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Calla Lily Clinical Careは
Team
Dr Lara Zibners
Co-founder & Chairman
Lara holds an MD with honours from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, a MMEd from the University of Dundee and an MBA from the UNC Kenan-Flagler School of Business. She is the national educator for trauma training at the Royal College of Surgeons, England. She is also a published author and has appeared on television and media such as Rachael Ray and in print media including Parenting & Forbes magazine. Lara co-founded Calla Lily Clinical Care based on her experience from multiple failed IVF cycles which involved hundreds of painful intramuscular injections as well as leaky pessaries and suppositories. With a broad background in clinical medicine and medical education in both the US and UK, she brings a unique understanding to Calla Lily of the scientific, systematic and business challenges facing women’s healthcare.
Thang Vo-Ta
Co-founder & CEO
Thang began his career in investment banking and private equity in the New York and London offices of Goldman Sachs. He then spent over a decade in various successful entrepreneurial ventures including in property development working on London landmarks including St Pancras Chambers & Chiltern Firehouse. Thang has been named a Sunday Times Maserati Top 100 entrepreneur and The Manufacturer’s Top 100 manufacturing leader. He has a BSc in Management from MIT, and is completing a MSc in Translation Health Sciences from the University of Oxford. Thang is now the CEO and co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care as an advocate and entrepreneur in the Women’s Health space.
Prof Andrew Lewis
Principal Scientist
Andy holds a First Class Combined Honours in Biochemistry and Chemistry and a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from Aston University along with over 34 years in R&D. His early work at ICI led to novel chlorine-resistant reverse osmosis membranes. At Johnson & Johnson, he patented a non-woven polymer fabric, contributing to the success of ob® ProComfort® tampons. From 1996, he developed advanced biomedical polymers at Biocompatibles UK Ltd, culminating in the award-winning Drug Eluting Bead (DEB) Technology, acquisition by BTG, and subsequent acquisition by Boston Scientific where Andy became a VP of R&D. Andy formerly was R&D Director at Owen Mumford, leading to the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine autoinjector. Andy has published 259 peer-reviewed articles, holds 57 patents, and is a Fellow of multiple prestigious scientific societies. As Principal Scientist at Calla Lily Clinical Care, he leads the research and development efforts of our novel drug-device combination products.
Ewa Radziwon
Product Development Manager
Ewa holds a BA in Fashion Design and Development from the London College of Fashion and has a robust background in garment technology along with decades of experience in product development, manufacturing, and quality at major retailers. Her career pivoted when she met Thang Vo-Ta, becoming the first team member to join Callaly (Calla Lily Clinical Care’s original parent). Incorporating human factors design and a materials passion, Ewa has dedicated years to developing and refining the company’s products, ensuring they are designed with women’s bodies in mind. In 2019, Ewa was honoured with The Manufacturer Top 100 Award, recognizing her as an exceptional individual in the manufacturing sector.
Dr Yasmin Farhatnia
R&D Manager
Yasmin holds a PhD in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine from University College London (UCL), an MSc in Bioengineering and Medical Imaging from UCL, and a BSc (Eng) in Medical Engineering from Queen Mary, University of London. She has over 15 years of experience in the medical device industry, specialising in the development of minimally invasive medical devices and drug delivery devices for cardiovascular applications and reproductive health, along with expertise in the biosafety assessment of medical devices. Yasmin has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has served as a co-editor for scientific journals. She is also an honorary lecturer at UCL and an industry advisory board member at Queen Mary University of London. At Calla Lily Clinical Care, Yasmin drives innovation by overseeing the R&D team.
Akeel Khan
Chief Product Officer
Akeel holds an MBA from Lancaster University as well as a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from Coventry University. He started his career at Philips as a Process Engineer responsible for manufacturing of Philips Avent baby bottles introducing new highly complex automation equipment into manufacturing. He later progressed into more senior roles responsible for developing business cases for further investment in advanced manufacturing at Philips. He transitioned into a product development role at Calla Lily Clinical Care by helping to develop, validate and scale up in manufacturing the new period care product. Akeel is also a winner of Best Mechanical Engineering Student award from IMechE and Manufacturing Top 100 by The Manufacturer. Since 2020 Akeel has held leadership roles at Calla Lily with focus on developing new products for the women’s health market while leading R&D, product development and manufacturing functions.
