Ratner BioMedical Inc.

Management Team

Our senior management is a dedicated team
of professionals with global experience
in pioneering research, new technology commercialization, operational excellence, pharmaceutical development, regulatory pathways, quality control implementation & entrepreneurship.

Ratner BioMedical Inc.'s technologies
bridge across disciplines of materials
science, engineering, modern biology
and medicine.

	J. K. Nair President & CEO Jayakrishnan Krishnan (J.K.) Nair has experience in bringing medical devices to emerging markets, as well as in managing large projects and engaging in research for leading technology entities such as Microsoft, NASA Jet Propulsion Labs, and IBM. He is also a successful real estate entrepreneur in the Puget Sound area. During the six+ years he worked for Microsoft, he has managed global teams of more than two dozen engineers, led extensive product usability studies, designed user training & competitive evaluations for new technologies, and has also led strategic negotiations for large scale site-licenses. His publication record on fault tolerance in NASA space applications and robotics makes him an “Erdos #2”. He is the recipient of many awards and honors for academic and professional excellence (such as the National Innovation Potential Award, Microsoft IT Pro Award etc), and has patented a speech-recognition-based medical device that enables paralyzed patients to vocally control all essential devices, thereby increasing their physical independence. He holds a B.Tech in Electronics & Communications Engineering (distinction) from the University of Kerala, India, an MS in Computer Engineering (honors) from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and an MBA in Technology Management (honors) from the University of Washington (Foster School of Business).
	Jelle Kylstra, MD, MBA VP, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Dr. Jelle W. Kylstra brings nearly two decades of clinical drug and medical device development experience to RBI, primarily in oncology, hematology, metabolic and infectious disease. He joined Ratner from RITA Medical Systems in 2009, wherein as Vice President and Medical Director, he led the development and registration of a number of interventional oncology devices and drug-device combination products. Prior to that, he was Senior Medical Director at Dendreon Corporation, where he designed and executed the Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials for Provenge, the world's first cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer. Dr. Kylstra started his industry career with Procter and Gamble, where he developed Actonel for osteoporosis. Dr. Kylstra holds an MD degree from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, Illinois. During his hematology research fellowship in the 1980s, he characterized the performance of low molecular weight heparinoids, and later successfully introduced in the clinic. He also serves as editorial reviewer for journals such as the American Journal of Transplantation.
	Arch Holder VP, Operations Arch C. Holder received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas State University in Industrial Technology. Arch has extensive experience as a corporate resource for resolving ‘Critical to Success Problems’ with major industry leaders such as IBM Corporation, Dell, Inc., GVC, BCM Advanced Research and Microsoft. During his tenure with IBM he held a position on the original Personal Computer team and was selected as a key contributor responsible for building IBM’s Industrial Sector Division, which is today’s Global Services. In this role he spearheaded engagements with Fortune 500 companies ranging from High-Tech Electronics, Medical, Aerospace, Defense and Food & Beverage. Customers included Baxter Edwards CVS, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Labs, Lockheed Martin, Del Monte, and RJR Nabisco. Arch accomplished IBM’s Internal Management training and secured multiple certifications in Quality, Six Sigma Black Belt, Environmental, Hazardous Material Handling and Safety. He was the recipient of an IBM Excellence Award for corporate strategic planning and execution. At Dell Arch implemented quality systems and increased production more than threefold for all PC products. Microsoft contracted Arch to lead manufacturing and operations for the launch of Xbox, which involved B2B operations in this multi-national business venture. Microsoft hired Arch to establish business practices for Contract Management and Compliance; he was a stakeholder to assure Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. As Senior Build Program Manager, he was responsible for implementing operations, regulatory and environmental compliance for the manufacturing of Microsoft’s Surface Computing product; this was a global effort across the United States, Asia and Europe. He is a Senior Member within American Society for Quality and has held a series of leadership positions within the Austin, TX and Seattle, WA chapters.
