Management Team
Lars Ekman, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer & Executive Board Member
Dr. Ekman has more than 24 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is the co-founder of Cebix Incorporated. Lars recently held the positions of Executive Vice President and President of Research and Development at Elan Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Elan, Lars served as Executive Vice President, Research and Development at Schwarz Pharma AG. His industry career started at Pharmacia, now Pfizer, where he held a variety of senior scientific and clinical roles. Over the past 10 years, Lars has delivered 6 NDA’s. Lars is a board certified surgeon with a PhD in experimental biology. He obtained his PhD and MD from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Lars currently serves on the Board of Directors at Elan Pharmaceuticals, InterMune, ARYx Therapeutics and Amarin Corp plc.
John Wahren, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer & Executive Board Member
Dr. Wahren is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Physiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, from where he received his M.D. and Ph.D. John is co-founder of Cebix Incorporated and also is its Chief Scientific Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. During 1973 to 2002 he was active at the Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital with a scientific focus on diabetes and metabolic disorders. John did post-graduate training at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Harvard University in 1976 and was visiting professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland in 1984. His bibliography includes approximately 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals and text books. John has been a member and chairman of the Nobel Assembly and Nobel Committee, Karolinska Institute during 1976 to 2002. He has been editor and associate editor of several scientific journals in the diabetes field and from 1987 to 1989 he was Medical Director of Kabi Vitrum Nutrition AB, Stockholm.
Jim Callaway, Ph.D., President of Research & Development
Dr. Callaway has over 20 years of drug development experience, with the last 13 years focused on neurological diseases such as dystonia, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease at Elan Pharmaceuticals. Jim has led teams as large as 200-plus scientists to deliver Investigational New Drug Applications and New Drug Applications/Biologics Applications, as well as being the lead accountable person in the design, construction, validation, and FDA approval of a biologics manufacturing plant.
Annica Mårtensson, Ph.D., MBA, Program Director
Dr. Mårtensson was a research and development project manager at Elan Pharmaceuticals for a portfolio of Alzheimer’s and Crohn’s disease programs in the years 2004-2008, prior to joining Cebix Inc. Annica holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Lund, Sweden and was a post-doctoral fellow at Scripps Research Institute in the Department of Immunology. She also obtained a Masters of Business Administration from the University of California, San Diego.
Michelle Mazzoni, Ph.D., RAC (US, CA, EU), Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Quality
Dr. Mazzoni has 13 years of drug development experience at small pharmaceutical companies directing preclinical, regulatory affairs, and quality activities including four Investigational New Drug Applications and a Clinical Trial Application to Health Canada. Michelle holds a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, where she also obtained a professional certificate in Regulatory Affairs for the Biomedical Industry.
Michelle Morgan, Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Morgan serves as the Chief Financial Officer of the company responsible for accounting, finance, and human resources. Michelle has more than 15 years experience in financial management roles within both public and privately held life science and high technology companies. She is a certified public accountant and obtained a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from California State University, East Bay.
