Board of Directors

Dr. Torre-Amione spearheads the Gene and Judy Campbell Laboratory for Cardiac Transplant Research, where his primary areas of research include heart failure, cardiac transplant, and the role of the immune response in modulating the progression of heart failure. Dr. Torre-Amione initiated a series of clinical studies that led to an FDA-approved Phase II clinical trial of neurostimulation in heart failure, a novel approach to the treatment of patients with advanced heart failure. Other significant clinical investigations include a study with cardiac transplant patients designed to impact the cardiac hypertrophy that naturally follows transplantation, a protocol for autologous stem cell transfer in patients with advanced refractory heart failure, and a novel study involving plasma exchange in advanced heart failure patients.

After receiving his medical degree from the ITESM in Monterrey, Mexico, Dr. Torre-Amione moved to Chicago, where he conducted graduate studies in immunology that led to a doctorate degree in immunology from the University of Chicago. He then moved to Houston to complete his internship, residency, and cardiology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, where he received his first academic appointment as a clinical instructor in 1995. Dr. Torre-Amione has published more than 170 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and currently divides his time between his clinical and academic activities in Houston at The Methodist Hospital and in Monterrey, Mexico, at ITESM.

Additionally, from 2004 to 2008, Ms. Chao was Managing Director and Senior Lead Biotechnology Securities Analyst at Deutsche Bank, responsible for U.S. large- and small- to mid-cap biotechnology companies with global client coverage; and was known for differentiated fundamentals securities analysis and high visibility coverage of game changing technologies, paradigm shifting treatment algorithms, industry trends and portfolio risk/reward management. Prior to that, Ms. Chao served as Managing Director and Senior Lead Biotechnology Analyst at RBC Capital Markets and VP, Senior Biotechnology Analyst at Leerink Swann & Co. Ms. Chao was a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, as a recipient of the BioMedical Research Career Award, and received her B.A. in Politics and Greek Classics from New York University.

Mr. Elsley managed and directed Vasogen’s growth from start-up to an organization employing over 250 people with operations and R&D programs in Canada, the United States and Europe. He established the research and development infrastructure, partnerships, manufacturing capability, and corporate quality systems necessary to advance two anti-inflammatory therapies from concept to completion of international multi-center pivotal phase III clinical trials involving 2,500 patients. Vasogen went public on the TSX and the Nasdaq, raising over $200 million to support corporate development and reached a market capitalization over US$ 1 billion.

Mr. Elsley holds a Master of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.

Mr. Waddick spent more than twelve years at Vasogen Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research and commercial development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of heart failure and other inflammatory conditions. While serving as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, the company grew from start up to an organization employing over 250 employees that established the necessary systems and infrastructure to advance an anti‑inflammatory therapy through to the completion of an international multi-center pivotal trial involving 2,500 patients. Vasogen went public on the TSX and the NASDAQ, raising over $200 million to support corporate development and reached a market capitalization of over US$ 1 billion. Prior to Vasogen, he held progressively senior financial positions at Magna International Inc. and Union Gas Limited. Mr. Waddick is a CPA and earned a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Business Administration from York University.

Before joining SQZ Biotech, Ms. Loxam served as Sr. Vice President of Investor Relations and Global Communications at Merck. In this role, she led its investor relations and investment community interactions as well as its internal and external communications efforts globally, including corporate and financial media relations, product communications, public affairs and employee communications. Prior to Merck, Ms. Loxam was Vice President, Investor Relations for IMAX Corporation, where she reshaped the entertainment company’s investor strategy, helping to convert its investor base and helping the company go public in China with an IPO on the Hong Kong Exchange. Ms. Loxam also spent over a decade at Bristol-Myers Squibb in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility across Strategy, Treasury and Investor Relations. She started her career as a marine biologist and worked at Sea World of San Diego for several years before making a transition into business. Ms. Loxam is a member of the board of directors of Vaxcyte. She holds an MBA from the University of California, Irvine and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Victoria, B.C. Canada.

Mr. Pekos is currently CEO of Dalton, guiding the evolution of the company to best serve the changing needs of its clients throughout the major global economies, including the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. In 1983, he obtained a Chemistry/Biochemistry Double Specialist Degree with a Minor in Biology from the University of Toronto. In 1986, he completed a Master’s Degree in synthetic chemistry at York University, and with his Professor, Doug Butler, founded Dalton with a very modest amount of capital. The company used incubator facilities at York University, and initially manufactured and sold specialty chemical compounds. Mr. Pekos also founded Ashbury Biologicals. Inc., a phyto-pharmaceutical company, Jupiter Consumer Products, a company that targeted the development of adult-focused confections, and several other technology-based companies focused on advanced materials and pharmaceutical development tools. Mr. Pekos was founding Chairman of ventureLAB a Regional Innovation Center located at IBM’s York Region campus. VentureLAB guides government program delivery to support the innovation ecosystem for biotechnology and related industries in southern Ontario.

As R&D Operations Director at GW Pharma for over 16 years, he was a key player in the development of their discovery and development pipeline, and was closely involved in the Marketing Authorization Application submission and approval of Sativex^® and the New Drug Application submission of Epidiolex^®, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an orphan drug for the treatment of rare forms of paediatric epilepsy in June 2018. More recently, as Scientific Affairs Director, International, he was part of the Medical Affairs team responsible for the preparation of the international launch of Epidiolex^®.

Prior to his 19-year tenure at GW Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Stott held various roles in Clinical Research and Development across a range of therapeutic areas, including: cardiology, oncology, urology, dermatology, metabolic disorders, neurology, haematology, and organ transplantation.

Mr. Stott holds a BSc (Hons) in Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a Diploma in Industrial Studies from Loughborough University of Technology, U.K., as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research from the Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, U.K. He has published over 20 research papers and is a named inventor on 17 international patent applications.

Mr. Willner has been a very active and successful opportunistic investor for over forty years and is the founder of Willner Capital, Inc., an investment company specializing in public and private equities, as well as debt instruments. Willner Capital primarily uses fundamental analysis as an evaluation method and event-driven strategies. Over the past ten years, Willner Capital has made significant investments in both the biotechnology and pharmaceutical cannabinoid industries, focusing primarily on clinical-stage companies that seek to address significant unmet medical needs. Mr. Willner has been quoted in the New York Times business section and has served as a moderator and participant on numerous panel discussions and advisory boards regarding his investments in the pharmaceutical end of the cannabinoid industry.