Ascentx Medical

JUERG F. TSCHOPP, PhD MBA

Juerg F. Tschopp has served as Chief Technical Officer and CEO for Stratum Medical Corporation from 2004 to 2005 and from 2009 to present. From 2005 to 2008, Dr. Tschopp served as the General Manager of MediPlant GmbH, Frankfurt (Germany), where the PMMA microsphere manufacturing process for the first and only FDA-approved permanent injectable wrinkle filler ArteFill^® was developed. During the same time, Dr. Tschopp also held the position of Director for Research and Development at Artes Medical Inc., a medical technology company that developed ArteFill^®. From 1997 to 2003, he served as the Senior Director of Research and Development at Integra Life Sciences Corporation; Integra offers innovative solutions, including leading plastic and regenerative technologies, in specialty surgical solutions, orthopedics and tissue technologies. Prior to Integra, Dr. Tschopp served in various research capacities at BACHEM AG, a leading manufacturer of synthetic GMP peptide for commercial drug manufacturing, at Telios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., at Calbiochem Corporation, at the Salk Institute Biotechnology Industrial Associated, Inc. (SIBIA, Inc.). In 1974 Dr. Tschopp earned his Master of Science degree in Organic Chemistry, and in 1979 his PhD in Biophysical Chemistry at the University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland). From 1979 to 1983 Dr. Tschopp conducted post-doctoral studies with Dr. Randy Schekman (2013 Nobel Prize Laureate) at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1992, Dr. Tschopp earned his MBA degree from San Diego State University.

RALPH-HEIKO MATTERN, PhD (PMMA)

Dr. Mattern served as the Principal Scientist for Artes Medical, Inc. from 2006-2008. He was responsible for the implementation of a large-scale production of FDA-quality standard PMMA microspheres for the first and only FDA-approved permanent injectable wrinkle filler, ArteFill^®. Prior to Artes, Dr. Mattern was employed by Integra Life Sciences Corporation as a Senior Research Scientist from 1998-2004, and at NEOMPS as the Director of GMP peptide production. Following his employment at Artes, Dr. Mattern served as a Principal Scientist from 2008-2013 for Tornier, developing medical devices for orthopedic surgery, and most recently has been a consultant for several biomedical companies. In 1993, Dr. Mattern earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Ulm, Germany, following postdoctoral assignments at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the University of California, San Diego, as a sponsored post-doctoral fellow of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

TIMOTHY I. MALANEY, BA Chemistry (QA & QC)

Timothy Malaney has served as Director of Quality for San Diego, California-based Stratum Medical Corporation from January 2009 to present. From April 2005 to November 2008, Mr. Malaney served as the Quality Control Manager and Senior Research Scientist for Artes Medical Inc., a medical technology company that developed ArteFill^®, the first and only FDA-approved permanent injectable wrinkle filler. At Artes, he was responsible for testing and analysis of collagen and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) products. From 1995 to 2005, he served as the Research Scientist, Protein and Peptide Chemistry for Integra Life Sciences Corporation; Integra offers innovative solutions, including leading plastic and regenerative technologies in specialty surgical solutions, orthopedics, and tissue technologies. Prior to Integra, Mr. Malaney served in various research capacities at Agouron Institute and Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation. In 1984, Mr. Malaney earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego.

CORBETT W. STONE, BS Mech. Eng. (PMMA-Collagen Injection Devices)

Corbett brings over 25 years of medical device engineering experience and a deep clinical background to AscentX. He has consulted for our team since 2001 and brings a unique entrepreneurial perspective with focus on IP management. Corbett has an outstanding track record of successful new product developments and market launches and is named on over 97 U.S. patents and over 120 patents worldwide. His successful engineering career includes prior positions at U.S. Surgical Corp. (Director of R&D), NuVasive, Inc. (Co-founder & VP R&D), California Medtech, Inc. (Director Minimally Invasive Systems), Vessix Vascular, Inc. (Co-Founder & CTO), Implicitcare, LLC (VP Engineering & CTO), DePuy Synthes (Director of Product Development Inter-Operative Neuro-Monitoring), Cadwell Industries, Inc. (Product Manager, Inter-Operative Neuro-Monitoring), and Asonian Medtech, LLC (President).

Corbett holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport, CT (USA).

Roger R. Dmochowski, MD, MMHC, FACS

Dr. Roger R. Dmochowski is Professor at the Department of Urology, Professor of Surgery, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He was Director of the Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and program director of the Fellowship in Pelvic Medicine at Vanderbilt for the past 18 years. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor in Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He is Associate Surgeon in Chief, Vice Chair, Section of Surgical Sciences Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Executive Medical Director for Perioperative Services (Surgery), Associate Chief of Staff, and Medical Director of Risk Management at Vanderbilt University Health System. He recently completed a one year tenure as Interim Vice President of Surgical Services.

Dr. Dmochowski received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He completed an internship and residency in surgery and urology at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and at the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute in Texas. In addition, Dr. Dmochowski is subspecialty fellowship trained in female urology, neurourology, urodynamics and reconstructive urology. He is board certified in urology and female pelvic medicine and reconstruction. He received a Masters in Medical Management from Owen School of Business at Vanderbilt in 2012.

Dr. Dmochowski has published more than 405 articles, 120 book chapters, and 485 abstracts, and has given over 291 presentations at various national and international meetings. Dr. Dmochowski is on the editorial board for the World Journal of Urology, and he is a reviewer for the Journal of Urology, and Urology. He just completed a six year term as the Editor in Chief of Neurourology and Urodynamics. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Urological Association and International Continence Society. He is a trustee of the American Board of Urology. Dr. Dmochowski has been granted the Zimskind, Ditinguished Service Award and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Urodynamics Society for his accomplishment in clinical treatment for incontinence. He has received a Presidential Citation, Distinguised Service Award and Politano Award for service to the American Urologic Association and was past chair of the Practice Parameters, Standards and Guidelines Committee for that organization. His current research interests are outcomes of incontinence therapies with a particular emphasis on quality of life issues, patient literacy and informed consent related to pelvic floor interventions. He also is active in bio materials evaluation. He was a trustee of the American Board of Urology (2014-2021) and and just completed his term as President of the Board. He is Vice Chair of the Urology Residency review committee for the ACGME.

Professor Devinder Kumar, MD

Professor Devinder Kumar, M.D. is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and has a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of London. He has been Professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery at St George’s University of London since 2004 and a member of the Committee on Faecal Incontinence of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2014-15). He has also worked as a consultant surgeon at St. George’s Hospital in London from 1994 to 2016. Since 2022, Professor Kumar has been an honorary consultant surgeon at Queen’s hospital in Romford, London. His research and clinical interests have included functional disorders including faecal incontinence. He has been Director of Research for the Division of Surgery at St George’s Hospital. He has also been a member of the Institutional Research Committee for five years. In 2003, Professor Kumar was the chief investigator for assessing the efficacy of submucosal injection of GAX® collagen and, in a separate study, Durasphere® in the anal canal in patients with faecal incontinence. He and his team reported significant improvement in faecal incontinence with the use of bulking agents injected submucosally in the anal canal. Devinder has been a visiting professor in several institutions in many countries between 1989 and 2023. He has also served on the advisory board of Novartis Pharmaceuticals.