Board
of Directors

Dr. Shenda Baker is President, Chief Executive Officer, Treasurer and Co-founder of Synedgen Inc. Dr. Baker has more than 25 years of experience in polymer chemistry and materials science and in leading, funding, and directing scientific research and development. She has extensive experience managing project execution, external consultants and advisors and business development efforts. Previously, Dr. Baker served as President of BioSTAR West, and as the lead scientific advisor to Hawaii Chitopure and Professor of Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College. Dr. Baker served on the Board of Directors of the Materials Research Society and has served on advisory boards with the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. Dr. Baker is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Materials Research Society and currently serves on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the NIH. She is co-inventor on all Synspira technology.

Drucy Borowitz, M.D.
Dr. Drucy Borowitz is the former senior vice president of community partnerships at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation where she led numerous initiatives to improve patient care and advance new treatments. Dr. Borowitz was the CF center director at the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo for almost 20 years. In 2013, she received the Richard C. Talamo Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award presented by the CF Foundation, given to individuals dedicated to the research and care of patients with cystic fibrosis and whose contributions have had considerable influence on the course of the disease. Dr. Borowitz is an emeritus professor of clinical pediatrics at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University at Buffalo. She received the Stockton Kimball Award, bestowed on faculty members who have achieved worldwide recognition as researchers and have been recognized for significant academic accomplishment and service to the university. Dr. Borowitz attended Cornell Medical School, interned at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and did her residency at University of California-San Francisco. She was board certified in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition.

Robert K. Coughlin is a Managing Director at JLL and is the New England’s Life Science Practice Group lead. He specializes in the representation of lab, GMP manufacturing and technology space. Robert delivers create solutions that align real estate strategies with scientific business objectives. Robert most recently operated as the CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, where his mission was to advance Massachusetts’s leadership in the life sciences to grow the industry. Robert has spent his career in both the public and private sectors. Before joining MassBio, he served as the Undersecretary of Economic Development within Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, where he prioritized both healthcare and economic development issues and was a strong advocate for the life sciences industry in Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was elected as State Representative to the 11th Norfolk district for three terms. Robert has also held senior executive positions in the environmental services, capital management and venture capital industries.

Robert Gallotto serves as President and chief executive officer of Synspira Therapeutics. Mr. Gallotto is an experienced pharmaceutical executive, with a 30-year record of building companies focused in cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases. Prior to joining Synspira, Mr. Gallotto was the co-founder and served as President of Alcresta Therapeutics, a company focused on developing products for cystic fibrosis and other rare diseases. Mr. Gallotto built the company from an idea to the successful launch of its first product, RELiZORB, a novel medical device awarded the 2016 Medical Device Design Excellence Gold Medal Award. Mr. Gallotto has been involved with several collaborations with the CF Foundation over the past 20 years and is the inventor of numerous issued patents. Mr. Gallotto also served as co-founder and chief operating officer of Allena Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Alcresta and Allena, Mr. Gallotto served as chief business officer of Alnara Pharmaceuticals, until the company was acquired by Eli Lilly. Mr. Gallotto also served as vice president of strategic planning, business and commercial development for Altus Pharmaceuticals. Before joining Altus, Mr. Gallotto served in various positions in sales and marketing, business development and product management with companies such as Biogen, Ares-Serono, Sage BioPharma and The Upjohn Company. Mr. Gallotto holds a B.S. in biology from Stonehill College.

Dr. Alexey Margolin is Chairman of the Board of Allena Pharmaceuticals, a public clinical stage pharmaceutical company, and previously served as CEO (2011-2019). Prior, he co-founded Alcresta Therapeutics, a medical device company focused on developing products for CF and other rare diseases; he served as CEO (2011-2014) and is currently on the board of directors. In 2008, Dr. Margolin co-founded Alnara Pharmaceuticals, and served as President and CEO until 2010, when the company was acquired by Eli Lilly. As Chief Scientific Officer for Altus Pharmaceuticals, he helped build a portfolio of products for rare diseases. Dr. Margolin is the author of more than 60 publications and an inventor on numerous patents.

Mr. Andrew W. Miller is President and CEO of Stimson Lumber Company in Portland, Oregon. Prior to joining Stimson in 1991, Mr. Miller was employed in the Forest Products Industry with Plum Creek Timber and Weyerhaeuser. He holds an undergraduate degree from Grinnell College and an MBA from Columbia University. Mr. Miller serves on multiple regional and national industry association Boards, and several non-profit Boards in the Portland area. He also serves on the Board of Directors at Synedgen.