About Us
Who we are and what we do.
Neuroene Therapeutics was formed in 2015 after our co-founders discovered a new class of compounds to improve mitochondrial health in multiple animal models of difficult-to-treat neurological diseases.
Our long-term objective is to develop our mitochondrial modulator drug discovery platform to identify clinical candidates for diseases of underlying mitochondrial dysfunction. Neuroene Therapeutics’ portfolio includes issued and pending patents covering hundreds of analogs aimed at the treatment of numerous disease indications and the corresponding methods.
The 1000 sq. ft. Neuroene Therapeutics laboratory is located in Downtown Charleston at the South Carolina Research Authority/Medical University of South Carolina Innovation Center incubator facility.
Our Team
Sherine Chan, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and CEO
Dr. Chan has been in the mitochondrial field since 1996 and has degrees in Veterinary Biology (BS Hons. Murdoch University, Australia) and Clinical Biochemistry (PhD, U. Western Australia), and a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, which focused on mitochondrial diseases using in vitrobiochemistry, mitochondrial disease patient cells, and in vivo mouse models of mitochondrial dysfunction focused on dysfunction in the heart. At the Medical University of South Carolina, her group has developed new zebrafish models and assays of mitochondrial dysfunction, including models that affect mitochondrial quality control in the heart. Dr. Chan is primarily employed at Neuroene Therapeutics, and she oversees the biological component of the company as well as raising awareness and funds for the company.
C. James Chou, Ph.D.
Co-Founder
Dr. Chou has BS and BA degrees in Biochemistry and Economics (dual diploma, U. Washington), and previously ran a non-profit organization focusing on after school programs. After his Ph.D. in Chemistry (U. Washington) he joined Dr. Joel Gottesfeld’s group at the Scripps Research Institute (CA) where he developed disease modifying treatments for diseases such as for Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare mitochondrial disease (which has completed phase II clinical trial in Europe). Dr. Chou splits his time between his academic laboratory at the Medical University of South Carolina and Neuroene Therapeutics, where he oversees the chemistry and business ends of the company.
Advisors
Richard Labaudinière, Ph.D.
CEO, Labaudinière Consulting
Karen Lackey
Global Head of Integrated Drug Discovery, Evotec
Russell Saneto, D.O., Ph.D.
Pediatric Neurologist, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Bruce Cohen, M.D.
Director, NeuroDevelopmental Science Center, Akron Children’s Hospital