Dr Serena de Gelidi
Senior Biomechanical Engineer
Serena holds a PhD in Biomechanical Engineering and has developed over 10 years’ experience across innovative biomedical engineering research. During her postdoctoral period in academia she has worked with engineers, designers and neonatologists to develop a medical device for newborns by selecting the materials, designing an algorithm and preparing documents for MHRA approval. She possesses diverse experience in relationship management, negotiating with suppliers, project management, supporting with securing funding and data analysis. She has also developed exposure to people and stakeholder management, leadership, firmly believing in having a growth mindset and striving for constant self-development. Serena is the Laboratory Manager at Calla Lily Clinical Care’s headquarters and a driving force behind the R&D of Callavid.
Dr Elham Shirani
Biomedical Engineer
Elham holds a BSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology-Genetics and an MSc in Nano-biotechnology, and received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. During her PhD, she worked as an R&D Engineer Intern and an Academic Tutor at the Australian Biotechnologies Company, UNSW Sydney, and Macquarie University. Her diverse experience in both industry and academia has equipped her with different skills including mammalian and bacterial cell culture, biomaterials surface modifications, confocal/fluorescence microscopy, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) development. Elham has received several academic presentation awards, including First Place and the People’s Choice Award in the 2021 3-Minute presentation competition at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University. Now, serving as a Biomedical Engineer at Calla Lily Clinical Care, she is passionate about using her knowledge and skills to improve women’s health.
Stuart Prince
Chief Financial Officer
Stuart holds an MA from the University of Oxford and is an experienced finance professional. He has a career background of over 17 years as an investor in public and private companies across many sectors and investment strategies, within both hedge funds and long-only funds as well as 8 years in private equity and principal strategies at Goldman Sachs where his career began. Having advised Calla Lily Clinical Care over the course of many years since the days of the early prototypes, Stuart joined the team in 2021 to focus on strategy and finance. Stuart is now Calla Lily’s Chief Financial Officer, concentrated on regulatory issues and intellectual property.
Kaylie Mings
Product Development Engineer
Kaylie holds a BSc in Product Design from Stanford University, where her passion for FemTech was ignited. Her senior capstone project involved creating a menstrual cup applicator, which is currently patent pending in the United States. Following her undergraduate studies, Kaylie pursued a Master of Science in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews. Her dissertation focused on menstrual hygiene management and highlighted the critical importance of education and the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector. At Calla Lily Clinical Care, Kaylie is dedicated to advancing the progesterone drug delivery platform and sample collection methods for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis. Her work exemplifies her commitment to advancing women’s healthcare through innovative design and sustainable solutions.
Dr Arturo Jose Mendoza Meinhardt
Senior Scientist
Arturo holds a PhD in Medical Engineering and a BEng in Materials Science and Engineering from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). He is a materials scientist with over 7 years of experience in biotechnology laboratory research, focusing on fluidic devices, tissue engineering, and intravaginal drug delivery. He received the RH Craven award for ‘Best Graduate in the UK in Polymer Materials’ from the UK Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IOM3). Arturo has authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles on biomaterials science and served as editor of the Canadian Foundation for Student Science and Technology. He is also a council member and QMUL representative of the London Materials Society of the IOM3. Currently, Arturo furthers crucial research as a senior scientist at Calla Lily Clinical Care, applying his materials background with his dedication to advancing women’s healthcare solutions.
Sabrina Franco
Product Development Engineer
Sabrina holds a first-class MSc in Human and Biological Robotics from Imperial College London, where she developed a biomimetic micro airflow sensor inspired by dragonfly mechanoreceptors, and a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, focusing on wearable hydration monitoring for CKD patients. Her technical skills include medical device innovation, sensor technology, CAD, microelectronics, software development, and quality engineering. Professionally, she has designed complex circuitry at NBITS, led the development of advanced micro airflow sensors, and demonstrated the feasibility of a wearable hydration monitor at BOTLab. As a Quality Intern at Boston Scientific, she contributed to cutting-edge medical device development. Sabrina’s accolades include first place in the HCARD Competition for her work on assistive and rehabilitation devices. She has also published research in the Journal of Biomedical Optics on using deep learning to quantify water and lipid content. At Calla Lily Clinical Care, Sabrina applies her diverse skill sets as a Product Development Engineer, specialising in women’s healthcare innovation.
