We are building the future of Alzheimer's Disease detection
Pioneering Precision in Alzheimer’s Diagnostics
Founded on the belief that early and accurate diagnosis can transform the trajectory of Alzheimer's disease, SYNAPS Dx was born from a convergence of scientific innovation and heartfelt mission. Driven by personal experiences with the devastating impacts of Alzheimer’s, our founders, a team of renowned neurologists and pathologists, set out to revolutionize how Alzheimer's is detected and managed.
Our journey began in the research lab of Rockville, Maryland, where our dedicated scientists embarked on a decade-long quest to develop a diagnostic solution that could overcome the limitations of existing methods. The result was DISCERN™, the world’s only Gold Standard validated skin biopsy test that distinguishes Alzheimer's disease from other forms of dementia with unprecedented precision.
Mr. Tanico founded CastleRock Management, an investment firm that managed long/short long-biased U.S. equity funds. Mr. Tanico served as President and Chief Investment Officer at CastleRock. At its peak, CastleRock had over $1 billion AUM and over a 20-year period CastleRock Partners, L.P., the flagship fund, generated compounded cumulative net returns of almost double that of the S&P 500. In 2013, CastleRock liquidated its main fund and has since used its research capabilities to make both active and passive investments in several industries including financial, information technology, healthcare, energy, and a multi-country consumer restaurant franchise in Africa.
Prior to CastleRock, Mr. Tanico’s was a portfolio manager (PM) and original partner at Omega Advisors and also served as an analyst – PM at Atalanta Sosnoff, Neuberger Berman and David J. Greene. Mr. Tanico received a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from New York University in 1977 and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1980 and is a member of the New York State Bar.
He is a member of or has served on the following boards: Board of Trustees of the New York Academy of Medicine, NYU Stern Board of Overseers, NYU Stern Executive Board, Dean’s Planning Council of Fordham University School of Law, Board of Trustees of Public Broadcast Station WNET, Trinity School in New York City, and Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, New York.
A Managing Director of The Walsh Infrastructure Investment Group, Michael manages and executes the Public-Private Partnership and real estate development activities for The Walsh Group. He also provides executive oversight of the company’s Operations & Maintenance business (Walsh Infrastructure Management) and is a Member of The Walsh Group’s corporate Executive Committee. Mike’s primary role as Managing Director is to lead and assist in the day-to-day planning, direction, and execution of Walsh’s P3 initiatives across North America, where he acts in both bid director and steering committee roles. He has played a key role in pursuits including East End Crossing, Penn Bridges Rapid Replacement, Maryland Purple Line, Highway 427, Miami Beach Streetcar, and the Fargo Morehead Diversion Project, amongst others.
Prior to joining and helping create the Infra Investment Group, Mr. Gibbons lead Walsh’s internal construction equipment rental business, co-created and delivered Walsh’s Executive Training Program, and was a member of Walsh’s corporate Safety Committee. Outside of Walsh, Michael serves as a Director of both RepairClinic.com and Sundberg America, and is a Senior Advisor to each’s respective holding company Burke America. Mike is member of the President’s Advisory Council for Graduate Studies & Research at the University of Notre Dame, from which he holds both a Bachelor’s and Executive MBA degrees.
A Managing Director of The Walsh Infrastructure Investment Group, Michael manages and executes the Public-Private Partnership and real estate development activities for The Walsh Group. He also provides executive oversight of the company’s Operations & Maintenance business (Walsh Infrastructure Management) and is a Member of The Walsh Group’s corporate Executive Committee. Mike’s primary role as Managing Director is to lead and assist in the day-to-day planning, direction, and execution of Walsh’s P3 initiatives across North America, where he acts in both bid director and steering committee roles.
