Leadership
Leading the Charge Toward
a Cure for ALS
The ProJenX team is comprised of world-renowned clinical researchers and experts in ALS, brain diseases, biotechnology, and investigational drug development united by a common goal: finding a cure for ALS.
Drawing on deep expertise across neurology, molecular biology, and clinical trials, we are at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries and treatments. Each day, our dedication and determination fuel the quest to develop a cure, offering hope to patients and families affected by ALS around the world.
Management Team
Stan Abel, who joined ProJenX as President and CEO in April 2022, brings more than 20 years of senior management and financial experience in the life sciences industry. Under his leadership, executive teams with emerging businesses have identified and in-licensed development-stage drug candidates, raised more than $100 million to fund operations, conducted large-scale clinical trials and implemented successful M&A strategies. Prior to joining ProJenX, Abel was CEO of SiteOne Therapeutics Inc., where he led a team developing new treatments for acute and chronic pain. Before this, he was CEO of Corthera Inc. through its sale to Novartis with a focus on a new treatment for heart failure. Earlier in his career, Abel was the CFO of Cerexa Inc. from its inception through its sale to Forest Laboratories. In addition, he was CFO of Peninsula Pharmaceuticals Inc. through its sale to Johnson & Johnson. Abel began his career in finance positions with Eli Lilly and Company and DowBrands Inc.
Abel earned a B.S. in business from Indiana University and an M.B.A., with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is chairman of SiteOne Therapeutics and serves as an advisor to early-stage life science companies.
Erin Fleming is a co-founder and Vice President of Research & Development at ProJenX. Prior to ProJenX launching in November 2021, Ms. Fleming was Director of Research Operations at Project ALS, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that identifies and funds promising scientific research toward the first effective treatments and a cure for ALS.
Previously, Erin was associate director at Project ALS, project manager at the biotech Applied Therapeutics, and project director at the boutique life sciences consulting firm Clearpoint Strategy Group. She holds a BA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
Board of Directors
Stan Abel, who joined ProJenX as President and CEO in April 2022, brings more than 20 years of senior management and financial experience in the life sciences industry. Under his leadership, executive teams with emerging businesses have identified and in-licensed development-stage drug candidates, raised more than $100 million to fund operations, conducted large-scale clinical trials and implemented successful M&A strategies. Prior to joining ProJenX, Abel was CEO of SiteOne Therapeutics Inc., where he led a team developing new treatments for acute and chronic pain. Before this, he was CEO of Corthera Inc. through its sale to Novartis with a focus on a new treatment for heart failure. Earlier in his career, Abel was the CFO of Cerexa Inc. from its inception through its sale to Forest Laboratories. In addition, he was CFO of Peninsula Pharmaceuticals Inc. through its sale to Johnson & Johnson. Abel began his career in finance positions with Eli Lilly and Company and DowBrands Inc.
Abel earned a B.S. in business from Indiana University and an M.B.A., with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is chairman of SiteOne Therapeutics and serves as an advisor to early-stage life science companies.
Valerie Estess, along with her sisters Jenifer and Meredith, founded Project ALS, which has revolutionized the way that science and medicine approach disease research. As Director of Research, she motivates world leading scientists and clinicians to work together toward a deeper understanding of ALS, and the closely related Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and spinal cord injury.
In twenty-two years, Project ALS has raised over $120 million for
research. With Jenifer, Valerie is the author of the national bestselling memoir, Tales from the Bed. Project ALS was featured in the critically acclaimed HBO original documentary Three Sisters: Searching for a Cure, produced by Academy Award winner Sheila Nevins. In 2004, Meredith and Valerie were named Women of Vision by the Weitzmann Institute of Science. In 2008, Time magazine named “iPS cells from ALS patients,” an experiment facilitated and fully supported by Project ALS, as its scientific breakthrough of the year.
Estess holds a B.A. from Barnard College.
