Arun Srivastava, PhD

President and Chief Scientific Officer, Founder

Dr. Srivastava is Professor in the Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy in the Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, and a member of the Powell Gene Therapy Center, UF Genetics Institute and UF Health Cancer Center. He trained with AAV pioneer, the Late Prof. Kenneth I. Berns. Over the past four decades and a half, Dr. Srivastava has made many significant contributions to the field of gene therapy with AAV vectors.

Dr. Srivastava was the founding scientist of the very first AAV gene therapy company, Avigen, which was launched in 1992. His fundamental studies on the molecular biology of AAV, and the development of next-generation and optimized AAV vectors have paved the way for new and more effective treatments for genetic diseases.

Dr. Srivastava has received uninterrupted research funding for 41 years from the National Institutes of Health, been awarded 21 U.S. patents, founded four startups and mentored 45 postdoctoral and clinical fellows. His laboratory has identified two AAV vectors that efficiently transduce primary human cells, and his current research focuses on gene therapy for genetic diseases such as hemophilia and muscular dystrophies, malignant disorders such as liver cancers, and “nuclease-free” genome editing for β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

Dr. Srivastava was elected as a 2024 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Keyun Qing, MD

Vice President and Director of Research, Founder

Dr. Qing has a broad background in molecular biology and virology, with specific training and expertise in areas related to gene therapy using AAV vectors. He joined Dr. Arun Srivastava’s laboratory in 1995 as a postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he focused on the molecular biology of AAV and made a number of seminal discoveries. These studies also resulted in the development of novel recombinant AAV vectors for efficient gene transfer in different cell lines in vitro and in animal models in vivo.

Following a brief stint as a junior faculty member in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he was involved in training a number of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research staff, he accepted a position as a Scientist at Eli Lilly and Company in 2001, where he worked for nearly 18 years. In the Lilly Research Laboratory, Dr. Qing focused on the studies on recombinant AAV vectors expressing several peptides and neuropeptides in disease models leading to development of AAV gene therapy in the field of Type II diabetes and obesity/ metabolic syndromes. In 2018, Dr. Qing opted for early retirement from Eli Lilly, and re-joined Dr. Srivastava at the University of Florida College of Medicine as Director of Research, where he has assumed a leadership role in supervising all research personnel.

Dr. Qing obtained his MD and MSc degrees in 1985 and 1988, respectively, from the prestigious Hunan Medical College in Changsha, China.

Jakob Shoti, MS, PhD

Chief Technology Officer

Dr. Shoti has been educated and trained in both basic and applied biomedical research. He obtained his Master’s Degree in 2018 in Translational Biotechnology from Dr. Srivastava’s laboratory at the University of Florida, which involved the development of novel synthetic AAV vectors for gene therapy for childhood hemophilia. During his Master’s Degree program, he earned a minor concentration in Entrepreneurship and completed an Internship at an AAV gene therapy company. He subsequently worked as Biological Scientist at the University of Florida on multiple research projects in industry-partnerships with Pfizer and Sarepta. He obtained his PhD Degree in 2024 from Dr. Srivastava’s laboratory at the University of Florida.

Dr. Shoti has played a leadership role on the design and development of genome-modified AAV vectors with improved transgene expression. He has presented his research at national and international conferences. He received an Excellence in Research Award from the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in 2024.

Niranjan Kumar, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Kumar is a global biopharmaceutical CEO with ~34 years of leadership in biologics, vaccines, biosimilars, cell & gene therapy and extensive biomedical research. He has a proven track record of accelerating multiple breakthrough therapies from research to launch from global companies (Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi, Novavax, Wockhardt Biotech, ABS Inc. etc.,) with increasing roles and responsibilities up to senior vice president and CEO. He built and scaled high-performing global operations; managed billion-dollar P&Ls. He has deep expertise in CMC, manufacturing, regulatory, and commercialization of complex therapies.

He has a strong scientific foundation in rDNA platforms, viral vectors, and large-scale biologics production. His fund management experience includes: raising capital, structured global partnerships, and executed investment strategies. He has managed P&L, COGS, budget, people and KPIs. He is skilled in driving innovation at the intersection of science, strategy, and capital. He has consistently delivered transformational therapies including 2 gene therapies (SMA and MD) and sustainable value for patients, partners, and investors.