He has played a key role in pursuits including East End Crossing, Penn Bridges Rapid Replacement, Maryland Purple Line, Highway 427, Miami Beach Streetcar, and the Fargo Morehead Diversion Project, amongst others. Prior to joining and helping create the Infra Investment Group, Mr. Gibbons lead Walsh’s internal construction equipment rental business, co-created and delivered Walsh’s Executive Training Program, and was a member of Walsh’s corporate Safety Committee. Outside of Walsh, Michael serves as a Director of both RepairClinic.com and Sundberg America, and is a Senior Advisor to each’s respective holding company Burke America. Mike is member of the President’s Advisory Council for Graduate Studies & Research at the University of Notre Dame, from which he holds both a Bachelor’s and Executive MBA degrees.
Peter J. Lucey is the President and Founder of Bull & Bear. Mr. Lucey founded Bull & Bear in 2017 and over his fifteen years in the investment industry has extensive knowledge and experience in focusing on global macro discretionary strategies. Mr. Lucey is currently the Chairman of the firm’s Executive and Investment Committees and a member of the firm’s Risk Committee. Prior to founding Bull & Bear, Mr. Lucey had significant experience in the investment industry including 1 year (2016-2017) as an Advisor at Morgan Stanley, and 9 years (2007-2016) having been the Founder and President of Arsenal Advisors. Mr. Lucey has a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Northwestern University.
Kyle A. Mowitz is the Co-Founder, Managing Partner and CEO of the Imperium Blue group of companies, including its subsidiaries and affiliates. Kyle is responsible for Imperium Blue’s overall structuring, acquisition and financing activities domestically and abroad. The family office currently owns and manages over $4.5 billion in assets through its portfolio companies and its wealth management platform.
The partnership was formed to acquire income producing assets sourced by the partners with strong underlying fundamentals and opportunistic qualities which include unique and high barriers to entry, e-commerce/internet resistant, and value creation through redevelopment, repositioning, and/or recapitalization.
Dr. Alkon received his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1965 at the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his M.D. at Cornell University and finishing an internship in medicine at the Mt Sinai Hospital in New York, he joined the staff of the National Institutes of Health where during his 30-year career he became a Medical Director in the U.S. Public Health Service at the NINDS and Chief of the Laboratory of Adaptive Systems. In 1999, Dr. Alkon then became the founding Scientific Director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute and occupies the Toyota Chair in Neuroscience at the Institute.
In this position, he and his team conducted multidisciplinary research on the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of memory and memory dysfunction in psychiatric and neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. He was also a Professor of Neurology at West Virginia University until September 2016. As an internationally recognized pioneer in research on brain-based neural networks and the molecular basis of memory, he has authored hundreds of scientific articles as well as several books including Memory Traces in the Brain by Cambridge University Press, and the popular book Memory’s Voice by Harper Collins.
Dr. Norelle Wildburger is the Chief Operating Officer at SDx. She is a distinguished leader with a diverse background spanning Academia, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Big Pharma, and a cutting-edge biotech startup. Her career is marked by a profound commitment to scientific exploration and innovation, particularly within the dynamic field of neuroscience.
With extensive international experience, Dr. Wildburger has navigated various countries and cultures, showcasing her adaptability and ability to thrive in diverse environments. Her consultancy background has honed strategic problem-solving skills, providing valuable insights to clients globally. Norelle holds a BSc from Baylor University, a PhD from UTMB with MD Anderson Cancer Center, and completed a four-year fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine. Her academic portfolio includes 22 published scientific articles and book chapters, along with two patents.
A proven collaborator, Dr. Wildburger has successfully secured funding from private foundations and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her proficiency in articulating compelling research proposals and effective collaboration with diverse stakeholders underscores her impressive track record. With her collaborative spirit and diverse expertise, she stands as a valuable asset to any team fortunate enough to benefit from her contributions.
Curt Pattee MBA, CPA (inactive), is a senior healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience as a leader in the healthcare and bioscience industries. Over his career Curt has held positions as a partner with the global services firm of EY, served as the CFO and a board member of the Orlando Health Physician Group and the Director of Pharmacy Business Operations at the Medical University of South Carolina. Curt has extensive experience with multi-specialty physician practice operations, telemedicine, clinical integration, value-based care and population health strategies.
