Longeveron is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for aging-related and life-threatening conditions. 

Biotechnology

Longeveron

Megan Shah was born and raised in Miami, Florida. After completing their undergraduate studies at the [University of Miami](/org/university-of-miami), they began their career as a research associate at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, where they worked on developing treatments for paralysis. Megan then moved to [Pliant Therapeutics](/org/pliant-therapeutics), where they worked on developing drugs for fibrotic research. In October 2020, they began working as a barista at Pasión Del Cielo, and in March 2021, they began working as a manufacturing associate at [Longeveron](/org/longeveron).

Megan Shah has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from [California Lutheran University](/org/california-lutheran-university). Megan also has certification from LI-COR Biosciences in Introduction to Western Blotting Part 2 (Chemiluminescence) and Part 3 (NIR).

Megan Shah reports to Lisa McClain-Moss, Vice President, Manufacturing. They are on a team with Jose Lorenzo - Manufacturing Assistan, Matthew Walinski - Manufacturing Associate I, and Michael Brown - Manufacturing Associate II.

Megan Shah

Kevin Ramdas is the current Director of Clinical Operations at [Longeveron](/org/longeveron). Kevin has extensive experience in clinical research, having worked as a QA Officer and Fellow in Cosmetic Dermatology Research. Kevin recently graduated from Medical School and also has a Masters in Public Health. Their future goals include attaining a Dermatology or Medicine Residency.

Kevin Ramdas has a background in Global Health, having completed an EdX course on the topic, as well as a Masters of Public Health from the [University of Miami](/org/university-of-miami). Kevin also has a Medical Doctorate from the American University of Antigua College of Medicine. Their undergraduate degree is in Sociology, Psychology & Biology from [Florida State University](/org/florida-state-university). Kevin also has a Diploma from Monsignor Edward Pace High School. In addition to their educational accomplishments, Kevin Ramdas has several certifications, including ones from edX, [Université de Montréal](/org/universite-de-montreal), [Association of Clinical Research Professionals](/org/association-of-clinical-research-professionals), and more.

They are on a team with Anthony Oliva - Senior Scientist, Lisa McClain-Moss - Vice President, Manufacturing, and Paul Lehr - International Executive Director, General Counsel & Secretary. Their manager is Chris Min, MD PhD, Chief Executive Officer. Some direct reports include Danial Mehranfard, Pharm D, MBA - Clinical Scientist, Jessica Protenic - Senior Director Patient Services.

Kevin Ramdas

Michael Brown is a manufacturing associate II at [Longeveron](/org/longeveron). Michael was previously a research associate at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine from June 2019 to December 2021. Before that, they were an undergraduate research assistant at St. Thomas University from June 2017 to April 2019. In their previous positions, they developed an efficient workflow to screen medicinal plants’ extracts for antioxidant activity and prepare extracted plant material for use in cell-based assays. Michael also utilized advanced chromatography techniques to separate and identify active chemical components of plant extracts that demonstrated anti-cancer properties.

Michael Brown's educational career includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Thomas University and Delone Catholic High School.

Michael Brown reports to Lisa McClain-Moss, Vice President, Manufacturing. Some of their coworkers include Megan Shah - Manufacturing Associate I, Leo Soto - Manufacturing Associate I, and Jose Lorenzo - Manufacturing Assistan.

Michael Brown

Eric Naioti is a Senior Clinical Scientist at [Longeveron](/org/longeveron). Previously, they worked as a Research Fellow - Biostatistician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from October 2020 to February 2022. In this role, they provided statistical support for the Influenza Prevention and Control Team (IPACT) within the Influenza Division (ID) Epidemiology and Prevention Branch at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) at the CDC. Eric assisted on research studies describing influenza vaccine effectiveness and studies describing antiviral medication use and effectiveness.

Eric's role in these research projects included reviewing and summarizing scientific and clinical literature related to analytic strategies or project implementation options. Eric assisted in the tracking, receipt, validation, and merging of large datasets, including data from multiple sites and epidemiologic, laboratory, and electronic medical data. Eric also summarized research findings in written reports and presentations; performed primary or secondary technical review of documents; prepared sections of scientific manuscripts for internal and academic audiences.

