Realizing the Life Science Solutions of Tomorrow Today

Munevar & Associates, Inc. is a technology development and commercialization resource company founded and led by Dr. Steven Munevar. The company is comprised of an integrated, multidisciplinary team of researchers, technical, and business professionals, focused on supporting the translation, development, and commercialization of life science centered products and services. As your information/resource “navigators” we can provide, information, analysis, resource navigation, and perspective on an as needed basis, empowering your decision making.

Chief Navigator: Steven Munevar, Ph.D. , Cellular and Molecular Physiology, MBA
As a biomedical research scientist, Dr. Munevar contributed first hand towards the growth and advancement of life science research. Seeking to play a further role in the realization of the vast potential he observed during his tenure as a research scientist, Dr. Munevar set out to apply his multidisciplinary background in bioengineering, biomedical science, and business management towards bridging the gap between research bench and patient bedside. With this vision, Dr. Munevar sought to build a comprehensive bench to bedside technology development and commercialization solutions service geared toward realizing the potential of emerging biomedical research, leading to the inception of Munevar and Associates, Inc. Dr. Munevar set out to draw together a team of passionate and driven professionals with varying but complimentary backgrounds toward addressing challenging life science centered technology development and commercialization hurdles.

An interview with Dr. Steven Munevar

Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR): Andrew Johnson, Ph.D., Cell and Molecular Biology, PMP
20 years of product management, business development, and technical expertise leading emerging and established companies to commercialization in proteomics, genomics and pharmacodynamics/ pharmacokinetics our EIR, Andrew Johnson (Andy) truly embodies the “master” entrepreneur We are truly excited to have Andy join our Munevar & Associates family and share his experience and expertise with our clients. You can learn more about Andy and gain further insight into all things life science commercialization at his blog: UpStart Life Sciences

Building the Team

Sharing a common goal of bridging bench to bedside, Dr. Munevar assembled a team spanning biomedical research/medicine, bioengineering/bio-computation, as well as MBA level business professionals (among others). Taken together, our multidisciplinary team encompasses the expertise and experience to successfully support your ongoing life science focused technology development and commercialization project needs.  Below is a brief introduction to our Associate Navigators and Navigation Analysts that comprise the heart of the company.

Associate Navigators

  • Name: Sulo Musyaju, Associate Navigator, Director of Finance
  • Degree: MBA, Masters in International Economics and Finance
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Strategic financial planning, modeling, business analytics, risk management, process improvement, systems implementation and compliance. Previous experience with public, private, and SBIR funded companies in life science, medical device and advance technologies. Hands-on experience in managing finance, accounting, treasury and operational needs of businesses at R&D, clinical trials and growth stages. Multi-lingual. Fulbright Scholar. 
  • What are you passionate about: To be a part of solution, be challenged every day, and to mentor.
  • Name: Soumya Ray, Associate Navigator, Director of Bio-computing
  • Degree: Ph.D. Protein Crystallography and Biophysics
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Research on developing new computational and experimental technology to facilitate small molecule discovery in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Extensive industry experience as Co-founder of Stemetix Pharmaceutical and independent consulting.
  • What are you passionate about: Applying multidisciplinary tools and technology toward solving life science challenges.
  • Name: Jin Ji, Associate Navigator, Director of Nanoscience
  • Degree: Ph.D. Bioanalytical Chemistry, MA in Management with concentration in Finance and Control
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Accomplished entrepreneur with extensive record of accomplishments in the biotech, medical device, and nanotechnology industries. Focus on the business and product development and management of advanced technologies. Skilled in business information gathering and analysis, strategic alliance formation and management, product direction, program development, market identification, and commercialization plan.
  • What are you passionate about: Seeing fascinating and advanced technologies developed at the bench truly being appreciated and applied by patients as well as the general public. Further, I am enthusiastic about finding market needs and crafting road-maps for the transformation of innovation into novel products and services.
  • Name: Lu-Ann Pozzi, Associate Navigator, Director of Corporate Outreach, Director of Science Shaping Our World-SHOWTM
  • Degree: Ph.D. Immunology and Virology
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Extensive career spanning academia and industry in the space of infectious disease and vaccine development.   Has contributed extensively in a range of start-ups as well as larger life science companies and currently leads our educational outreach initiative, Science Shaping Our World-SHOW which is an ongoing seminar/networking series and professional development resource.
  • What are you passionate about: Communicating advancements in the life science space and creating greater community awareness around unmet need.
  • Name: Ronald Dorenbos, Associate Navigator, Director of Global Business Development
  • Degree: Ph.D. Molecular Biology
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Strong academic research background spanning chemistry and molecular biology. Accomplished international Project Leader in the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry who has worked with different companies and institutes throughout Europe and the US.
  • What are you passionate about: Realizing that he wanted to work on challenges more closely related to human health he decided to make a career change and accepted a position at the neurobiology department of Harvard Medical School to perform research related to Parkinson’s disease which later took him to a position leading a team at RXi Pharmaceuticals.

