our team
Our team is comprised of experts in hematology, ophthalmology, biomedical/ biomaterial engineering, quality/ regulatory affairs, project management, drug design, pre-clinical trials, and device development. We like dogs, hiking, swimming, sailing, making sushi, espresso, baking, and reading. And eyes, blood and science, of course!
Get to know us below!
core team
Tracey Kirkman
Marketing Consultant
Lindsay Peters, MPH
Chief of Staff and
Director of Program Management
Meltem Corbacioglu Pala
Senior Scientist
Cheryl Rendleman, PhD
Regulatory Affairs
Mitch Ross, PhD
Senior Scientist and Lab Manager
Levi
Chief Morale Officer
scientific advisors
- Laurence Corash, MD – Dr. Corash is a well-known hematologist with an extensive background in clinical research. He has authored nearly 200 research papers and pioneered the development of pathogen inactivation technologies for blood components.
- Michael Goldstein, MD – Dr. Goldstein is a highly experienced ophthalmologist, entrepreneur, chief medical officer and clinical trial design strategist. He has served as CMO of four companies. His most recent major accomplishment was ushering Aurion Biotech through their 2025 acquisition by Alcon as the company’s President and CMO.
- Richard (Dick) Lindstrom, MD – Dr. Lindstrom is the founder of Minnesota Eye Consultants and Adjunct Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Department of Ophthalmology. He is an internationally recognized leader in corneal care. Highly involved in ophthalmology venture capital
- William Trattler, MD – Dr. Trattler is a refractive, corneal and cataract eye surgeon at the Center For Excellence In Eye Care. He has extensive experience in clinical trial design and has been previously named as one of the “Top 100 most influential people in the world of ophthalmology by “The Ophthalmologist”.
- Sean Ianchulev, MD, MPH – Dr. Ianchulev is known as one of the most prolific ophthalmic inventors and entrepreneurs today, with many FDA-approved medical products on the market. He is currently a Professor of Ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear of Mount Sinai, where he also directs the program for technology and innovation.
- Robert Rothman, MD – Dr. Rothman is a glaucoma and laser cataract surgeon and is currently a clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
- Eric Donnefeld, MD – Dr. Donnenfeld is an expert and pioneer in refractive, cornea, and cataract surgery and one of the leading refractive and cataract surgeons in the United States. Highly respected and well-regarded as an SME in the venture capital space.
- Ehsan Sadri, MD – Dr. Sadri is the CEO and Founder of Visionary Eye Institute. Co-founder of visionary ventures. Strong focus on ophthalmology venture capital, well-versed in regenerative medicine.
- Nora Lee Cothran, OD – Dr. Cothran is an optometric physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and neurological eye disease. In addition to clinical care, Dr. Cothran is actively involved in FDA Clinical Trials and provides continuing medical education to her peers and colleagues.
- Heather Sheardown, PhD – Dr. Sheardown is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, and the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials and Engineering. She has an international reputation for her research on ophthalmic biomaterials, including her innovative work on the development of new materials for artificial cornea and ophthalmic drug delivery.
business and legal advisors
Richard Gervase
Intellectual Property Attorney
Mintz
Steve Heyer
Business Strategy Advisor
Prior roles:
COO Coca-Cola, COO Turner Media, CEO Starwood Hotel, CEO Young & Rubicam, Managing Partner at Booz Allen
Steve Heyer
Business Strategy Advisor
Prior roles:
COO Coca-Cola,
COO Turner Media,
CEO Starwood Hotel,
CEO Young & Rubicam, Managing Partner at Booz Allen
Jonathan P. Spencer
Corporate and Securities Attorney
Gunderson
Evan Myrianthopoulos
Finance Advisor, Board Member
bios
Elan Weiner,
Founder and CEO
Elan Weiner is an American Society of Clinical Pathology licensed specialist in blood banking, and a strategic healthcare leader with extensive experience in transfusion medicine, blood safety, biologics development, product commercialization, and market expansion. He has spent his career focusing on the safety and availability of blood, and blood-derived drugs. Elan has patented, developed, and brought to market blood-based drugs used in the treatment of bleeding, including massive hemorrhage, and Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP). Prior to joining ECI Therapeutics, Elan most recently served as Vice President of Business Development, and General Manager of Global Therapeutics at Cerus Corporation where he stood up and led a new Business Unit, successfully shepherding biologics from concept through approval, commercialization, and market expansion. Elan has published extensively on topics within blood and cell therapy, has served on national and international committees at AABB (formerly American Association of Blood Banks), and ISBT (International Society of Blood Transfusion), and has served on the board of 2 healthcare not for profit organizations. Elan brings extensive executive leadership, personnel recruitment and management, strategic planning, P&L, commercialization, regulatory, compliance, clinical trial, reimbursement, CMC, supply chain, and transfusion medicine expertise to ECI Therapeutics.