Eric Naioti has a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from SUNY Geneseo and a master's degree in Biostatistics from [Emory University](/org/emory-university).

Eric Naioti reports to Anthony Oliva, Senior Scientist.

Eric Naioti

Ursula Ungaro joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)'s Board of Directors in June 2021. She currently serves as partner of the prestigious law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. Prior to joining Boies Schiller, Ms. Ungaro served 29 years as a federal judge. Ms. Ungaro was appointed to serve on the federal U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 1992 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush and being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In her time on the federal bench, she presided over and ruled in numerous major civil and criminal cases in legal domains ranging from constitutional principles, equal rights, securities issues, and the use of non-embryonic stem cell therapies, amongst many others. Following her graduation with honors from the University of Florida School of Law in 1975 (one of just 17 women in a class of about 250), Ms. Ungaro practiced law in Miami, Florida where in 1981 she became a partner in Tew, Critchlow, Sonberg, Traum & Friedbauer, P.A. (later merged into Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Heine, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey, a national law firm). She subsequently joined Sparber, Shevin, Shapo & Heilbronner, a prestigious local law firm. She practiced law mainly in the area of complex commercial litigation, including in the areas of securities, corporate and tax law. From 1987 to 1992, Ms. Ungaro served as a trial judge on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida. She has authored published articles in the areas of administrative law, legal ethics, and civil procedure. She is the recipient of the ORT Jurisprudence Award and has been recognized on several occasions by other organizations for her achievements in the law and service to the community.



Ursula Ungaro

Dr. Hare co-founded [Longeveron](/org/longeveron) in 2014 and serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Chief Science Officer. Dr. Hare is a double board-certified cardiologist (Cardiology and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation) and is the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the [University of Miami](/org/university-of-miami)’s Miller School of Medicine. He has obtained in excess of $25 Million in funding from the National Institutes of Health over the past 15 years to support basic research of cell therapy strategies. He is also a recipient of the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholar in Aging Research Award, and is an elected member of the American Association of Physicians, The American Society for Clinical Investigation, and is an elected Fellow of the American Heart Association. Dr. Hare has also served in numerous leadership roles at the American Heart Association and at the Center for Scientific Review of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Hare is also a co-founder of Vestion, Inc., and Heart Genomics, LLC, companies that hold cardio-related intellectual property. He received a BA from the [University of Pennsylvania](/org/university-of-pennsylvania), and his MD from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed fellowships at Johns Hopkins and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and was a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School.



Joshua M. Hare

James Clavijo joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron) in 2019. He has over 25 years of experience in executive, finance and accounting activities, including experience as a Chief Financial Officer for several pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical device and manufacturing companies. Mr. Clavijo’s experience has included building, leading and advising companies with strategic plans for pharmaceutical commercialization and manufacturing, negotiating licensing and drug development agreements, as well as advising companies with complex restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions, and system implementations. During 2018, Mr. Clavijo served as the Chief Financial Officer for Aeterna Zentaris (NASDAQ: AEZS). Prior to this, Mr. Clavijo served for two years as the Chief Financial Officer for Tri-source Pharma, a pharmaceutical company focused on procuring pharmaceutical products facing supply issues and supplying pharmaceutical products to veterinary markets. Since 2009, Mr. Clavijo, has also served as founder and principal of Barcelona Capital Partners, a consulting firm that provided Chief Financial Officer services, that includes the preparation of regulatory filings with the [Securities and Exchange Commission](/org/sec). Previously, Mr. Clavijo served for five years as the Chief Accounting Officer at [Soligenix](/org/soligenix) (NASDAQ: SNGX), a public biopharmaceutical company. In addition, Mr. Clavijo worked for Deloitte & Touche and was an Officer in the U.S. Army, serving for 13 years in active and reserve duty. Mr. Clavijo was licensed as a CPA in Florida from 2000-2011. He was licensed in Florida as a real estate/business agent since 2013-2021. Mr. Clavijo received a BA in Chemistry (PreMed) from the [University of Florida](/org/university-of-florida), a BA in Accounting from the University of Nebraska, and a Masters in Accounting from Florida International University.