Husam Abu-Amara, DBA, MBA, MSc Arch.

Chief Strategy Officer

Dr. Abu-Amara is an international strategist, systems thinker, and management consultant. He is an internationally recognized strategist and management professional with over 25 years of leadership experience across the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. A graduate of Texas A&M University (B.Sc. & M.Sc. in Architecture, MBA) and Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Business School (DBA in Strategic Planning & Corporate Governance), he brings a powerful blend of American education, global insight, and proven impact. As the founder and managing partner of a global consulting house and strategic advisor to leading corporations and governments in more than 15 countries, Dr. Abu-Amara has led the design and execution of over 65 strategic transformation plans across industries including technology, oil & gas, steel, construction, telecom, retail, and education.

A certified master in systems thinking and strategic management from the Haines Centre (USA), he also holds advanced credentials in balanced scorecard, project management, change management, and psychometrics. His work integrates visionary strategy with measurable business excellence—helping organizations achieve sustainable growth, innovation, and cultural transformation.

Alok Srivastava, MD, FRACP, FRCPA, FRCP

Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Alok Srivastava is currently Professor of Research at St. John's Research Institute and St. John's Medical College Hospital, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore. He has been involved with the management of patients with bleeding disorders for over 35 years. His group has worked extensively on developing laboratory methods and clinical protocols that are applicable in developing countries with particular emphasis on cost-sensitive genetic diagnosis protocols for a range of hereditary bleeding disorders, factor replacement therapies, especially for surgical procedures, and meaningful assessment of long-term outcomes. Their current focus is on establishing cost effective models for prophylaxis as well as novel therapies for bleeding disorders including gene therapy.

Dr. Srivastava currently chairs the steering committee of the Asia Pacific Hemophilia Working Group. He was the Chair of the FVIII/IX Subcommittee of the Scientific and Standardization Committee (SSC), International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) from 2006-2010. He currently chairs the task force of the FVIII/IX Subcommittee of the SSC of the ISTH on gene therapy for hemophilia. He was on the board of the WFH from 2002 until 2014 and served as the Vice-President (Medical) from 2012 to 2014. He is the chair of writing group of the WFH guidelines for the management of hemophilia.

Dr. Srivastava’s landmark paper titled “Lentiviral Gene Therapy with CD34⁺ Hematopoietic Cells for Hemophilia A” was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 392 (5): 450-457, 2025.

Roland W. Herzog, PhD

Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Herzog is a Professor of Pediatrics, Riley Children's Foundation Professor of Immunology, and Director of the Gene and Cell Therapy Program. His research interests are in gene therapy and immune tolerance for hemophilia and in AAV vectors. He received a PhD in Microbiology from Auburn University in 1996, followed by postdoctoral training at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, before joining the University of Florida in 2005 and then Indiana University in 2018.

Dr. Herzog received multiple awards for his research from the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, the National Hemophilia Foundation, the Bayer Hemophilia Program, and the University of Florida Research Foundation, among others. He previously served as editor-in-chief of Molecular Therapy. Dr. Herzog’s work is supported by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Tung Wynn, MD

Scientific Advisory Board

Dr. Wynn is a board-certified Pediatric Hematology-Oncology physician at the University of Florida. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics. He serves as the Director of the University of Florida Hemostasis Treatment Center and the University of Florida Pediatric Cancer Survivorship Program. He earned his MD degree from Northeastern Ohio Medical University and completed his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He worked in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa before he came to the University of Florida. His work established the UF Hemostasis and Thrombosis Center at the University of Florida and has contributed to the development of longer-acting factors and non-factors for hemophilia patients, recombinant therapy for von Willebrand patients, and the first successful Hemophilia A gene therapy in the state of Florida after its FDA approval.

Dr. Wynn’s primary focus is in bleeding and clotting disorders. He holds professional memberships in the American Society of Hematology, National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Society, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Florida Medical Association, Children’s Oncology Group, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He serves on the thyroid disease in pediatric cancer survivors subcommittee of the International Guidelines Harmonization Group, the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board for the von Willebrand Factor Connect Foundation, and the advisory board of the Comprehensive Care Sustainability Collaborative of the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation.