SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rejuvenate Bio, a biotech company developing gene therapies for age-related diseases, today announced the appointments of Hugh Calkins, M.D., Stephen Chelko, Ph.D., and Dr. Elif Oral, M.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB comprises experts in cardiology, endocrinology & metabolism, drug discovery and development.
“We are pleased to welcome Hugh, Stephen and Elif, who are renowned experts in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), and familial partial lipodystrophy (FPL) to Rejuvenate’s Scientific Advisory Board,” said Daniel Oliver, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Rejuvenate Bio. “This depth of scientific expertise will be critical in advancing our pipeline of novel gene therapies that target key drivers of diseases in cardiology, endocrinology and other chronic disease populations.”
“Rejuvenate is developing a novel treatment strategy that is of potential value for treating all patients with ARVC, regardless of what genetic variant they have and also for gene elusive patients. I’ve focused much of my clinical and research activities on ARVC for more than two decades and look forward to bringing my expertise to the team at Rejuvenate,” said Calkins.
“It is an honor to join a board with scientific minds such as George Church, Vicky Yang, Ph.D., Frank Greenway, M.D., Katherine High, M.D., and Fabian Kausche and others. I lead an inherited heart disease laboratory researching the root causes of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM), a rare genetic heart disease. I look forward to working with the team and SAB at Rejuvenate Bio, to advance gene therapies for chronic age-related diseases,” said Chelko.
The new members of Rejuvenate’s SAB include:
Hugh Calkins, M.D., is the Catherine Ellen Poindexter Professor of Cardiology and Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory and Arrhythmia Service at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is an internationally recognized expert on catheter ablation, atrial fibrillation, syncope, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) and arrhythmia management. Dr. Calkins attended Williams College and Harvard Medical School before training in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He received his cardiology training at Johns Hopkins. His first faculty position was at the University of Michigan, where he directed the Pacemaker Service, and he returned to Johns Hopkins as director of the Arrhythmia Service in 1992. Dr. Calkins has published more than 500 articles and book chapters on a large variety of cardiac arrhythmias. His research has focused predominantly on catheter ablation, atrial fibrillation, syncope, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.
Stephen Chelko, Ph.D., is a physiologist and assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine. His primary research focus utilizes in vitro and in vivo models of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) in order to elucidate aberrant cell signaling mechanisms that give rise to ARVD/C functional and pathological phenotypes. He is a basic research physiologist and has extensive experience (>15yrs) testing the efficaciousness of small molecule inhibitors on cardiovascular functional outcomes and the prevention of myocardial injury. He has a BS, Biology from Emory University, a PhD in Physiology from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine and conducted his postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Inherited Heart Diseases at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine.
Dr. Elif Oral, M.D., is a Professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes (MEND) at the University of Michigan. Her clinical interests are in insulin resistance, obesity, lipid disorders, and diabetes. She completed her medical education in her home country of Turkey at the University of Istanbul. Dr. Oral completed a M.Sc in Clinical Research Design and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University of Michigan. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Sinai Hospital of Detroit (Michigan), and then completed a Fellowship in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes at the National Institutes of Health, where she also chose to stay as a Senior Fellow under the mentorship of Drs. Simeon Taylor and Phillip Gorden in the Diabetes Branch of NIDDK. In addition to her roles as physician, educator, and researcher, Dr. Oral is also the Medical Director of the UMHS Bariatric Surgery Program and Director of the MEND Obesity and Metabolic Disorder Program. She also directs the Post-Bariatric Surgery Care Program.
The new advisors will join existing SAB members, George Church, Ph.D., Vicky Yang, Frank Greenway, Katherine High and Fabian Kausche.
About Rejuvenate Bio
Rejuvenate Bio is a spinout from the Wyss Institute at Harvard focused on reversing aging and eliminating age-related disease. Rejuvenate Bio utilizes gene therapy, proprietary targets, and tools to bring treatments to patients suffering from age-related conditions. The company is developing a pipeline of therapies with applications in cardiac and metabolic disease. The company raised a Series A financing in 2021 led by Kendall Capital Partners, Digitalis Ventures, KdT Ventures and V Capital. Rejuvenate Bio is based in San Diego for more information, visit www.rejuvenatebio.com.