Rick Hartz is currently President, Global Pharma & Commercial Development at Merck & Co. He leads a global commercial team of employees who are responsible for multiple therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, Respiratory, Metabolic, HIV/HepC, Covid, Immunology, hospital specialty and neuroscience.
Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Merck’s oncology partnerships and Human Health Business Development where he led the AstraZeneca, Eisai and Seagen collaborations, overseeing worldwide co-commercialization and global P&L for LYNPARZA® (olaparib) and LENVIMA® (lenvatinib mesylate). In this role, he also led Human Health Business Development.
Prior to this role, Rick was Senior Vice President, US Managed Markets. Rick’s team was responsible for Merck’s largest customers including PBMs, national and regional payers, Hospital Systems, the VA and DoD, Pharmacy, Specialty, and Integrated Delivery Systems.
In 2011, Rick was appointed Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the US Market where he was responsible for leading development and execution of marketing strategies across Merck’s portfolio of inline and launch brands.
Rick joined Merck in 1988 holding a number of sales and marketing roles. He has an established track record of marketing success and innovation across numerous roles. From 1996 to 2000 Rick was Senior Director of Marketing for SINGULAIR, where he led the US launch team and set SINGULAIR on its path to $4 Billion in annual sales. In 2000, Rick left Merck to help start TargetRx, a marketing/market research consulting firm.
After returning to Merck in 2003, Rick held a variety of positions, including Global Brand Leader across several franchises: Obesity, Cardiovascular and Neuroscience, as well as Vice President, Business Development.
Rick holds a B.A. in Economics from Dickinson College and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Eric Heil joined Medical Excellence Capital (MEC) as Managing Partner in 2021. Prior to joining MEC, Eric served as an SVP/Advisor to Health Quality Partners, a non-profit organization committed to care delivery design and value-based care, and served as an adjunct professor at Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania teaching healthcare entrepreneurship from 2016-2020. In 2017, Eric co-founded and helped launch Upward Health with the BCBS Venture Fund, a technology-enabled care delivery service for complex patients with mental health challenges. Prior to co-founding Upward Health, Eric served as SVP, Chief Commercial Officer of Software Solutions at naviHealth Inc., a UnitedHealthcare Company, serving over 850 hospitals and 11,000 post-acute care providers nationwide. In 2012, Eric co-founded and served as president and CEO of RightCare Solutions, an evidence-based venture-backed health care IT company specializing in care transitions and discharge planning. In December 2015, RightCare Solutions, Inc. was successfully acquired by naviHealth, Inc.
Early in his career, he was an investment professional at Domain Associates, LLC, a leading life-science venture capital fund with over $2.5 billion under management, and became an Entrepreneur-in-Residence in 2012 when launching RightCare. During his tenure there, Eric also led business development at Corthera (acquired by Novartis) and Celator Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals). Before joining Domain Associates, he was an Equity Research Analyst at Bear Stearns covering the Managed Care sector and a consultant with Easton Associates (now Navigant Consulting), a management consultancy dedicated to the medical industry.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering with a focus in healthcare systems from the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Heil also completed his MBA from Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012.
John Prufeta founded Medical Excellence Capital (MEC) in 2020 and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner.
Over the past 30 years, John has served as an operator and consultant to academic medical centers internationally. He also serves as Chairman of The Medical Excellence Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing grants to support America’s most promising health care research at academic medical centers and research institutes.
In 2009, John co-founded the Medical Excellence Group, a global private health advisory firm with offices in New York, Moscow, London, and Shanghai, and served as Chairman since its inception. The company operates as a virtual “Family Office for Health Care” offering comprehensive, state of the science programs in preventative medicine, complex case management, telemedicine, and longevity. From 2000-2003, John served as president and CEO of Medix Resources, a publicly-held (NYSE:MXR) health care technology company. Prior to this, John served as Managing Partner of Agilence Health Advisors and OnPoint Partners, consulting companies advising academic medical centers, managed care organizations, and health care technology firms.