Tom Alexander has over 45 years of experience in Immunology, with 40 years of that devoted to directing clinical immunology and molecular laboratories. His major focus areas have been infectious disease serology and molecular testing, autoimmune diagnostics and flow cytometry. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI) and is a Professor of Pathology at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
Tom has served as President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists (AMLI), Chair of the ABMLI, Chair of the Diagnostic Immunology Division of the American Society for Microbiology and is currently on the Board of Governors for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification.
Tom has over 75 publications and national/international meeting presentations. He has spoken worldwide on autoimmunity and HIV testing, including conducting flow cytometry training in Lesotho as part of the federal PEPFAR program. Tom presented the prestigious Neter Award Lecture at the 2020 annual AMLI meeting. He is the Editor in Chief of the ASCP publication LabQ, was an editor of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, and is currently on the editorial board of Infectious Disease in Clinical Practice.
Dr. Alberto Espay is Professor and Endowed Chair of the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Center for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of Cincinnati. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed research articles and 10 books, including Common Movement Disorders Pitfalls, which received the Highly Commended BMA Medical Book Award in 2013, and Brain Fables, the Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them, coauthored with Parkinson patient and advocate Benjamin Stecher, selected by the Association of American Publishers for the PROSE Award honoring the best scholarly work in Neuroscience published in 2020.
He has served as Chair of the Movement Disorders Section of the American Academy of Neurology, Associate Editor of the Movement Disorders journal, and on the Executive Committee of the Parkinson Study Group. Among other honors, he has received the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Health Care Hero award, the Spanish Society of Neurology’s Cotzias award, and honorary membership in the Mexican Academy of Neurology.
His 2022 TEDx presentation, “Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s: The Solution in Sight,” was selected from more than 12,000 global entries with two 2023 Telly Awards, which honor excellence in video and television across all screens. He currently serves as President-Elect of the Pan-American Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society. He directs the first biomarker study of aging (CCBPstudy.com) designed to match people with neurodegenerative disorders to available therapies from which they are most biologically suitable to benefit, regardless of their clinical diagnoses.
Giulio Taglialatela earned his MS in biological sciences in 1984 and his PhD in pharmacology in 1988, both at the University of Rome La Sapienza in Italy. He was appointed a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) at UTMB in 1988 and completed his training in 1990. From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Taglialatela served as director of the Molecular and Cell Biology unit of the Institute for Research on Aging at the Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals in Pomezia (Rome) Italy. He came back to UTMB in 1993 as a research assistant professor and rose through the ranks to his appointment as a tenured professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology in 2011. In 2014, Dr. Taglialatela became the vice chair for research of the Department of Neurology and the director of the UTMB Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and was endowed as the Lawrence J. Del Papa Distinguished Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research.
Under Dr. Taglialatela’s leadership, research at the Mitchell Center has flourished, with center faculty cumulatively receiving in the past five years more than $32 million in research grants from the National Institute of Health as well as from local and national foundations. In May 2022, Dr. Taglialatela has been appointed as the inaugural director of the newly established UTMB Brain Health Institute under the auspice of which all clinical and basic research neuroscience at UTMGiulio Taglialatela earned his MS in biological sciences in 1984 and his PhD in pharmacology in 1988, both at the University of Rome La Sapienza in Italy.
He was appointed a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) at UTMB in 1988 and completed his training in 1990. From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Taglialatela served as director of the Molecular and Cell Biology unit of the Institute for Research on Aging at the Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals in Pomezia (Rome) Italy. He came back to UTMB in 1993 as a research assistant professor and rose through the ranks to his appointment as a tenured professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology in 2011. In 2014, Dr. Taglialatela became the vice chair for research of the Department of Neurology and the director of the UTMB Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and was endowed as the Lawrence J. Del Papa Distinguished Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research. Under Dr. Taglialatela’s leadership, research at the Mitchell Center has flourished, with center faculty cumulatively receiving in the past five years more than $32 million in research grants from the National Institute of Health as well as from local and national foundations. In May 2022, Dr. Taglialatela has been appointed as the inaugural director of the newly established UTMB Brain Health Institute under the auspice of which all clinical and basic research neuroscience at UTMB will be located.
