Scientific Advisors

Dr Thakor is an adult and pediatric-certified Interventional Radiologist at Stanford University. He is pioneering the emerging field of Precision Delivery by developing techniques, technologies and approaches for the targeted delivery of advanced therapies (i.e. drug, gene, cell, cell-free and thermal therapies). He directs the translational Center of Interventional Radiology Innovation at Stanford (IRIS) and runs an NIH-funded laboratory called the Laboratory for Advancements in Precision Delivery (LAPD). His research team develops novel approaches in the field of Interventional Regenerative Medicine, specifically investigating how to optimally deliver mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and their extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs), to injured tissues given their ability to restore cellular health and function.

Dr. Alessia Fornoni is a Professor of Medicine, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, and Biochemistry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She serves as the Director and Chair of the Peggy and Harold Katz Drug Discovery Center. Dr. Fornoni gained experience in drug development at Hoffmann-La Roche in Basel and is the founding scientist of several start-up companies. Her research is supported by grants from the NIH, industry, and private foundations.

She has received numerous prestigious awards, including membership in the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI, 2017), the Association of American Physicians (AAP, 2021), and the Florida Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (ASEMFL, 2023). Dr. Fornoni serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and Kidney International and was the Deputy Editor of JASN in 2024. She began her term as the At-Large Councilor for the ASN Council in January 2025.

As a recipient of multiple mentorship awards, Dr. Fornoni has guided trainees who now hold leadership positions in academic institutions worldwide. As the Assistant Dean for Research Training and Development, Co-Director of the MD/PhD MSTP program and the CTSI K12 program, and Director of an NIH-funded summer school in Nephrology, she is deeply committed to mentoring students and junior faculty on their paths to successful academic careers.

Through her pioneering work on insulin signaling, cholesterol metabolism, and sphingolipid-related pathways, Dr. Fornoni has uncovered novel pathogenetic mechanisms and therapeutic approaches for glomerular disorders, which have successfully progressed to ongoing clinical trials. She serves as a grant reviewer for the Alport Foundation.

As a global, mission-driven Chief Medical Officer and Senior Executive, Dr. Manasi Jaiman advances breakthrough therapies through the integration of medicine and technology drawing from 15 years of clinical development, device development, regulatory filings, direct patient care, and scientific research. Dr. Jaiman is the Chief Medical Officer at Aardvark Therapeutics. Prior to joining Aardvark, Dr. Jaiman was Vice President at Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Chief Medical Officer of ViaCyte, where she developed several novel approaches in cell therapy in diabetes. Previously she was an attending physician at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was responsible for clinical care of pediatric endocrinology patients, including those with diabetes and metabolic disease. She also served as co-investigator for several trials developing the bionic pancreas at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Jaiman completed her pediatric residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and endocrinology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, with a focus on type 1 diabetes research.