management team

James S. Kuo, M.D., M.B.A.

Since February 2007, Dr. Kuo has served Adeona as a member of the Company’s board of directors. In February 2010, Adeona’s board appointed him as Chief Executive Officer and President. He also served as Adeona’s Chairman from February 2010 to November 2011. Previously, Dr. Kuo was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cordex Pharma, a publicly-traded enterprise developing a portfolio of cardiovascular drugs. He launched life science products as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BioMicro Systems, a genomic tools company. At Discovery Laboratories, a publicly-traded company developing new surfactant-based respiratory therapeutics, he was a founder and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Kuo is a founder and board director of Monarch Labs, a privately-held company commercializing medical devices for wound care. He held positions as a licensing executive at Pfizer and Vice President of Business Development at Myriad Genetics. Dr. Kuo was a Managing Director of Venture Analysis with HealthCare Ventures, a venture capital firm with $378 million in funds under management. He served as Chairman of the board of Soligenix, a publicly-traded enterprise developing therapeutic for the life-threatening side effects of cancer therapy and vaccines for certain bioterrorism agents. Currently, he serves as Non-executive Chairman of the board of MSK Pharma, a privately-held company clinically developing Xiaderma, a topical patch to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. Dr. Kuo simultaneously earned an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business. He holds a B.A. in molecular biology from Haverford College.

John Monahan, Ph.D.

John Monahan, Ph.D., joined Adeona in December 2011 as the Senior Vice President of Research & Development. Dr. Monahan is an experienced CEO-level executive of biotech companies focused on gene medicine and pharmaceutical companies with biotechnology research departments. He is currently also a board member of a number of private biotech companies. In 1992, he founded and built Avigen, Inc., a biotech company that pioneered and led the development of gene medicines based on AAV vectors, now an industry standard. Over a 12 year period as CEO of Avigen, Dr. Monahan took the company public through its IPO, raised over $235 million and led the company through a number of gene medicine Investigational New Drug (IND) applications. Prior to founding Avigen, Dr. Monahan served as Vice President - Research and Development at Somatix, another pioneering gene medicine company, Prior to that he was Director of Molecular & Cell Biology at Triton Biosciences (since merged with Berlex Laboratories). Prior to that he was Research Group Chief, Department of Molecular Genetics at Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Cell Biology at New York University. He earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada and a B.S. degree in Science from University College, Dublin, Ireland. Dr. Monahan has over 50 publications/reviews in the scientific literature and has made hundreds of presentations including public TV interviews, to scientific groups, investors and the public in general over the years.

Julie A. Caudill, B.B.A.

Ms. Caudill joined Adeona in June 2010 as the Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller. She is responsible for leading Adeona’s financial reporting and accounting functions. Ms. Caudill brings to Adeona more than 20 years of accounting and Securities and Exchange Commission compliance expertise, including 15 years in the biotechnology sector. In addition, she has experience in the areas of internal and external audit management, budget planning and control, treasury operations and stock option reporting. Prior to joining Adeona, she was the Corporate Controller and Corporate Secretary at Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., and held various positions in accounting management and financial reporting at KMS Fusion and PALL Corporation (formerly Gelman Science, Inc.). Ms. Caudill earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Eastern Michigan University.

Lara M. Guzman, B.S.

Ms. Guzman joined Adeona in 2006 as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman and CEO. In October 2009, she was appointed Corporate Secretary and Treasurer, and in November 2009, she was appointed the Vice President of Administration. Ms. Guzman is responsible for the human resource and administrative functions at Adeona, and also coordinates the Company's clinical trials. Prior to joining Adeona, she worked at HandyLab, Inc. (acquired by Becton, Dickinson and Company in 2009). Ms. Guzman earned a B.S. in biology and chemistry from Adrian College.

Kris M. Maly, B.A.

Ms. Maly serves as the Vice President of Corporate Communication after joining Adeona in November 2010 as a consultant and in February 2011 as the Senior Director of Corporate Communication. She is responsible for leading Adeona’s overall corporate communication program including the investor and public relations functions. Prior to joining Adeona, Ms. Maly spent 10 years in the biotechnology sector at Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., most recently as the Senior Director Communications & Administration, and 15 years in tax practice within the public accounting field at C.H. Rubin & Company CPAs, and earlier in her career with S.L. Boswell CPAs. Ms. Maly earned a B.A. in English Language & Literature and History of Art from the University of Michigan, and completed 98 hours of postgraduate business and accounting coursework.