Dr. Taglialatela has maintained a continuously funded research group at UTMB for the past 27 years, mentoring several graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students and junior faculty. Dr. Taglialatela’s research focuses on the molecular neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, attracting support, among others, from the National Institutes of Health, the Texas Advanced Research Program, the Texas Alzheimer Research and Care Consortium, the Alzheimer Association, the Kleberg foundation, the Amon Carter foundation and the Gillson-Longenbaugh foundation. Currently his lab is funded through 3 R01 grants and 1 R25 grant from NIH/NIA.
He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, delivered invited talks at national and international institutions and scientific meetings. He served on several national and international grant review panels, and served as permanent appointed member and chair of the Clinical Neuroscience & Neurodegeneration study section at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Taglialatela is also actively involved in teaching to medical and graduate school students. He served for several years as the co-director of the molecules, cells and tissues course, associate director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, and currently is the director of the UTMB Neuroscience Summer Undergraduate Research Program while teaching the full human gross anatomy laboratory and several classes to both the medical and graduate school.
Notably, in January 2021, Dr. Taglialatela was appointed Dean ad interim of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, a service he completed in February 2022. In addition of being appointed Dean ad interim, for his services to the research and educational mission of UTMB, over the years Dr. Taglialatela has received numerous awards, including, in 2013, both the highest awards conferred to a UTMB graduate faculty, the distinguished faculty service award and the graduate student organization distinguished teaching award. Other awards include the neuroscience teaching excellence award (2010; 2014), Dept. of Neurology professionalism award (2015), appointment to Mace Bearer at the 2012 UTMB graduate school commencement.B will be located.
Donna Wilcock, PhD is a professor of neurology and Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders at Indiana University School of Medicine. She is also the Barbara and Larry Sharpf Professor in Alzheimer's Disease Research, a member of Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, and a member of the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (IADRC). Dr. Wilcock's research focuses on the intersection of Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Using mouse models and patient samples, Dr. Wilcock is exploring the role of neuroinflammation and dysregulated angiogenesis in VCID. In addition, she has several active projects exploring the underlying mechanisms of beta-amyloid immunotherapy-related ARIA. Her research is funded by the NINDS and NIA.
Lon S. Schneider, MD, MS, is professor of psychiatry, neurology, and gerontology at the Keck School of Medicine and Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the University of Southern California; and holds the Della Martin Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and Neuroscience. He directs the USC California Alzheimer’s Disease Center (California Department of Health Services), the Geriatric Studies Center, and co-directs the clinical core of the USC NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He holds a master’s degree in applied biometry and epidemiology. His work involves treatment development with novel metabolic and neuroregenerative compounds, outcomes assessment, innovative approaches to modelling, clinical trials methods and simulations, and, recently, in silico screening of medications for slowing cognitive impairment in late life.
He is an associate editor or editorial board member of several publications, and serves on The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Dr. Schneider is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
“Dave” Morgan is Director of the Alzheimer’s Alliance and MSU Foundation Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University. Dr. Morgan’s research interests are Alzheimer’s disease, aging and brain function. He is internationally recognized for his work on immunotherapy and gene therapy to treat the Alzheimer-related pathologies. Previously he was CEO of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute at the University of South Florida. While there Dr Morgan oversaw development of Community-Based Memory Screening programs and the country’s first mobile clinical trial unit for Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northwestern University and spent 10 years at the University of Southern California before joining the University of South Florida in 1992.
