People

We are scientists, educators, project managers, industry experts, and business and nonprofit leaders working together to more effectively advance academic discoveries from the lab to the clinic.

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Our Team

Stephen Kargotich PhD, MBA, LLB

Executive Director

Daria Mochly-Rosen, PhD

Chief Science and Education Advisor

Kevin Grimes, MD, MBA

Chief Clinical and Education Advisor

Opher Kornfeld, PhD

Director of Translational Research and Development

Marisol Urbano

Director of Programs

Charlene Chabata, PhD

Project Manager

Adriana Garcia, PhD

Education Manager

Eduardo González-Maldonado, PhD

Project Manager

Monet Jimenez, PhD

Learning Experience Designer

Robert Lum, PhD

CRO and Vendor Manager

Inbal Maayan, PhD

Learning Experience Designer

Shadi Nasiri

Event Manager

Ralitsa Petrova, PhD

Project Manager

Ravi Ponnusamy, PhD

Senior Project Manager

Jeyanthi Ramasubbu, PhD

Senior Project Manager

Susan Thomas

Communications Director

Industry Advisors

Our 50+ industry expert advisors have experience in every aspect of the drug discovery and development process and long track records of success advancing academic discoveries from lab to clinic. Academic researchers in our programs benefit from cohort-wide project and progress meetings attended by panels of advisors at the same time as well as one-on-one or small group mentoring in areas of need.

Clinical Operations
Venture Capital
Diagnostics & Biomarkers
Pharmacology
Legal & Licensing
Medical Affairs
Pharma Business Development
Medicinal Chemistry
Clinical Trial Design
Regulatory
Formulation
Entrepreneurship
Antibody Engineering

Call for Proposals

SPARK NS 2025 Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Program

SPARK NS is no longer accepting applications for this program. Finalists will present September 13-15, 2024. Selected projects will be notified October 4, 2024. We will release a Call for Proposals for our 2026 program in April 2025.