Ronald C. Gentile,
Founder and CMO
While practicing Ophthalmology, Dr. Gentile recognized an unmet need: patients suffering—sometimes to a debilitating degree—from dry eye disease and inadequate treatment options available to them. This observation and his knowledge that better treatments are possible led him to become the organizing force behind ECI Therapeutics.
Ronald C. Gentile MD, FACS, FASRS is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology affiliated with NYU Langone Health, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEEI), and SUNY School of Optometry in NYC. He also has affiliations on Long Island with NYU Winthrop University Hospital and NYU Long Island School of Medicine. Dr. Gentile dedicates his time to clinical ophthalmic care, surgery, research, teaching, and humanitarian work. He is a retinal specialist and surgeon with expertise in diabetic eye disease, macular diseases, retinal detachments and ocular trauma.
After graduating at the top of his class at the School of Medicine at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, he completed his internship at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and his ophthalmology residency at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. He performed his Retina Fellowship at the prestigious Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, Michigan. Following fellowship, he was recruited back to NYC were he quickly rose through the ranks from assistant professor to full professor within 12 years.
Dr. Gentile has been consistently listed as one of Best Doctors in New York (Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.) and New York Super Doctors®, recommended by his peers. He has received dozens of awards and honors including the Richard T. Troutman, MD, Award in Ophthalmology, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Achievement Award, and the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) Honor Award. He has been and continues to be a principal investigator for many trials and he has over a hundred publications.
He has been involved in leading humanitarian missions to India, Africa, Nepal, and Latin America and is founding member of Operation Restore Sight, a humanitarian organization that leads international eye care missions to restore vision to the poor and train local eye care physicians in underserved communities.
Matthew Dowling,
Founder and VP Research
Matthew Dowling, Ph.D., is Chief Scientific Officer and Director of Medcura. Matt completed his graduate work at the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, after completing his undergrad in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. At UMD, he was awarded the Fischell Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering for his innovative ideas in drug delivery systems. Matt then co-created gel-e, a novel biomaterial platform, raising several initial grants to develop the technology and to launch Medcura as a corporate entity. Matt was the recipient of the Dean’s Doctoral Research Award from the UMD Clark School of Engineering for his work on chitosan-based self-assembled soft materials for use in wound treatment. He has been the Principal Investigator on multi-million dollar grants; these have been used to achieve five FDA clearances, eight issued patents, 10+ peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and a commercial partnership with one of the world’s largest pharmacy retailers. Matt’s work has been featured on several U.S. and international media outlets including the BBC TV program, Brave New World with Stephen Hawking.
Lloyd Hildebrand,
Founder and Chairperson,
Board of Directors
Dr. Hildebrand is a seasoned clinician and serial entrepreneur. He is an academic ophthalmologist and educator with specialty training in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery in a broad clinical practice. He graduated from the University of Manitoba College of Medicine and practiced as a family physician for nine years before pursuing specialty training in ophthalmology and ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Oklahoma’s Dean McGee Eye Institute, and Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon respectively. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma’s Dean McGee Eye Institute where he has worked since 1994, partially retiring from that surgical practice in 2016 to pursue entrepreneurial activities. He graduated from the Physician CEO program at Kellogg School of Management in 2015. He has led large multi-specialty practices as well as startup and medical technology companies; held leadership roles in numerous professional organizations; is experienced in international ophthalmology; is knowledgeable in design and conduct of research trials, regulatory affairs; has expertise in policy, reimbursement and IT; and extensive executive level experience. He currently maintains an oculoplastic surgery practice at Comprehensive Eye Care in Las Vegas, NV and is a Clinical Professor at the UNLV Kerkorian School of Medicine.
learn more about:
our mission
We endeavor to bring relief to millions, transcending barriers of traditional therapies and paving the way for a future with safer, more effective treatments.
Our actions are driven by three core principles: Prioritizing patients, fostering a positive work environment, and embodying our values.
our products
Our therapeutic formulation is suitable for a variety of products, including liquid eye drops, gels, ointments, contact lenses, contoured bandages, and wound dressings. Initially, ECI is pursuing ophthalmic indications for neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) and dry eye disease (DED).
ECI’s pipeline includes indications for ophthalmic burns, epithelial defects, endothelial diseases, limb stem cell deficiency, ocular graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), corneal abrasions, and chronic wounds.
careers
We are committed to an inclusive work environment. Together we can help communities see clearly and lead healthier lives.
Consider joining our team!