He has participated in over 90 grant-years of NIH funded research and published over 200 research articles. Morgan regularly sits on grant review panels for NIH and other agencies. In addition to his research activities, Morgan has consulted with both major pharmaceutical and small biotechnology companies, and advised capital investment organizations regarding the most promising therapeutic approaches to curing Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan has also advocated nationally for additional Alzheimer’s research funding through his role at ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s and with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Michael Gorton is a 14x Serial Entrepreneur who has created tens of billions of dollars in net worth from companies he has started.. As one of the pioneers of telemedicine and digital health, Gorton helped create, what is becoming a TRILLION dollar industry. The lessons learned from building 14 companies are reflected in his best seller: Broken Handoff, a book that educates entrepreneurs, human capital experts, and investors. Audacious goals and adventure have always been an integral part of his daily life. The results of these goals can be seen in industry changing results from companies he has founded like Internet Global, Teladoc, Palo Duro Records, Back To Space, and Principal Solar.
The current goal is to continue developing new ideas and technologies that have a transformative foundation, and can generate returns for stakeholders. Two of his books have made Amazon Top 10 lists, with Forefathers and Founding Fathers reaching the #1 position. In the world of adventure, Michael and his family are climbing the highest point of elevation (mountain) in each of the 50 states.
Michael has 42 complete with 8 to go. He is working on his 3rd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate from Jim Dryburgh's Power Kenpo Studio. Specialties: Telemedicine, Engineering, Space, early and mid stage company building, serving on Boards, as Advisor or Director, development of corporate culture, writing, legal analysis, capital raising and problem solving. Michael enjoys working with early and growth stage entrepreneurs who have industry-changing ideas, but need help "avoiding the potholes."
Mr. Rosa serves on the board of directors of NeuroOne and is an entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the medical device industry spanning a variety of technologies and products. In addition to CEO roles with early stage medical device companies, Mr. Rosa’s background also includes senior roles with C.R. Bard Inc., Boston Scientific Inc., and St. Jude Medical, where his responsibilities included marketing, product development and business development. He has been named as an inventor on multiple medical device patents, serves on seven corporate boards, and has raised $200M in the capital markets. Mr. Rosa holds an MBA from Duquesne University, and a BS in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.
"Healthcare industry expert with 20+ years’ experience in clinical programs around Risk, Quality and Cost containment. Eleven years with UnitedHealthcare’s Optum, clinical performance solutions division, designing clinical programs for early identification of chronic illness. More recently, with Molina Healthcare working on outcomes and cost containment. Developed advanced algorithms around pharmacy, medical claims, labs and natural language processing of chart records for predictive models geared to promote pre-clinical diagnosis of chronic illness and monitoring of active disease. Algorithms are actively used on a population of over 20 million Medicare and Medicaid lives across multiple healthcare payers.
Currently working in public healthcare sector working for both Fire Department of New York and medical affairs emergency medical services (EMS), and department of sanitation New York (DSNY) occupational health, surgical consultant for more than 15 years. Board certified in General surgery by American College of Surgeons. Selected in 2019 to subcommittee for HHS fastCures Landscape analysis to align innovation budgeting to disease total cost and to speed products to market."
Dr. Alkon received his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1965 at the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his M.D. at Cornell University and finishing an internship in medicine at the Mt Sinai Hospital in New York, he joined the staff of the National Institutes of Health where during his 30-year career he became a Medical Director in the U.S. Public Health Service at the NINDS and Chief of the Laboratory of Adaptive Systems. In 1999, Dr. Alkon then became the founding Scientific Director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute and occupies the Toyota Chair in Neuroscience at the Institute.
In this position, he and his team conducted multidisciplinary research on the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of memory and memory dysfunction in psychiatric and neurological disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. He was also a Professor of Neurology at West Virginia University until September 2016. As an internationally recognized pioneer in research on brain-based neural networks and the molecular basis of memory, he has authored hundreds of scientific articles as well as several books including Memory Traces in the Brain by Cambridge University Press, and the popular book Memory’s Voice by Harper Collins.
Dr. Norelle Wildburger is the Chief Operating Officer at SDx. She is a distinguished leader with a diverse background spanning Academia, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Big Pharma, and a cutting-edge biotech startup. Her career is marked by a profound commitment to scientific exploration and innovation, particularly within the dynamic field of neuroscience.