He is a founding Board member of Veterans Moving Forward, a 501(c)(3) charity that serves Veterans with physical and mental challenges. Additionally, Prufeta is a founding board member of CuraLeaf, a publicly held medical cannabis company that is now the largest integrated provider in the United States. One of his most treasured experiences was as a board member of America’s Huey 091, a project that fully restored a Vietnam-era helicopter and donated the aircraft to the Smithsonian Institute. The helicopter is now the largest artifact in the “America at War” exhibit.
John is a graduate of the Harvard Executive Program, OPM 28 at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business. He holds a B.S. degree in Management from St. John’s University.
Dr. Hynek Wichterle is a Jerry and Emily Spiegel Professor holding a joint appointment in the Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology and Neuroscience (in Neurology) at Columbia University. He received his M.S. degree from Charles University in Prague and his Ph.D. degree from The Rockefeller University under the tutelage of Dr Arturo Alvarez Buylla. He trained with Dr. Thomas Jessell at Columbia University, where he became assistant professor in 2004 and associate professor in 2012. He serves as a co-director of the Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease and as a Vice-Chief of the Division of Regenerative Medicine in the Department of Rehabilitation & Regenerative Medicine.
Dr Wichterle developed groundbreaking methods for producing spinal cord neurons from pluripotent embryonic stem cells in a culture dish. His lab capitalizes on the unlimited source of spinal neurons to study motor neuron degenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), with the goal of discovering new drugs that promote motor neuron survival.
Scientific Advisory Board
Leonard H. van den Berg is a professor of neurology who holds a chair in experimental neurology of motor neuron diseases at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Leonard H. van den Berg is also director of the center’s Laboratory for Neuromuscular Disease, director of the Netherlands ALS Center, and chairman of the European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS), a network of the European ALS Centres.
After receiving his medical degree from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Prof. van den Berg completed a fellowship in neuroimmunology at the Neurological Institute at Columbia University in New York. He then completed his PhD degree at the University Medical Center Utrecht in a program that combined a residency in neurology with scientific research.
As a practicing neurologist specializing in neuromuscular diseases and neuroimmunology, Prof. van den Berg’s research pursuits lie in immune-mediated or degenerative diseases of motor neurons. A major emphasis of his research has been in ALS and other motor neuron disorders, and he has been a principle investigator on numerous drug trials concerning treatment options for the disease.
Claire Henchcliffe is the Chair and Stanley van den Noort Professor of Neurology, University of California, Irvine since 2020. Prior to this, she spent 17 years at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC)/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York City, becoming Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience, and Vice Chair for Clinical Research in Neurology. Her undergraduate and graduate training was completed at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, UK, and the University of California at Berkeley, followed by neurology residency training and movement disorder fellowship at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York City. Her clinical and research focus is on Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, including working to develop new Parkinson’s disease therapeutics such as stem cell-based and gene therapy interventions.
Joe Lewcock serves as CSO and Head of Discovery at Denali Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and genetically defined rare disorders. In this role, he serves as a member of the Denali Management team and coordinates the preclinical stage portfolio, which has resulted in the progression of 8+ molecules ranging from small molecules to biotherapeutics advancing to clinical trials. His group defines therapeutic strategies based on genetically defined pathways that contribute to neurodegeneration including Lysosomal Function, Glial Biology, and Cellular Homeostasis. As delivery to the brain represents a major challenge, Joe’s discovery team has developed Denali’s proprietary Transport Vehicle (TV) platform to shuttle biologics across the Blood-Brain Barrier. This highly modular technology enables effective brain delivery and broad biodistribution of a range of cargos including enzymes, antibodies, and oligonucleotides.
Prior to joining Denali in early 2016, Joe spent 9 years at Genentech, where he helped to build the neuroscience research team and portfolio. In his role as Director of the Department of Neuroscience, he was responsible for generating the disease area strategy and management of the neuroscience portfolio, which included both large and small molecule programs. During his time at Genentech, Joe also served as a project team leader where he led a program for treatment of ALS from target discovery to IND filing and led a discovery lab focused on identification of new therapeutic drug targets for ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases. He received his BS from University of California, San Diego, a PhD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and did a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute.