James Clavijo

Rock Soffer joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Board of Directors in March 2020. Mr. Soffer is President, Special Project Division at Turnberry Associates, where he oversees leasing, asset acquisitions, zoning and site approvals, as well as the development of other specialty projects. He has experience in managing and securing financing for complex projects, as well as overseeing a number of developments in Florida, such as the redevelopment of an almost 200,000 square-foot open-air lifestyle shopping center in Aventura. In addition, Mr. Rock Soffer was tasked with overseeing the referendum for the new 800-key Miami Beach Convention Center luxury hotel. Upon completion, the privately-funded property will be the cornerstone of the Convention Center District in Miami Beach. Mr. Rock Soffer is an advocate for responsible, environmentally sustainable development. He is actively involved in his local community and sits on the boards of AYITI Community Trust, and the [Institute of Contemporary Art Miami](/org/institute-of-contemporary-art-miami).



Rock Soffer

Anthony Oliva, Ph.D. has been with [Longeveron](/org/longeveron) since 2015. Dr. Oliva has over 20 years of basic and clinical research experience, has deep experience in regulatory affairs, and has been integral in leading [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s grant application and grant funding process. Prior to joining [Longeveron](/org/longeveron), he held a faculty appointment at [Florida International University](/org/florida-international-university). Dr. Oliva earned his B.A. in Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago, and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from [Baylor College of Medicine](/org/baylor-college-of-medicine). He did his post-doctoral research at [Oregon Health & Science University](/org/oregon-health-science-university).



Anthony Oliva

Paul Lehr joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron) in 2016 and serves as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary as well as its International Executive Director, overseeing [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s international efforts and programs.  After earning his BA from [Brown University](/org/brown-university), and his JD from University of Florida College of Law, Mr. Lehr served as a law clerk for a United States Federal Judge and practiced law for 5 years with experience in healthcare and business transactions and litigation at a leading Miami law firm.  Over the past 20 years, Mr. Lehr has held senior legal and executive positions in corporate, non-profit, and research settings.  Mr. Lehr co-founded and serves as the CEO of Heart Genomics, LLC, a molecular diagnostics company, and thereafter focused his efforts in the cardiac rehabilitation field as President of a non-profit research foundation.  With this research serving as the foundation of the for-profit arm of the cardiac rehabilitation program, Mr. Lehr negotiated a master franchise agreement with a leading Indian healthcare operator with 100+ facilities across India and the Middle East, and then co-lead negotiations with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to successfully secure reimbursement of their cardiac rehabilitation program. 



Paul Lehr

Joe G. N. Garcia is a Pulmonary physician-scientist, a Merlin K. DuVal, MD endowed professor of medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, and an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.



Joe G. N. Garcia

Neil E. Hare joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Board of Directors in September of 2015. Mr. Hare is the founder and president of Global Vision Communications, LLC, (GVC), a Washington, D.C.-based agency specializing in strategic communications, business development, branding and marketing. He is also a licensed attorney and is Of Counsel to the law firm of McCarthy Wilson LLP. Mr. Hare represents Fortune 500 companies, major trade associations, and Federal government agencies. He is an expert in small business policy, focusing on access to capital, and is a regular contributor to Forbes magazine. Previously, he served as vice president of Corporate Communications at the [U.S. Chamber of Commerce](/org/chamber-of-commerce-of-the-united-states-of-america), where he managed public policy awareness campaigns aimed at the Chamber’s three million members on issues such as tax and regulatory reform, market driven health care, energy, free trade, and expanded transportation and infrastructure. Mr. Hare received a J.D. from [American University](/org/american-university)’s Washington College of Law and a B.A. in international relations from [Tufts University](/org/tufts-university).



