Raj Bawa, PhD, MD, is president of Bawa Biotech LLC (founded 2002), a biotech/pharma consultancy and patent law firm based in Ashburn, Virginia. Trained as a microbiologist and biochemist, he is an inventor, author, entrepreneur, professor, and registered patent agent (since 2002) licensed to practice before the US Patent & Trademark Office. He is currently scientific advisor to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Israel (since 2010); visiting research scholar at Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Albany Pharmacy, Albany, New York; and full professor (adjunct) at NOVA in Annandale, Virginia (since 2004). He is VP/chief IP officer at Guanine, Inc., in Rensselaer, New York (since 2017), a company focused on rapid, accurate detection of infective pathogens. Dr. Bawa has served as a principal investigator of various NCI research grants, and most recently as a principal investigator of a CDC grant to develop an assay for carbapenemase resistant bacteria. Previously, he was an adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, from 1998 to 2018. He held various positions at the US Patent Office, including primary examiner from 1996 to 2002. He earned a BSc (Honors School) in microbiology, MS in cancer biology, PhD in biophysics/biochemistry, and MD. Currently, he is a life member of Sigma Xi, cochair of the nanotech and precision medicine committees of the American Bar Association and founding director of the American Society for Nanomedicine (established 2008). He has authored over 100 publications, edited 10 texts, and serves on the editorial boards of numerous peer-reviewed journals, including serving as an associate editor of Nanomedicine (Elsevier).
Gerald F. Audette, PhD, has been a faculty member at York University in Toronto, Canada, in the Department of Chemistry since 2006. Currently he is associate professor in the department and a member of the Centre for Research on Biomolecular Interactions at York University. Dr. Audette is the co-editor of volumes 1-4 of the Pan Stanford Series on Nanomedicine and is a subject editor of structural chemistry and crystallography for the journal FACETS.
Anil R. Diwan, PhD, is president and chairman of NanoViricides, Inc., a publicly traded company dedicated to advancing antiviral applications of a novel nanomedicines platform with the potential for creating drugs that the virus cannot escape by virtue of genomic changes, (mutations, recombinations, re-assortments) that are common in the virus world. He founded his own private company and began working in nanomedicines circa 1992. There he invented "TheraCour®" polymeric micelle zip-code-like targeting and encapsulating drug delivery platform. With his colleagues at AllExcel, Inc., he has also co-developed a novel cell therapy that promises to be a cure for Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Diwan received his first US patent in nanomedicines in 2004. Further advancements have already resulted in three international PCT applications that have matured into a number of patents worldwide. Dr. Diwan co-founded NanoViricides, Inc., in 2005 and played a key role in its up-listing NYSE-American exchange in 2013. He has been instrumental in raising over $100 million at NanoViricides since founding it. He was also instrumental in the design and architecture of the new NanoViricides campus in Shelton, CT with discovery-to-cGMP-manufacture capabilities under one roof. Dr. Diwan was recognized as "2014 Researcher of the Year" by BusinessNewHaven and NewHaven Register group, which provides annual recognitions for outstanding individuals in Connecticut state.
Dr. Diwan obtained his BS in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India, in 1980. Acceptance to the Indian Institute of Technology is based on the ultra-competitive Joint Entrance Examination. Dr. Diwan stood 9th nationally in this examination. Following his undergraduate degree, he obtained his PhD in (bio)chemical engineering in 1986 from Rice University, Houston, USA.
Saadia A. Faiz, MD, currently practices at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as a pulmonary and sleep specialist in cancer medicine. She is a professor of pulmonary medicine in the Division of Internal Medicine. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, critical care, pulmonary and sleep medicine. Dr. Faiz is an active member of the American College of Chest Physicians and serves on the 2020 Scientific Program Executive Committee, the Clinical Pulmonary Network Steering Committee, and Educator Development Subcommittee. Her research interests include pulmonary manifestation of cancer, pleural disease in hematologic malignancies, pulmonary hypertension in cancer and sleep and cancer. She also dedicated a significant amount of time to trainee education specifically using simulation for procedural education. She founded and is the director for the Southwest Regional Boot Camp for First Year Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellows, and she serves as an associate program director for the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth PCCM fellowship. She also serves as a faculty instructor for the CHEST Live Learning Pleural Procedures course and at the annual CHEST Fellows course.