Lee Rubin is Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University and Co-Director of the Neuroscience Program at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. His work focuses on neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders and has a strong translational focus. Currently, his efforts are focused on producing muscle stem cells to treat muscular and neuromuscular disorders and, importantly, on discovering therapeutics capable of reversing the degenerative changes associated with brain aging.
Dr. Rubin received his PhD in Neuroscience from the Rockefeller University and had postdoctoral training, also in Neuroscience, at Harvard Medical School and Stanford University School of Medicine.
Neil Shneider serves as the Claire Tow Associate Professor of Motor Neuron Disorders and the Director of the Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS Center at Columbia University. He is an investigator in the Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease where his lab focuses on the study of models and mechanisms of ALS and the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for ALS and related disorders. Dr. Shneider worked with Ionis Pharmaceuticals to develop ION363 (Jacifusen), an anti-sense oligonucleotide (ASO) for ALS patients with rare mutations in the FUsed in Sarcoma (FUS) gene. Dr. Shneider is a graduate of Harvard College and earned his MD and PhD degrees at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
In partnership with n-Lorem and Columbia University, Dr. Shneider founded Silence ALS, an initiative to develop ASOs for ALS patients with nano-rare, pathogenic mutations in ALS genes. Dr. Shneider was co-chair of the Translating Fundamental Research into Potential ALS Therapies Working Group for the NIH ALS Strategic Planning Workshop.
Community Advisory Board
Layne is a pharmacist by training and was a healthcare consultant business owner for over 25 years focusing on marketing, strategic planning, and program coordination/implementation. Prior to being a business owner, Layne worked in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Layne has been married to his beautiful wife Ann for 40 years, has 5 children (2 married in), and 4 grandchildren (all girls). He loves to spend time with his family.
Layne was originally diagnosed with PLS in 2017 by Dr. Matthew Harms at Columbia University. The diagnosis was changed to ALS in November 2020. Since his ALS diagnosis, Layne has been active in the ALS community, with involvement in I AM ALS, the NEALS PEACe Committee, the HEALY Platform Patient Advisory Committee, and the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. Layne was a member of the NIH/NINDS ALS Strategic
Plan Steering Committee.
Since her diagnosis with ALS at age 32, Gwen Petersen has poured her energy into advancing the science of her disease. Gwen’s motivation behind participating in ALS research is to help move the needle towards disease-modifying treatments for ALS, and eventually, cures. Gwen is not the stereotypical ALS face; she does a lot of media work to dispel the myth that ALS is an older man’s disease.
Gwen is married to her best friend, Nathan, and they are parents of an exuberant Goldendoodle named Annabelle. Prior to her diagnosis, Gwen worked as a Recruiter for one of the top ten medical centers in the country.
Joey Porrello is a 30 year old husband and father of two from Las Vegas, Nevada. He was diagnosed with limb onset ALS in 2022. A former professional civil engineer, Joey now puts his skills to use by building relationships and developing programs to benefit the ALS community.
Joey founded the Porrello Project in conjunction with the Nevada Chapter of the ALS Association. Their mission is to improve the experience of living with ALS for those that have been diagnosed and their loved ones. A desire to sustain hope, build community, and serve others guides all Joey’s efforts.
Gretchen Roy was her husband Bill’s caregiver for more than 3 years following his ALS diagnosis. Bill and Gretchen were passionate supporters of prosetin, having learned of the brain-penetrating medication’s unprecedented results in laboratory testing which was published by Project ALS. Together, they served on the Community Advisory Board before Bill’s passing in January of 2023.
Today, Gretchen continues to serve in honor of Bill. She eagerly awaits the day prosetin, along with other brain-penetrant drug therapies, will change lives for those suffering from ALS.