With extensive international experience, Dr. Wildburger has navigated various countries and cultures, showcasing her adaptability and ability to thrive in diverse environments. Her consultancy background has honed strategic problem-solving skills, providing valuable insights to clients globally. Norelle holds a BSc from Baylor University, a PhD from UTMB with MD Anderson Cancer Center, and completed a four-year fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine. Her academic portfolio includes 22 published scientific articles and book chapters, along with two patents.
A proven collaborator, Dr. Wildburger has successfully secured funding from private foundations and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her proficiency in articulating compelling research proposals and effective collaboration with diverse stakeholders underscores her impressive track record. With her collaborative spirit and diverse expertise, she stands as a valuable asset to any team fortunate enough to benefit from her contributions.
Curt Pattee MBA, CPA (inactive), is a senior healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience as a leader in the healthcare and bioscience industries. Over his career Curt has held positions as a partner with the global services firm of EY, served as the CFO and a board member of the Orlando Health Physician Group and the Director of Pharmacy Business Operations at the Medical University of South Carolina. Curt has extensive experience with multi-specialty physician practice operations, telemedicine, clinical integration, value-based care and population health strategies.
Tom Alexander has over 45 years of experience in Immunology, with 40 years of that devoted to directing clinical immunology and molecular laboratories. His major focus areas have been infectious disease serology and molecular testing, autoimmune diagnostics and flow cytometry. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology (ABMLI) and is a Professor of Pathology at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
Tom has served as President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists (AMLI), Chair of the ABMLI, Chair of the Diagnostic Immunology Division of the American Society for Microbiology and is currently on the Board of Governors for the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification.
Tom has over 75 publications and national/international meeting presentations. He has spoken worldwide on autoimmunity and HIV testing, including conducting flow cytometry training in Lesotho as part of the federal PEPFAR program. Tom presented the prestigious Neter Award Lecture at the 2020 annual AMLI meeting. He is the Editor in Chief of the ASCP publication LabQ, was an editor of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, and is currently on the editorial board of Infectious Disease in Clinical Practice.
Dr. Alberto Espay is Professor and Endowed Chair of the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Center for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of Cincinnati. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed research articles and 10 books, including Common Movement Disorders Pitfalls, which received the Highly Commended BMA Medical Book Award in 2013, and Brain Fables, the Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them, coauthored with Parkinson patient and advocate Benjamin Stecher, selected by the Association of American Publishers for the PROSE Award honoring the best scholarly work in Neuroscience published in 2020.
He has served as Chair of the Movement Disorders Section of the American Academy of Neurology, Associate Editor of the Movement Disorders journal, and on the Executive Committee of the Parkinson Study Group. Among other honors, he has received the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Health Care Hero award, the Spanish Society of Neurology’s Cotzias award, and honorary membership in the Mexican Academy of Neurology.
His 2022 TEDx presentation, “Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s: The Solution in Sight,” was selected from more than 12,000 global entries with two 2023 Telly Awards, which honor excellence in video and television across all screens. He currently serves as President-Elect of the Pan-American Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society. He directs the first biomarker study of aging (CCBPstudy.com) designed to match people with neurodegenerative disorders to available therapies from which they are most biologically suitable to benefit, regardless of their clinical diagnoses.
Giulio Taglialatela earned his MS in biological sciences in 1984 and his PhD in pharmacology in 1988, both at the University of Rome La Sapienza in Italy. He was appointed a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) at UTMB in 1988 and completed his training in 1990. From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Taglialatela served as director of the Molecular and Cell Biology unit of the Institute for Research on Aging at the Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals in Pomezia (Rome) Italy. He came back to UTMB in 1993 as a research assistant professor and rose through the ranks to his appointment as a tenured professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology in 2011. In 2014, Dr. Taglialatela became the vice chair for research of the Department of Neurology and the director of the UTMB Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and was endowed as the Lawrence J. Del Papa Distinguished Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research.
