Tactiva Therapeutics is an Immuno-Oncology Company Utilizing an Innovative Approach to Adoptive Cell Therapy
Jay Zhang, PhD
CEO
Jay Zhang, PhD, has large experience in Executive roles in Biopharma. Dr. Zhang is the co-founder & CEO of TriArm Therapeutics, and is a Venture Partner of Panacea Venture. Dr. Zhang was also the General Manager and CEO of Dragonboat Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. He received a PhD from the University of Utah and did his post-doctoral training in Stanford University.
COMPANY FOUNDERS
Richard C. Koya, MD, PhD
Co-Founder
Dr. Koya is Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago, Biological Sciences Division, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he leads the cGMP Vector Development and Production. He has more than 25 years of research experience and a strong background in Molecular Biology, Immunology, and Gene Therapy, as well as clinical experience as a clinical oncologist. Dr. Koya was previously at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, where he was Associate Professor of Oncology, Associate Director of the Center for Immunotherapy and the Director of the Vector Development and Production Facility. Dr. Koya received his M.D. and completed his clinical residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Clinical Oncology at UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil. He received his Ph.D. in Pathology and Molecular Biology from Hokkaido University in Japan, and performed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Department of Pathology at USC, before becoming an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology within the Department of Surgery at UCLA. Dr. Koya has received many awards, including the Scholar Award from the Ministry of Education and Culture of Japan, the ITO Foundation, The Nickel-V Foundation and STOP CANCER Award. His research focuses on the area of Cancer Gene Therapy and Immunotherapy. Dr. Koya is the author of many high-impact publications in the field of cancer research and currently leads NIH funded prospective clinical trials based on an immune-modulator-enhanced TCR-engineered T cell transfer for metastatic cancer patients. He serves as peer-reviewer for various scientific journals in the field of cancer research and immunology, and is a grant reviewer in Scientific Review Study Sections of the National Institute of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG
Co-Founder
Dr. Odunsi is the Director of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC), and Dean for Oncology, Biological Services Division at the University of Chicago. He was previously the Cancer Center Deputy Director at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, Professor and Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, the M. Steven Piver Endowed Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at RPCI; and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Buffalo. He also served as the Executive Director of the Center for Immunotherapy at RPCI. He is Co-Chair of the NCI Cancer Task Force of the Gynecological Cancer Steering Committee, and a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on “The State of the Science in Ovarian Cancer Research”. He has served on several Scientific Review Study Sections of the National Institute of Health (NIH), and is a reviewer of the French National Cancer Institute, Swiss Cancer League, Italian Association for Cancer Research, Hong Kong Cancer Institute and the Ontario Regional Cancer Institute. He is on the Editorial Boards of “BMC Cancer”, “Journal for the Immunotherapy of Cancer”, “Gynecologic Oncology” and “Cancer Immunology Research”. Dr. Odunsi has implemented protocols for multi-institutional immunotherapy clinical trial under the NCI Cancer Immunotherapy Network (CITN) and the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative (CVC) of the Cancer Research Institute and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. He is the Principal Investigator of an NCI funded multi-million dollar Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in ovarian cancer, and was also Principal Investigator of a multi-million dollar grant from NYSTEM to pioneer a novel strategy of re-programming human mature T cells and hematopoietic stem cells for generating sustained attack against ovarian cancer in patients. Dr. Odunsi is the author or co-author on more than 250 journal publications or book chapters. He has a medical degree from the University of Ife in Nigeria, and completed his postgraduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Rosie Maternity and Addenbrookes Hospitals, University of Cambridge, UK. He completed a research fellowship in Molecular Oncology and earned his Ph.D. at the Imperial Research Fund Laboratories Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and his clinical fellowship at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist. Dr. Odunsi is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Anna-Marie Kellen Clinical Investigator Award from the Cancer Research Institute. In 2019, Dr. Odunsi was elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Membership of the NAM is considered one of the highest honors in the field of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to service and professional achievement.