Neil E. Hare

Todd Girolamo was appointed to [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Board of Directors in February 2022. Mr. Girolamo is currently General Counsel at ProKidney LP, a clinical-stage cellular therapeutics company focused on therapies for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and prevention of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and need for dialysis. Prior to joining ProKidney, he spent 11 years as Chief Legal Officer, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Corporate Secretary for Caladrius Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLBS), a regenerative medicine development company. Mr. Girolamo is a seasoned attorney specializing in therapeutic products and businesses. His experience includes SEC, Nasdaq, and clinical compliance; corporate finance; M&A; licensing; intellectual property; litigation; and drug development.


Mr. Girolamo began his legal career as a corporate law associate at Cahill Gordon & Reindel and concluded his tenure in private practice at Reid & Priest where he gained expertise as a general commercial litigator practicing in the areas of intellectual property, securities law, employment law and bankruptcy. In addition to almost two decades of experience as both corporate counsel and private practitioner, Mr. Girolamo spent 12 years on Wall Street where he specialized in therapeutic healthcare equity securities at Oppenheimer & Co., CIBC World Markets, Leerink & Company and Summer Street Research Partners as a Series 24, 7 and 63 licensed principal. Subsequently he served as an analyst and portfolio manager at Lion’s Path Capital, managing a long-short portfolio of biopharma and med-tech equities.

​
​Mr. Girolamo received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College, Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

Todd Girolamo

Danial Mehranfard, Pharm D, MBA

Jessica Protenic

Leo Soto

Jose Lorenzo

Matthew Walinski

Kevin Peterson

Lisa McClain-Moss joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron) in 2017. She has more than 20 years of experience in the cell and gene therapy space including GMP cleanroom operations. During this time she was involved in the development, manufacturing and scale up of biopharmaceutical products including viral vectors such as vaccinia and retroviruses, H5N1 influenza seed stock for the WHO as well as seed stocks for multiple strains of influenza, rAAV, monoclonal antibodies and cell and tissue expansion and banking. From September 2007 to August 2017 she served as the Director of Manufacturing at Cognate Bioservices. While at Cognate she led manufacturing operations in a GMP environment as well as implementation of new client processes from technology transfer to finished final product. From March 1999 to August 2007, she served at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital starting with the production of vectors for clinical trials to Therapeutics Production Section Head providing oversight for GMP operations. From 1993 to 1999 she was a microbiologist at C. E. Kord Animal Diagnostic Laboratory providing diagnostic testing for multiple animal species. Lisa McClain-Moss received her BS in Biology/Microbiology from Tennessee Technological University.



Lisa McClain-Moss

Dr. Gincel has over 20 years of leadership experience overseeing development and commercialization of regenerative medicines, including cell and gene therapies, as well as establishing public-private collaborations and corporate partnerships. Previously, he served as Vice President of University Partnerships and a member of the Executive Leadership Team at the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), where he oversaw programs to accelerate the commercialization of technologies from federal, state, and private Maryland research institutions. Additionally, he served as Executive Director at the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF), where he managed over $150+ million in stem cell research funding. During his tenure, he helped create and support more than 55 technology startup companies with over $120 million of follow-on funding and numerous successful exits. Dr. Gincel received both his Ph.D. (2003) and his B.Sc. (1996) from Ben-Gurion University in Israel. He currently serves on numerous boards supporting companies and economic development.

Dan Gincel

Elba Lozado

Chris Min, MD PhD

Hidenori Arai (MD., PhD) is the President of the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG), Japan since 2019. He is also the President of the Japan Gerontological Society, the Vice President of the Japan Geriatrics Society, the President of the Japanese Association on Sarcopenia and Frailty and the Vice President of the Japan Atherosclerosis Society. Additionally, he is the President of Asian Academy of Medicine for Ageing, and the Vice President of Asian Association of Frailty and Sarcopenia. He is the member of the Science Council of Japan since Oct. 2020. 