Under Dr. Taglialatela’s leadership, research at the Mitchell Center has flourished, with center faculty cumulatively receiving in the past five years more than $32 million in research grants from the National Institute of Health as well as from local and national foundations. In May 2022, Dr. Taglialatela has been appointed as the inaugural director of the newly established UTMB Brain Health Institute under the auspice of which all clinical and basic research neuroscience at UTMGiulio Taglialatela earned his MS in biological sciences in 1984 and his PhD in pharmacology in 1988, both at the University of Rome La Sapienza in Italy.
He was appointed a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) at UTMB in 1988 and completed his training in 1990. From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Taglialatela served as director of the Molecular and Cell Biology unit of the Institute for Research on Aging at the Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals in Pomezia (Rome) Italy. He came back to UTMB in 1993 as a research assistant professor and rose through the ranks to his appointment as a tenured professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology in 2011. In 2014, Dr. Taglialatela became the vice chair for research of the Department of Neurology and the director of the UTMB Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and was endowed as the Lawrence J. Del Papa Distinguished Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research. Under Dr. Taglialatela’s leadership, research at the Mitchell Center has flourished, with center faculty cumulatively receiving in the past five years more than $32 million in research grants from the National Institute of Health as well as from local and national foundations. In May 2022, Dr. Taglialatela has been appointed as the inaugural director of the newly established UTMB Brain Health Institute under the auspice of which all clinical and basic research neuroscience at UTMB will be located.
Dr. Taglialatela has maintained a continuously funded research group at UTMB for the past 27 years, mentoring several graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students and junior faculty. Dr. Taglialatela’s research focuses on the molecular neurobiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, attracting support, among others, from the National Institutes of Health, the Texas Advanced Research Program, the Texas Alzheimer Research and Care Consortium, the Alzheimer Association, the Kleberg foundation, the Amon Carter foundation and the Gillson-Longenbaugh foundation. Currently his lab is funded through 3 R01 grants and 1 R25 grant from NIH/NIA.
He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, delivered invited talks at national and international institutions and scientific meetings. He served on several national and international grant review panels, and served as permanent appointed member and chair of the Clinical Neuroscience & Neurodegeneration study section at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Taglialatela is also actively involved in teaching to medical and graduate school students. He served for several years as the co-director of the molecules, cells and tissues course, associate director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, and currently is the director of the UTMB Neuroscience Summer Undergraduate Research Program while teaching the full human gross anatomy laboratory and several classes to both the medical and graduate school.
Notably, in January 2021, Dr. Taglialatela was appointed Dean ad interim of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, a service he completed in February 2022. In addition of being appointed Dean ad interim, for his services to the research and educational mission of UTMB, over the years Dr. Taglialatela has received numerous awards, including, in 2013, both the highest awards conferred to a UTMB graduate faculty, the distinguished faculty service award and the graduate student organization distinguished teaching award. Other awards include the neuroscience teaching excellence award (2010; 2014), Dept. of Neurology professionalism award (2015), appointment to Mace Bearer at the 2012 UTMB graduate school commencement.B will be located.
Donna Wilcock, PhD is a professor of neurology and Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders at Indiana University School of Medicine. She is also the Barbara and Larry Sharpf Professor in Alzheimer's Disease Research, a member of Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, and a member of the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (IADRC). Dr. Wilcock's research focuses on the intersection of Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Using mouse models and patient samples, Dr. Wilcock is exploring the role of neuroinflammation and dysregulated angiogenesis in VCID. In addition, she has several active projects exploring the underlying mechanisms of beta-amyloid immunotherapy-related ARIA. Her research is funded by the NINDS and NIA.
Lon S. Schneider, MD, MS, is professor of psychiatry, neurology, and gerontology at the Keck School of Medicine and Leonard Davis School of Gerontology of the University of Southern California; and holds the Della Martin Endowed Chair in Psychiatry and Neuroscience. He directs the USC California Alzheimer’s Disease Center (California Department of Health Services), the Geriatric Studies Center, and co-directs the clinical core of the USC NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He holds a master’s degree in applied biometry and epidemiology. His work involves treatment development with novel metabolic and neuroregenerative compounds, outcomes assessment, innovative approaches to modelling, clinical trials methods and simulations, and, recently, in silico screening of medications for slowing cognitive impairment in late life.