Dr. Nadia Sethi is Director, Community Outreach and Engagement for ALS TDI. She lost her husband to ALS in 2020.
A dentist by training, Nadia already had a firm background in science and healthcare prior to her husband’s diagnosis. Her background, combined with her drive to better understand ALS, led to her becoming actively involved in the ALS community, diligently seeking information on ALS clinical trials and connecting with others who were experiencing similar struggles.
Nadia also serves as the co-chair for the NEALS Patient Education and Advocacy Committee and is involved in many current efforts focused on research and science for ALS.
Michele Stellato was diagnosed with ALS in 2020 at the age of 32. Months after her diagnosis, she began speaking out about her diagnosis publicly, raising funds for research and advocating for accelerated access to therapies.
Michele is a founding member of Her ALS Story, a group of women diagnosed before their 35th birthday. Her professional experience is in corporate communications. Michele was named to the Top Women in Communications list by Ragan Communications in the Community Givers category in 2022 for her work in ALS advocacy.
She lives in Nutley, NJ with her husband Kevin.
Clinical Advisory Board
Jinsy A. Andrews, MD, MSc, FAAN is an Associate Professor of Neurology, in the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine and serves as the Director of Neuromuscular Clinical Trials. She currently oversees neuromuscular clinical trials and cares for patients with neuromuscular disease, primarily with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Andrews has extensive experience in all phases of human clinical trials and drug development in both the academic and industry settings. Dr. Andrews is the elected co-chair of the Northeastern ALS (NEALS) Consortium, which is a network of over 100 ALS clinical research centers internationally. She is also elected to the National Board of Trustees of the ALS Association and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN). Dr. Andrews has also received the Diamond Award for ALS clinical research from Wings Over Wall Street and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Dr. Andrews received her BS from Union College, M.Sc. in Biostatistics (Patient-Oriented Research) from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and M.D. from Albany Medical College. She completed her residency training in Neurology at the University of Connecticut and served as the Chief Neurology Resident in her final year. Dr. Andrews completed fellowship training in Neuromuscular Disease/ALS and Clinical Neurophysiology at Columbia University. She is board certified in Neurology, Neuromuscular Disease, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.
Dr. Angela Genge is the director of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) clinic at The Neuro at Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital and the executive director of The ALS center of Excellence. She earned her MD at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, completed a fellowship in neuromuscular diseases at The Neuro, and obtained her Canadian and American certifications in internal medicine and neurology. Since her appointment as tener of the CRU from2004-2024, she established it as one of the largest neurological clinical research centers in Canada, home to a first-of-its-kind Phase 1 Unit dedicated to neurological diseases. Recognized as an international leader in clinical trial design and an expert in rare neurological conditions. Dr. Genge has led trials involving ALS, the dementias, myopathies, neuropathies, myasthenia gravis, and pain. She has extensive experience in drug development, including early phase, post- approval real world evidence (RWE), and regulatory and medical affairs. Dr. Genge has served as a consultant for biotechs in rare disease and on numerous advisory boards and data and safety monitoring boards. Her work and dedication have been acknowledged with multiple awards, including the 2023 Wings over Wall Street Award, 2018 Forbes Norris Award from the International Alliance for ALS/MND Associations and the Governor General Diamond Jubilee Award.
Dr. Merit Cudkowicz is the Chair of Neurology and Director or the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Julieanne Dorn Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Cudkowicz is one of the founders and former co-directors of the Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS), a group of over 150 clinical sites in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East dedicated to performing collaborative academic-led clinical trials and research studies in ALS. She helped bring forward the FDA approved treatment Qalsody for people with SOD1 ALS. She is leading the first Platform Trial initiative in ALS and is also the Principal Investigator of the Clinical Coordination Center for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Neurology Network of Excellence in Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT). Dr. Cudkowicz mentors neurologists at MGH and globally in careers in experimental therapeutics.