Hidenori Arai

Cathy Ross was elected to [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Board of Directors in February, 2021 as part of [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Corporate Conversion. Ms. Ross is a senior finance executive with over 30 years of experience. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of Fraud.Net, Inc., a privately held company that operates a real-time fraud detection and analytics platform. From 2006 to 2012, she was the Chief Financial Officer, President, and a member of the Board of Directors of MotherNature.com, a privately held online retailer and information source for vitamins, supplements, minerals and healthy products. In her role as Chief Financial Officer of MotherNature.com, she managed all aspects of accounting, budgeting and financial reporting. Prior to that, she served as Managing Director, Private Equity of Oasis Capital Partners, Vice President, Investment Banking and Public Offerings of [Commonwealth Associates](/org/commonwealth-associates), Product Development and Marketing Manager of Ocwen Financial Corporation, and a Senior Credit Analyst for Chase Manhattan Bank. Ms. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Economics from [Brown University](/org/brown-university) in 1989.



Cathy Ross

Elena Volpi is a Daisy Emery Allen Distinguished Chair in Geriatric Medicine; Director, Sealy Center on Aging; Director, UTMB Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center; Associate Director, Institute for Translational Sciences; Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine-Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch.



Elena Volpi

Jeremy D. Walston is a Raymond and Anna Lublin Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, the deputy director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, the principal investigator of the Johns Hopkins Older Americans Independence Center, and the co-director of the Biology of Healthy Aging program. 



Jeremy D. Walston

Don Soffer is a co-founder, Board of Directors, and investor in [Longeveron](/org/longeveron). For the last 40+ years, Mr. Soffer has been one of the leading real estate developers in the country. In 1967, Mr. Soffer purchased 785 acres of swampland adjacent to the intra-coastal waterway in North Miami Beach, Florida (now Aventura, Florida) and began developing it. Mr. Soffer founded Turnberry Associates Inc. in 1977 and developed Turnberry Resort and Club and the Aventura Mall. Mr. Soffer has built major shopping centers in Florida and the Midwest, including the Greater Pittsburgh Merchandise Mart & Expo Center, the largest convention center between New York and Chicago. He holds a degree in Economics from [Brandeis University](/org/brandeis-university).



Donald M. Soffer

Erin Borger joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Board of Directors in 2021 and has been involved with [Longeveron](/org/longeveron) research for many years. Mr. Borger and Dr. Hare came up with and helped kick off the companies Alzheimer’s study. Erin is Managing Director and Market Head at UBS Financial Services Inc. which is the largest Swiss bank as well as the top global wealth management firm. Erin has been the recipient of the UBS 2019 Market Head of the Year Award, Aspire Award, Global Volunteer Award, and multiple Leadership Council Awards. He is also the Executive Sponsor of the Young Professional’s Network. Erin’s core business has over 450 employees and focuses on private equity, venture capital, small and large companies, c-suite executives, company founders, high net worth individuals, and investment banking. Personally, Erin has sat on multiple medical non-profit boards and is an avid biotech investor. He lives in California with his wife Courtney and two sons, Lennox and Pierce.



Erin Borger

Douglas Losordo joined [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Board of Directors in 2021 as part of [Longeveron](/org/longeveron)’s Corporate Conversion. Dr. Losordo has worked in the biotech industry developing cell-based therapies for over twenty years, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Head of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer of KBP Biosciences Inc.  Dr. Losordo was previously the Executive Vice President, Global Head of Research and Development, Chief Medical Officer of [Caladrius Biosciences](/org/caladrius-biosciences) (Nasdaq: CLBS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of cellular therapies designed to reverse chronic disease, from August 2013 until November 2020. Dr. Losordo has extensive knowledge of clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, supply chain and commercial factors unique to cellular therapy technologies as a result of his prior industry experience. Dr. Losordo’s also previously served as a Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He received his MD from the [University of Vermont](/org/university-of-vermont) College of Medicine, and his B.A. in Zoology from the [University of Vermont](/org/university-of-vermont).



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