	Ed Berman VP, Business Development Ed Berman has spent many years in the surgical device business. Initially a Clinical Engineer at the Hospital Council of Southern California, he created and implemented electrical safety programs for hospitals in Southern California. Later as a Biomedical Engineer at NDM, Corp., he designed and evaluated new electrosurgical handpieces and return electrodes. As owner of Omnimedical, Inc, one of the major surgical specialty distributors in the Northwest, he managed a sales force dedicated to the sales and training of complex surgical devices for vascular, cardiovascular and general surgery. . In 2001, after the sale of Omnimedical to Prime Source Surgical, he began working as Director of Market Development for FzioMed, Inc. a developer of biomaterials for the prevention of adhesion formation in spine, general and gynecological surgery. He identified and contracted with 30 clinical sites of orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons for an FDA study of Oxiplex, an adhesion barrier gel. He helped develop a group of specialty distributors in the US, Europe, Australia, Korea and South America. With distribution contacts both nationally and internationally, he has a proven record of success in presenting new technologies to the surgical profession. He holds a BS in Engineering Science from Richmond College, City University of NY and a MS in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.
	Ahmet Höke, MD, PhD Chief Science Officer & SAB Member Dr. Höke is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University and Director of the Daniel B. Drachman Division of Neuromuscular Diseases at Johns Hopkins Hospital. His clinical practice is focused on neuromuscular diseases with a particular interest in peripheral nerve diseases. His research interests include studies on basic biology of peripheral axons and Schwann cells and disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system. He has contributed significantly to the field of peripheral nerve regeneration. In 2005, he received the coveted Derek Denny Brown Young Neurological Scholar Award given by the American Neurological Association to a member of the association who has achieved a significant stature in neurological research and whose promise of continuing major contributions to the field of neurology is anticipated.
	Hai-Quan Mao, PhD BioMaterials Lead & SAB Member Dr. Hai-Quan Mao is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Mao received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1988 and Ph.D. degree in polymer chemistry in 1993 from Wuhan University in China. He pursued his postdoctoral training with Prof. Kam W. Leong in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 1995 to 1999. Dr. Mao was a co-principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins in Singapore from 1999 to 2003. Dr. Mao joined Johns Hopkins University in April 2003 as an assistant professor. Dr. Mao’s research has been focusing on developing polymeric biomaterials for the delivery of cells and therapeutics and regenerative medicine. Dr. Mao has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications. He is an inventor of 14 issued US patents and 12 more pending patent applications. Dr. Mao has been on the editorial board of journal Tissue Engineering since 2006. He is the recipient of the Cygnus Award for Outstanding Work in Drug Delivery in 1997, Capsugel Award for Outstanding Research in Innovative Aspects of Controlled Drug Release in 1998 and 2001, National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Award and Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008.
	Cindy Webb, CPA Chief Accounts Officer Cindy Webb is a licensed CPA in the State of Washington. She received her B.A. degree from the University of Washington with an emphasis in accounting. She practiced public accounting with Deloitte & Touché and then held various corporate accounting positions within PACCAR. Most recently, her time has been spent as a consultant for startup businesses in Hertogs & Webb, LLC. Cindy is proficient at implementing QuickBooks, establishing accounting processes, producing monthly financial statements and preparing tax returns.
	Carol Nottenburg, PhD., JD. Chief Intellectual property Officer Dr. Nottenburg is a patent lawyer specializing in biotechnology. Her career path took her from undergraduate days at Caltech (B.S. Biology) to graduate work at Stanford University (Ph.D. Genetics), to a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco in the laboratory of Dr. Harold Varmus, Nobel Laureate, and ultimately to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle, Washington.After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Puget Sound Law School (now Seattle University Law School), she joined the law firm of Seed and Berry in Seattle, Washington. There she had primary responsibility for a number of small biotech company clients, and her practice focused on integrating patent strategy with business strategy. A move to CAMBIA, a non-profit, private research institute, in Australia allowed Carol to become involved in policy issues surrounding intellectual property. Now in private practice and with Ratner BioMedical, Carol aims to assist in integrating patent strategy with business purposes. Carol is working on contract with RBG LLC in the capacity of CLO.