants and a Senior Lecturer, Adjunct Professor Emeritus, and Trustee Emeritus at the University of Minnesota. He is a Visiting Professor and member of the Chairman’s Advisory Committee at the UC Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute.

John Berdahl, MD

Widely regarded as one of the leading international eye surgeons, Dr. John Berdahl makes his team, patients, and family his top priority. Within our walls, he is known for his clarity of thought, connecting with patients, and delivering on the trust people place in him. As a board certified ophthalmologist, Dr. Berdahl is one of the few surgeons in the United States who is also fellowship-trained in cornea, glaucoma, refractive and cataract surgery.

Clara Chan, MD

Dr. Chan is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Toronto, Director of Ophthalmology Fellowships, and the President of the Canadian Cornea Society.  She teaches fellows as part of the Cornea fellowship program and is the Medical Director of the Eye Bank of Canada, Ontario Division.

Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD, L.Ac

Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD, L.Ac, is professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, chief of Refractive Surgery, and vice chair of the Department of Ophthalmology for Wellness and Communications. Dr. Dhaliwal also serves as the director of the UPMC Vision Institute’s Laser Vision Center, the associate medical director of the Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory and the Clinical co-director of the Corneal Regeneration Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh.

Jose Güell, MD

Dr. Jose L. Güell was born in Barcelona, Spain on 1960. He studied Medicine and Surgery at the UB (Central University of Barcelona) (1977-84). His Doctorate Degree about “LASIK, laser assisted in situ Ketatomileusis” was presented with “Cum Laude” on July 99 at the UAB (Autònoma University of Barcelona).

Kendall E. Donaldson, MD, MS

Kendall E. Donaldson, MD, MS, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and cornea specialist at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute completed her residency training and cornea/external disease fellowship at Bascom Palmer in 2004. Prior to ophthalmology she completed a Master’s degree in anatomy and physiology, serving as an instructor and eventually directing the anatomy labs for the University of Maryland throughout the course of her undergraduate and graduate education.

Sheraz Daya, MD

Mr Sheraz Daya is the Medical Director of Centre for Sight, a leading private ophthalmic facility in the UK. Recruited from New York in 1993, he served as Director and Consultant at the Corneoplastic Unit and Eye Bank at Queen Victoria Hospital, where he transformed the service into a globally recognised centre of excellence for corneal surgery.

Zeba Almas Syed, MD

Zeba A. Syed, MD is a fellowship-trained ophthalmologist who specializes in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery. She serves as an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and is the Director of the Cornea Fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital.

Thomas H. Dohlman, MD

Dr. Dohlman is a board-certified ophthalmologist and full-time member of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service at Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School. He is an NIH-funded clinician scientist who cares for adult and pediatric patients with complex corneal disease and conducts basic science and clinical research in the areas of corneal immunology, keratoprosthesis and corneal fibrosis.

Enrica Sarnicola, MD

Dr. Enrica Sarnicola graduated “cum laude” at University of Siena in 2012 and completed her Residency in Ophthalmology at University of Siena in 2017. She completed a Fellowship in Cornea and External diseases at University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Eye Institute in USA with Prof. Edward J. Holland.

Board of Directors

Ed McGough

Ed McGough is Senior Vice President, Global MTO Advisor for Alcon. He served as SVP, MTO from January 1, 2008, until January 1, 2025.

Joe Rappon, MS, OD

Dr. Joe Rappon serves as the Vice President and Head of Alcon’s R&D Pharma Platform, leading the pharmaceutical research and development organization and technical capabilities.

Thomas Hudnall

Thomas Hudnall is Vice President – Corporate Legal and Assistant Corporate Secretary at Alcon, a global leader in ophthalmology.

Jeannette Bankes

Jeannette Bankes is the President & CEO of GE HealthCare’s Patient Care Solutions segment, a $3.1 billion business that provides innovations in Monitoring Solutions, Diagnostic Cardiology, Maternal Infant Care and Anesthesia solutions.

Matthew Snakenberg

Matthew Snakenberg has extensive experience in business development, licensing, and mergers and acquisitions.

Christine Z. McCauley

Christine McCauley is Corporate Vice President, Global Human Resources, for Edwards Lifesciences.

Supported by Alcon, the global leader in eye care dedicated to helping people see brilliantly

Expanding the Reach of Every Donor Cornea

Aurion Biotech collaborates with clinicians, researchers, and partners committed to advancing the future of corneal treatments. Get in touch to learn more about our science, programs, and global mission.