Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

DVM, PhD

Dr. Amini is an experienced entrepreneur with strong business leadership and is experienced in various aspects of business formation, operation, and management. He is a veterinary doctor with several years of clinical practice and is also a PhD in Pharmaceutics from the University of Toronto. He possesses extensive experience in leading and managing teams and projects in this field. He co-founded QurCan Therapeutics (formerly known as Nanology Labs) in 2018 and has been successful in establishing strategic relations with leading healthcare organizations in Canada, as well as internationally. He is the recipient of several prestigious international entrepreneurship awards, including the LabCentral Ignite Golden Ticket and MaRS HealthKick.

Chief Business Officer

PhD, MBA

Dr. Reid brings over 25 years of experience in business development, pharmaceutical drug discovery, technology transfer, and biotech operations to the opportunity and challenge of developing new therapeutics based on innovative medical research. Prior to joining QurCan Therapeutics in 2020, he was Director of Technology Development and Commercialization at the University Health Network, Director of Strategic Partnering and Business Development at AstraZeneca, and Director of Molecular Sciences at AstraZeneca. He holds a PhD from the University of California (Berkeley), an MBA from LeBow-Drexel, and Executive Education from Wharton.

Executive VP of R&D

PhD

Dr. Abbasi is one of the founding members of QurCan Therapeutics and leads the R&D activities. In this role, he oversees the development of manufacturing processes, analytical methods, quality control, and new product design to support the QurCan Therapeutics portfolio. He brings over 15 years of experience in nanoparticle-based drug product development, their pre-clinical screening, and CMC-related regulatory requirements from early to post-IND stage. Prior to joining QurCan Therapeutics, he worked in the R&D of Apotex Inc. Dr. Abbasi holds a PhD in nanomedicine from the University of Marburg, Germany.

Executive VP of Operations

PhD

Dr. He is one of the founding members of QurCan Therapeutics and leads the operations of the company in support of its goals. He has several years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and more than 10 years of experience in nano-formulations development, scale-up, and drug product quality control. His expertise covers preclinical, nonclinical studies, and IND-enabling studies. Dr. He received his PhD degree from the East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.

Intellectual Property Liaison

PhD, Patent Agent

Dr. Barden is a registered US patent agent with over 10 years of experience in biotech IP. Chris supports patent filing and prosecution strategy on behalf of QurCan Therapeutics. He has a background in computational chemistry and drug design and is an inventor on 80+ patents in the area. Chris has considerable expertise in managing university and hospital IP portfolios in the service of commercialization / spin-outs.

Independent Director

PhD

Dr. Tehrani is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Zymeworks and has been a member of the Board of Directors since the company's inception in September 2003. He has been an integral part of Zymeworks' corporate achievements, including raising seed and angel financing and overseeing the company's technical operations and patent filings. Dr. Tehrani holds both Bachelor's and Master's of Science degrees in Biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts and a Doctoral degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia. While completing his PhD, he co-founded the Student Biotechnology Network, for which he received the UBC Faculty of Science Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership in 2002. Dr. Tehrani has served as a board director for various life sciences and biotechnology organizations, including the Student Biotechnology Network, CQDM, LifeSciences British Columbia, the MITACS Industrial Advisory Board, and BIOTECanada's Industrial and Environmental Committee. He was a Council Member on British Columbia's Premier's Technology Council from 2016 to 2018 and is currently a member of the board of directors of Creatus Biosciences Inc.

Independent Director

PhD

Dr. Burak has more than 20 years of pharmaceutical research and development experience in both biotechnology and large pharmaceutical companies. Before joining Fusion, he was Vice President of Development at Theracos Inc., where he was responsible for all research, clinical development, and manufacturing activities for a company developing drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes. Previous positions include Vice President of Preclinical and Early Clinical Development at Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a venture-funded antibiotic company, and Director of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics at Guilford Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Dr. Burak's experience has focused on integrating discovery and development processes to accelerate the identification and development of new therapeutic agents. He has submitted 14 Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) and has developed two approved products across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, cardiovascular, antibiotics, diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, anesthesia/sedation, diabetes, and wound healing. Dr. Burak holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Temple University and a BSc in Chemistry from Drexel University.

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

DVM, PhD

Dr. Amini is an experienced entrepreneur with strong business leadership and is experienced in various aspects of business formation, operation, and management. He is a veterinary doctor with several years of clinical practice and is also a PhD in Pharmaceutics from the University of Toronto. He possesses extensive experience in leading and managing teams and projects in this field. He co-founded QurCan Therapeutics (formerly known as Nanology Labs) in 2018 and has been successful in establishing strategic relations with leading healthcare organizations in Canada, as well as internationally. He is the recipient of several prestigious international entrepreneurship awards, including the LabCentral Ignite Golden Ticket and MaRS HealthKick.

Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder

PhD, Professor, FAAPS

Dr. Shirley Wu is the Director of the Advanced Pharmaceutics Laboratory at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. She has over 27 years of experience and expertise in developing innovative drug delivery systems and pharmaceutical formulations for unmet medical needs, including cancer. She is a co-inventor of 14 issued and 6 pending patents worldwide.