He is an associate editor or editorial board member of several publications, and serves on The Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care. Dr. Schneider is a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
“Dave” Morgan is Director of the Alzheimer’s Alliance and MSU Foundation Professor of Translational Neuroscience at Michigan State University. Dr. Morgan’s research interests are Alzheimer’s disease, aging and brain function. He is internationally recognized for his work on immunotherapy and gene therapy to treat the Alzheimer-related pathologies. Previously he was CEO of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute at the University of South Florida. While there Dr Morgan oversaw development of Community-Based Memory Screening programs and the country’s first mobile clinical trial unit for Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northwestern University and spent 10 years at the University of Southern California before joining the University of South Florida in 1992.
He has participated in over 90 grant-years of NIH funded research and published over 200 research articles. Morgan regularly sits on grant review panels for NIH and other agencies. In addition to his research activities, Morgan has consulted with both major pharmaceutical and small biotechnology companies, and advised capital investment organizations regarding the most promising therapeutic approaches to curing Alzheimer’s disease. Morgan has also advocated nationally for additional Alzheimer’s research funding through his role at ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s and with the Alzheimer’s Association.
Michael Gorton is a 14x Serial Entrepreneur who has created tens of billions of dollars in net worth from companies he has started.. As one of the pioneers of telemedicine and digital health, Gorton helped create, what is becoming a TRILLION dollar industry. The lessons learned from building 14 companies are reflected in his best seller: Broken Handoff, a book that educates entrepreneurs, human capital experts, and investors. Audacious goals and adventure have always been an integral part of his daily life. The results of these goals can be seen in industry changing results from companies he has founded like Internet Global, Teladoc, Palo Duro Records, Back To Space, and Principal Solar.
The current goal is to continue developing new ideas and technologies that have a transformative foundation, and can generate returns for stakeholders. Two of his books have made Amazon Top 10 lists, with Forefathers and Founding Fathers reaching the #1 position. In the world of adventure, Michael and his family are climbing the highest point of elevation (mountain) in each of the 50 states.
Michael has 42 complete with 8 to go. He is working on his 3rd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate from Jim Dryburgh's Power Kenpo Studio. Specialties: Telemedicine, Engineering, Space, early and mid stage company building, serving on Boards, as Advisor or Director, development of corporate culture, writing, legal analysis, capital raising and problem solving. Michael enjoys working with early and growth stage entrepreneurs who have industry-changing ideas, but need help "avoiding the potholes."
Mr. Rosa serves on the board of directors of NeuroOne and is an entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the medical device industry spanning a variety of technologies and products. In addition to CEO roles with early stage medical device companies, Mr. Rosa’s background also includes senior roles with C.R. Bard Inc., Boston Scientific Inc., and St. Jude Medical, where his responsibilities included marketing, product development and business development. He has been named as an inventor on multiple medical device patents, serves on seven corporate boards, and has raised $200M in the capital markets. Mr. Rosa holds an MBA from Duquesne University, and a BS in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University.
"Healthcare industry expert with 20+ years’ experience in clinical programs around Risk, Quality and Cost containment. Eleven years with UnitedHealthcare’s Optum, clinical performance solutions division, designing clinical programs for early identification of chronic illness. More recently, with Molina Healthcare working on outcomes and cost containment. Developed advanced algorithms around pharmacy, medical claims, labs and natural language processing of chart records for predictive models geared to promote pre-clinical diagnosis of chronic illness and monitoring of active disease. Algorithms are actively used on a population of over 20 million Medicare and Medicaid lives across multiple healthcare payers.
Currently working in public healthcare sector working for both Fire Department of New York and medical affairs emergency medical services (EMS), and department of sanitation New York (DSNY) occupational health, surgical consultant for more than 15 years. Board certified in General surgery by American College of Surgeons. Selected in 2019 to subcommittee for HHS fastCures Landscape analysis to align innovation budgeting to disease total cost and to speed products to market."
The Lab
