Brian Johnstone

Vice President, Research

For the past 20 years, Dr. Johnstone has been actively involved in translating adult stem cell therapies into treatments for a host of diseases affecting the major organs of the body. In 2004, he co-authored one of the first studies demonstrating the potential for treating cardiovascular diseases with novel adult stem cells isolated from fat.

Since then, Dr. Johnstone has continued to develop and test new medical uses for adult stem cells as part of his own research as well as in collaboration with international academic centers and pharma / biotech firms.

Outside of the research setting, Dr. Johnstone co-founded NeuroFx, an early-stage biotech firm developing a novel therapy for neurological disorders. Dr. Johnstone led the R&D program at NeuroFx for two years, where he was directly responsible for preclinical and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls development activities. He continues to act as an advisor for NeuroFx. Additionally, Dr. Johnstone has formed two other biotech companies, Chemigen, which is developing a small molecule drug for treating Lou Gehrig’s disease, and EmphyMab Biotech (now Allinaire), which is developing biologics to treat serious lung diseases.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Dr. Johnstone was an early employee at Sangamo Biosciences for 6 years, where he managed the preclinical development program for their lead gene therapy candidate for cardiovascular diseases, which is currently in Phase II clinical testing. Dr. Johnstone received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Oliver Cácananta

Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs

Mr. Cacananta is a 25-year veteran of the biopharmaceutical industry, having worked broadly with biologics, combination medical devices, and small molecule drugs. He has extensive involvement in collaboration or leadership of approved marketing and investigational regulatory filings (BLAs, MAAs, PMA, CE Mark, 510(k), NDA, INDs/IDEs as well as CMC and other pre- and post-approval commitment submissions) and in organizing and participating in various agency interactions (e.g., PDUFA meetings and advisory panel). His global experience spans multiple therapeutic areas, including vaccines for influenza and biodefense medical countermeasures, diabetes and other metabolic disorders, endovascular disease, blood pathogen reduction technologies, and cell therapy for ophthalmology and medical aesthetics, and diverse geographies, working with partners and agencies across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (primarily China, Japan, and Australia), South America, and Middle East-North Africa.

Mr. Cacananta’s career and contributions to research and science are rooted in the intersections of the biotech and pharmaceutical industry and the quality and regulatory pathways by which treatment and technological innovations reach patients. As a regulatory professional, his impact comes from shepherding research products through the product lifecycle, from clinical trials to market approval, all the while ensuring that products are safe and efficacious and are within the regulatory parameters set forth by governing agencies.

Mr. Cacananta has worked at a variety of large and small biotechnology companies, including Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Cerus Corporation, Medtronic, Amgen, Emergent BioSolutions, BioMarin Pharmaceuticals, and Chiron Corporation. He received his BS in Biological Sciences from California State University, East Bay, and MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.