Management Team

Joel is a cofounder of Avant BioVentures. He was a partner at Forward Ventures from 2001 through 2008. Joel invests in both biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. His investments include the following: Altair Therapeutics, Cellective Threapeutics (acquired by Medimmune), Hypnion Inc. (acquired by Eli Lilly & Co.), Predix Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Epix Pharmaceuticals), and Novostent Inc. Prior to Forward, Joel was the co-founder and CEO of Quantum Dot Corporation (acquired by Invitrogen), a pioneer in nanotechnology applications in the life sciences. He was previously founder and CEO of Argonaut Technologies, a leading provider of automation technology for medicinal chemistry. While founding these companies, Dr. Martin worked at Avalon Ventures and Institutional Venture Partners, where he also contributed to the formation and development of Pharmacopeia (NASDAQ: PCOP), and Idun Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer). Dr. Martin was a member of the early scientific team at ISIS Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on antisense drug development. Before that, he was on the faculty of the Department of Radiology at the UCSD Medical School, where he invented a device for MRI imaging of the prostate and developed novel image reconstruction techniques.

Joel also works to advance scientific education and entrepreneurship. He is a member of the advisory board of the multidisciplinary Life Science Institute at the University of Michigan. He is also a frequent lecturer and member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at UCSD's Rady School of Business.

Joel earned a B.S. Chem. Degree with Honors and an M.B.A. with High Distinction from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from University of California, San Diego.

Susan has over 18 years drug discovery research and development experience in the areas of Inflammatory Diseases and Oncology. Prior to joining Altair in October of 2007, she held the positions of Vice President for Clinical Science and Respiratory Disease Franchise Head at Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Carlsbad, CA. She led the Clinical Development Team for the IL 4 and IL 13 Dual Inhibitor Project at Isis. Prior to joining Isis Susan had responsibility for Pre-clinical Pharmacology at Pfizer Laboratories in La Jolla, California (1999-2002). She held positions of increasing responsibility in Inflammatory Diseases Research at G.D. Searle – Monsanto in St. Louis, Missouri from 1990 to 1999. Susan is a co-inventor of the Cyclooxygenase 2-selective inhibitor, celecoxib, and has contributed to 15 issued pharmaceutical patents.

Susan received her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana and Ph.D. in Immunology from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. Following post-doctoral studies with Dr. Thomas Edgington at the Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, She joined the Hematology-Oncology Department of the University of Chicago as a research Assistant Professor focused on immunology and inflammation research. Susan has published over 40 original manuscripts, book chapters and reviews and has been a regular contributor of original research to the fields of inflammation and pharmacology with particular emphasis on mechanisms of macrophage activation, cytokine and cytokine receptor expression and signaling, and the biological roles in these cells and molecules in inflammatory diseases.

Michael has 17 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry and began his career at Pfizer where he worked in the UK and USA development headquarters (New London, CT., and La Jolla, CA.). While at Pfizer, he worked in multiple therapeutic areas including Infectious Disease, Respiratory, Oncology and Urogential working on the successful development programs of Zithromax™, Fluconazole™, Tarceva™, and Viagra™ as a clinician/global clinical lead and Voriconazole™ as team leader responsible for global development and regulatory submissions. Latterly he worked in Pfizer, La Jolla, USA as development team leader for an HIV development candidate and most recently, anti-angiogenesis inhibitor development portfolio.

Prior to joining Altair, Michael was Chief Medical Officer at Kemia, Inc., San Diego, USA, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in anti-inflammatory small molecule development. He has experience in early and late stage drug development, has played an instrumental role in five drug approvals, been team leader for drug candidates that have successfully transitioned to IND, phase 2 Proof of Concept, phase 3, regulatory submission and approval (including NDA, sNDA, JNDA, sNDA and CTD) and global launch. Michael has also been co-author on numerous research publications.

Michael received his BSc. in Pharmacology and medical doctor degree (MB BS) from the University of London, England. After successful practice in the UK National Health System where he was certified in internal medicine (MRCP) he started specializing in STD/HIV medicine.

Jim has 24 years of experience in academia and the biotech industry in the areas of immunopharmacology, molecular immunology and allergy/asthma drug discovery and therapeutic development. Key positions held include Director, Clinical Development and prior to that, Director, Inflammatory Disease Drug Discovery at Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Carlsbad, CA where his most recent responsibilities included Chief Clinical Scientist for the IL-4 and IL-13 Dual Inhibitor Project as well as Director of Preclinical Science for the Respiratory Disease Research and Development program. Prior to joining Clinical Development in 2006, Jim led several Drug Discovery Programs in Respiratory Disease, Dermatology and Oncology and managed numerous corporate and academic collaborations, including a partnership with Novartis studying inhibitors of cytokines and cytokine receptors in Respiratory Disease. Prior to joining Isis, Jim held a Research Instructor position in the Department of Medicine at Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA after completing postdoctoral studies there with Thomas L. Rothstein, M.D., Ph.D., examining the role of the Jak-STAT signal transduction pathway in inflammatory diseases and oncogenesis. Jim received his B.A. in Microbiology from the University of California, San Diego and Ph.D. in Pharmacology & Toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Jim joined Altair in October 2007. He is a co-inventor on 7 issued pharmaceutical patents and is a co-author of 14 pending applications and over 50 original published manuscripts, book chapters and reviews in the scientific literature, in the areas of transcription factor biology, cell-cell interactions and signaling, oncogenic transformation and immunomodulation.

Nicole has 22 years of experience in the areas of finance, operations management and accounting in various public, private, biotechnology, technology and consumer products companies, during which time she has worked in several roles including Chief Financial Officer, Vice President Of Finance and Administration and Controller in the areas of financial strategy, public and private financings, budgeting and financial planning, investor and public relations, financial reporting and risk and operations management.

Prior to joining Altair, Nicole was the Chief Financial Officer of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, a nonprofit organization with approximately 900 employees and a $100+MM annual budget, where she was responsible for the organization’s financial strategy, budgeting, financial reporting, forecasting and governmental rate management. Prior to joining the Institute, she has served as Director of Finance and Administration for Kalypsys, Inc., a privately held, integrated drug discovery/biotechnology company conducting research and development to discover small molecule drugs in various therapeutic areas, and as Chief Financial Officer of Bio-Hydration Research Lab, Inc., a start up R&D, manufacturing, distribution and sales company for consumer products. She further served in a variety of financial leadership positions at companies including DepoTech (SkyePharma), Solar Turnbines, Amdax, Reprints and MicroIslet where she was responsible for raising investor capital, financial management and public and private reporting, including filing an S1 registration statement.

Nicole began her career with Deloitte & Touche as a C.P.A. in San Diego. Nicole is the head of the CFO Steering Committee of Athena and she serves on the Board of Directors of Athena and Home Start, Inc. She received a B.S. in Accounting from San Diego State University.