Team Categories: Scientific Founding Team

Dr. Sandeep Kunwar, MD, is a highly respected neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive brain and spinal surgery, with a particular focus on the treatment of pituitary tumors and advanced drug delivery for the treatment of malignant gliomas. As a Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of several leading biotech ventures, Dr. Kunwar has played a pivotal role in advancing neurosurgical innovations, improving patient care, and promoting cutting-edge therapeutic approaches for neurological disorders. He has published 88 peer-reviewed articles and several patents. His contributions to neurosurgical advancements include collaborating on the development of new medical devices and therapies aimed at enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of surgical interventions.

Dr. Kunwar earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he also completed his residency in neurosurgery. He was a Howard Hughes Research Fellow at the NIH where he worked with Ira Pastan in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology developing targeted recombinant cytotoxins for malignant gliomas. He is a Professor at UCSF, and serves as the Medical Director of the Bell Neuroscience Institute in Fremont, CA. His dedication to education, research, and clinical excellence has earned him numerous awards and recognition within the medical community including the Edwin Boldrey Basic Science Research Award from the San Francisco Neurological Society, the Preuss resident Research Award from the American association of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Tumors and the Ronald L Bittner Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons for targeted therapeutics for glioblastoma. He was the Principal Investigator for the Phase III study of IL13-PE38 (PRECISE Trial) for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme, the largest surgical based Phase III study completed.

Russell Lonser, MD is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Ohio State University since 2012. He holds the Dardinger Family Chair in Neurosurgical Oncology. Prior to arrival at OSU he was Chief of the Surgical Neurology Branch at NIH. Dr. Lonser’s research interests include development of drug delivery paradigms for the central nervous system pathology, as well as investigation of tumor pathogenesis and biology. Specifically, his scientific efforts are directed toward studying convective delivery and neoplasia pathogenesis/ propagation in familial tumor suppressor syndromes, including von Hippel-Lindau disease.

He is an author on over 300 scientific and clinical publications. He received the Tumor Young Investigator Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors in 2001 and Mahaley Clinical Research Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors in 2013. He was the 2017 American Association of NeurologicalSurgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Tumors Bittner Lecturer and the 2018 American Academy of Neurological Surgery Edward H. Oldfield Lecturer. He is a co-inventor on a patent for methods for convection-enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents. His contributions to organized neurosurgery includes membership on the Executive Committee of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He was the Treasurer of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and is past President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He is a Director on the American Board of Neurological Surgeons.

Dr. Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD, is a pioneering neurosurgeon and scientist known for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of gene therapy and the treatment of neurological disorders. As the head of several labs, Dr. Bankiewicz has led efforts in the development of novel therapeutic approaches to combat Parkinson’s disease, brain cancer, and other debilitating neurological conditions. His innovative research focuses on the delivery of gene therapy directly to the brain, enabling more precise and effective treatments.

With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Bankiewicz has authored over 230 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple patents for advanced neurosurgical techniques. His work has been instrumental in advancing the understanding and application of gene therapy in clinical settings, leading to the development of several therapeutic candidates currently in clinical trials.

Dr. Bankiewicz received his MD from Jagiellonian University Medical College in Poland and his PhD from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He has held prestigious academic and leadership positions, including Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he continues to collaborate with leading scientists and clinicians to push the boundaries of neurological treatments.

He currently serves as a tenured professor at The Ohio State University and holds the Gilbert and Kathryn Mitchell Endowed Chair at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. His visionary leadership and dedication to improving patient outcomes have earned him international recognition as a leader in the field of neurotherapeutics. He has been the co-founder of multiple biotechnology companies including Voyager Therapeutics (IPO), and Brain-Neurotherapeutics (acquired Ask-Bio/Bayer).