Team

Andrea Nye

Andrea has over 20 years of leadership and program management experience in the healthcare and med tech innovation space. In addition to an MBA and MPH from Columbia University, she has extensive experience supporting early stage ventures bringing products to market.

Andrea is deeply committed and passionate about leading the amazing Xylyx Bio team as it leverages its proprietary platform to create novel tissue‐specific extracellular matrix biomaterials capable of bridging the multi-billion-dollar gap between in-vitro and in-vivo research.

John O’Neill, PhD

Dr. O’Neill is a Research Assistant Professor of Cell Biology in the College of Medicine at State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, and an Adjunct Associate Research Scientist in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University.

His work is focused on cell and tissue engineering, the innovation and development of therapeutic extracellular matrix biomaterials, and novel extracorporeal organ support systems for organ regeneration and transplantation.

He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University and BS in Physics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Richard Nguyen, PhD

Richard brings years of experience in product innovation and development, intellectual property management, and commercialization strategies. In his previous role as a Technology Licensing Officer at Columbia Technology Ventures, he managed a diverse portfolio spanning biomedical solutions, clean technologies, consumer software tools, and data. Prior to this, Richard worked with two other university technology transfer offices evaluating innovations for commercial potential, and he supported two early-stage medical device startup ventures. He completed his doctorate in Biomedical Engineering focusing on clinical applications of a neurosensory screening device from the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, and he also earned a minor in Neurobiology and a Certificate in Medical Devices. He received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and minors in Physics and French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his free time, Richard enjoys running, exploring cultures through food, and backpacking around the world.

Evelyn Aranda, PhD

Dr. Aranda is a cancer biologist with more than 10 years of experience studying the mechanisms involved in tumor development. Her research was focused on investigating the role of macrophages in tumoral angiogenesis using mouse models of breast cancer. Furthermore, she studied the role of new anti-angiogenic drugs using pancreatic cancer models. Evelyn also has experience in teaching different Biology courses to undergraduate students.

She received her Ph.D. from the Physiology Department at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and did her postdoctoral training at the Developmental and Biology Department of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Natalia Kissel

Natalia joined Xylyx Bio in 2018 to focus on the development of novel tissue‐specific extracellular matrix biomaterials production processes.

She has MS degree in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology as well as over 7 years of engineering and scientific experience in the biotech industry. Natalia has background in development and technology transfers of mammalian cell culture processes and GMP manufacturing of biologics.

In her free time, Natalia enjoys brush calligraphy, photography, and biking.

Alex Nichols Chiu

Alex Nichols has over 5 years of scientific lab experience, with a focus on project planning and implementation. Her background is in pharmacology, with research focused on metabolic disorders and the Na/K-ATPase oxidant amplification loop.

She received her BS in Biological Sciences and Chemistry from Marshall University in West Virginia.

When she is not diligently organizing and managing the lab, Alex plays bass guitar in several rock bands and enjoys martinis, meditating and long walks on the beach with her canine companion.

Danny King

Danny graduated from Claremont McKenna College earning a BA in Economics and Psychology. He joined Xylyx Bio in 2018 to track project progression and support the Sales and Marketing Team. In his free time, Danny enjoys watching sports, cooking, and home brewing.

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD

Dr. Vunjak-Novakovic is the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and University Professor of Medical Sciences at Columbia University, where she directs the Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering.

Her research focuses on engineering human tissues for regenerative medicine, stem cell research, and modeling disease. Extensively published and highly cited (18,500 citations and h=82 on the ISI Web of Science; &gt;31,000 citations and h=101 on Google Scholar), she has 76 licensed, issued or pending patents and has founded three biotech companies – <em>epiBone</em>, <em>TARA Biosystems</em>, and <em>Xylyx Bio</em>.

She is a frequent advisor to government and industry and is a member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Academia Europaea, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, and National Academy of Inventors.

Matthew Bacchetta, MD

Dr. Bacchetta is the H. William Scott, Jr. Chair in Surgery, Associate Professor of Surgery and Surgical Director of the Vanderbilt Respiratory Institute at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
He is a leading innovator in the biomedical field, with a background in engineering, thoracic surgery and business.
He received his MD from Weill Medical College of Cornell University and completed his Thoracic Surgery Fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center.

Keith Greenfield

Keith is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in launching and advancing multiple successful companies. His extensive experience founding, growing and team building for new ventures provides an important and critical component to growing a successful company. Mr. Greenfield was a Co-Founder and Director at IQuum, Inc., a medical diagnostic company sold to Roche in 2014 for $485M. He is currently Executive Vice President of Business Development and a Director for AZ Therapies, a biotech company in a Pivitol Phase III trial for prolonging or halting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. He is also President and Founder of The Dover Group, a financial services provider, Co-Founder of Genuine Health International, and Director for AAVP Biosystems.

Anthony A. Curro

Anthony is a seasoned business executive and entrepreneur, with over 30 years of experience in life sciences, technology, &amp; finance. Currently, he is the CEO of Immplacate, Inc. an emerging biotechnology firm involved in cell therapies related to immune disorders. He has held various senior level positions with global responsibilities, which include medical device powerhouse Guidant, where he was involved in various aspects of the cardiovascular portfolio of products. He has specialized capabilities in sales, marketing, finance, operations, HR, R&amp;D, and strategy. Anthony holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, Columbia University in New York.

Andrea Nye

Andrea has over 20 years of leadership and program management experience in the healthcare and med tech innovation space. In addition to an MBA and MPH from Columbia University, she has extensive experience supporting early stage ventures bringing products to market.

Andrea is deeply committed and passionate about leading the amazing Xylyx Bio team as it leverages its proprietary platform to create novel tissue‐specific extracellular matrix biomaterials capable of bridging the multi-billion-dollar gap between in-vitro and in-vivo research.

Donna See

Donna is Chief Business Officer overseeing commercial operations and strategy at TARA Biosystems, a venture-backed organ-on-a-chip company building high-fidelity human-relevant datasets to facilitate faster, safer, and more effective development of patient-specific therapies.
She previously worked on sourcing, diligence, deal negotiation, and project management for $110M joint venture between Allied Minds and Bristol-Myers Squibb, investing across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, immune disorders, and fibrosis.
With experience in translational science, business development, investing, and startup operations, Donna brings a wealth of expertise and wisdom to early stage companies at the interface of biology and engineerin

David King

David King is an experienced investor in wellness, healthcare, and consumer products businesses in North America and Asia. He is a former head of investment banking for Paine Webber in Hong Kong, and is co‐founder and partner of Shanghai-based Peak China Advisors, which advises PRC and international consumer-related companies investing in Greater China and North America. He serves as a Director on multiple boards and brings essential insight into potential multi‐million‐dollar markets.

Chris Connor

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Charles Goldstein, PhD

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Joe Kelley

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Kristin King

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