Navigation Analysts

Mark Fletcher

  • Degree: Ph.D., Structural Biology
  • Expertise/Experience: 10 years academic structural biology research solving protein and glycoprotein structures using NMR spectroscopy and developing methods, 5 years academic microbiology research studying glycosylation systems in major species of anaerobic bacteria living in the human intestine, 5 years software development in a start-up company.
  • What are you passionate about: Using my scientific training to make an immediate real-world impact through the private sector development of healthcare products.

Janet M. Tse

  • Degree: Sc.D., Chemical Engineering
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Currently, focused on extending training into the area of patent specialist focusing on preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the fields of biotechnology, including nanotechnology, biomedical and life sciences. Previously, as a researcher focused on the role of mechanical stress in cancer progression to develop a more effective cancer treatment, and also had industrial experiences of working as a scientist/engineer in pharmaceutical and biomedical device companies. Additionally, have experience working with multi-disciplinary teams to develop commercialization strategies/road-maps for early-stage research and/or startup companies, e.g., in areas of nano-based sensing and analyte detection technologies.
  • What are you passionate about: I am passionate about working at the interface of science, business and intellectual property. I greatly enjoy leveraging my diverse technical background to help clients identify their technology’s novelty, and develop strategies on commercialization and IP protection. I believe that any successful technology requires consideration of all these three components – science, business and IP – during research and development phase, as any change in one component can influence the course of action.

Suman Reddy

  • Degree: Ph.D., Neuroscience and Behavior, MBA
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Strong background spanning academia and industry  with extensive consulting and Biotech experience. Multidisciplinary professional spanning life science and business management allowing for extensive insight and perspective at the interface between science and business.  
  • What are you passionate about: Developing novel commercialization strategies to better bridge bench-to-bedside.

James Dobson

  • Degree: Ph.D., Physiology and Biochemistry
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Extensive academic research experience spanning many years as independent investigator. String industry experience spanning consulting, and biotech start-up experience.  Great depth and breadth of expertise and experience spanning a long career as a life science professional in academia and industry.
  • What are you passionate about: Developing, managing, and enhancing the scientific and business practices of organizations.

Aniket Kaloti

  • Degree: Ph.D., Neuroscience, MD
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Strong quantitative (computational, statistical and mathematical methods in biological sciences) and engineering (signal processing, information theory, mechatronics, adaptive filters, image processing and computer vision) background with emphasis on the mathematical and computational modeling of complex biological systems, including neurological and cardiovascular disorders.  Further, Expert consultant to financial valuation, investment banking, venture capital, pharmaceutical + biotech, CRO, medical device and medical technology industries.
  • What are you passionate about: Approaching life science translation and commercialization using a multidisciplinary perspective and approach.

Heidi Meisenkothen

  • Degree: M.A. (ALM), Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
  • Expertise/Experience Synopsis: Global executive and consultant with experience spanning revenue generation, commercialization of the intellectual property portfolio, marketing, production of technology assessment and market analysis reports, new product creation, business development and licensing, alliance management and overall resource planning and training.  Further, has served as a consultant to industry, government, and the non-profit sectors, in addition to the life sciences.
  • What are you passionate about: Leading high performance groups that work to bring promising ideas and innovative technologies from discovery into the market to solve major global problems, benefit patients, and relieve pain and suffering toward a healthier, safer, ‘greener’ and smarter global society.

George Dimopoulos

  • Degree: Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Science
  • Expertise/Experience: As a pharmacologist, I have a deep understanding of drug mechanisms and disease states. My scientific career focused on studying biochemical pathways in vascular smooth muscles. As a consultant, I focused on conducting due diligence of companies in the pharmaceutical industry.
  • What are you passionate about: Analyzing the commercialization process in the life science space, specifically in the Pharmaceutical sector.

Shubhendu Ghosh

  • Degree: Ph.D., Biomedical Research
  • Expertise/Experience: Project design, improvement, and implementation. Protein purification techniques, assay development, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. Data analysis, presentation, and model building.
  • What are you passionate about: Bringing people and ideas together, uncovering connections between seemingly disparate concepts, and communicating science in an enthusiastic and comprehensible manner that is easily understood by scientists and non-scientists alike.

Ryan Lilien

  • Degree: Ph.D., Computer Science, M.D.
  • Expertise/Experience: Most of my research focuses on the application of computational methods to research problems in biology and medicine. As such, I have worked with and have research fluency in:Structural Biology (Protein Structure and Function, X-Ray Crystallography, Electron Cryo-Microscopy), General Molecular Biology, and Medicine.
  • What are you passionate about: I am interested both in ‘multidisciplinary’ and ‘expertise’ focused opportunities where my expertise and my ability to speak both languages, “computation/engineering” AND “biology/medicine” can serve to bring complex projects to fruition.