Dr Emma Parry
GP Researcher & PPIE Lead
Emma holds a PhD in Medicine from Keele University and MBChB / BMedSc from the University of Birmingham. She started on the North Staffordshire vocational GP training scheme and was awarded a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship. During doctoral training Emma was awarded the RCGP Midland Faculty Associate in Training Award and the RCGP Great Expectations Bursary. Emmas has a passion for educating GP trainees and championing research in primary care, and as our NIHR Zinc Dunhill Innovation Fellow, she leads our Public Patient Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) efforts, ensuring our collaboration with specialists, clinicians, charities, and patient groups guides us forward.
Megan Quinlan
Legal & Strategy
Megan holds a JD from Boston University School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude, as well as a BA from Georgetown University. She began her law career clerking for two federal judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She went on to work for Covington & Burling LLP where her practice included advising clients on FDA regulatory matters as well as healthcare investigations and litigation. Megan has a longstanding interest in women’s health extending as far back as her collegiate experience working for the White House Office of Women’s Initiatives and Outreach. Megan’s commitment to women’s health has only heightened now that she is the mother of three daughters. Currently, she is a key legal and strategic mind behind Calla Lily Clinical Care and has recently become the first team member on the ground in the US.
Shaun Knights
Head of Regulatory & Quality
Shaun holds an MSc in Engineering Design Manufacture and Management from the University of Hertfordshire. He has been working in manufacturing and quality for over 30 years, with half of this time based in the Medical Device sector. He has held a variety of Senior Management roles for companies such as Siemens Healthineers and a UK based contract manufacturing company, where he was the Director of Quality & Continuous Improvement for their UK based operations. Since 2019, Shaun has been working in the women’s health space, where he brought his Medical Device experience to Callaly (Calla Lily Clinical Care’s original parent). His main focus was to develop their quality management system from the ground up, which achieved ISO9001 certification, and he also led the effort for the FDA 510k clearance of their Tampliner device. Shaun initially studied electrical and electrical engineering, which followed on to an MSc in Automotive Engineering. He is also a certified Lead Auditor for ISO13485 and FDA 21 CFR part 820, and a certified Lean 6 Sigma Master Black Belt. Shuan has now transitioned into the Head of Regulatory & Quality control at Calla Lily Clinical Care, continuing his commitment to women’s healthcare technology.
Clinical & scientific advisors
Prof Siobhan Quenby
Board Advisor / Clinical Expert – Miscarriage
Professor Siobhan Quenby is a clinical academic widely recognised as a world leader in miscarriage & preterm birth research. She led the highly-cited Lancet series (2021) that has changed the direction of miscarriage care and research. She was co-applicant, major recruiter to and co-author on the two largest and most significant trials of progesterone for miscarriage prevention, PROMISE and PRISM, leading to UK NICE guideline changes. She is a Director of the Biomedical Research Unit in Reproductive Health, Professor of Obstetrics at the University of Warwick, Honorary Consultant at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS trust, Deputy Director Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research and Co-director for the Centre for Early Life.
Dr Annalisa Jenkins
Board Advisor
Dr. Annalisa Jenkins is a life sciences thought leader with over 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience. She has consistently built and led teams advancing programs from scientific research through clinical development, regulatory approval, and into healthcare systems globally. In addition, she is an advocate for diversity and inclusion, particularly for women in science. Dr. Jenkins served as president and CEO of Dimension Therapeutics, a leading NASDAQ listed gene therapy company that was acquired by Ultragenyx. Prior leadership roles have included the head of global research and development at Merck Serono, and several senior positions at Bristol Myers-Squibb. Dr. Jenkins is a board member and advisor to a number of public and private health and life science companies globally. She also is a former committee member of the Science Board to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and is Chair of The Court The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dr Kelle Moley
Board Advisor
Dr. Kelle Moley is a career physician-scientist Obstetrician Gynecologist, who spent 30 years at Washington University in St. Louis where she was Director of the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, co-Director of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences, and had a success research laboratory studying reproductive health issues, while also seeing infertility patients. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014. In 2018 she retired from academia to take the role of Chief Scientific Officer of March of Dimes, a nonprofit organisation focused on finding causes of preterm birth and maternal mortality. From there she moved on to become the Deputy Director of Reproductive Health Technologies at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where she led a research platform committed to exploring biomedical interventions to curb the climbing rate of preterm birth in the US. She is currently the Global VP of Clinical and Translational R&D, Reproductive Medicine and Maternal Health at Ferring Pharmaceuticals. She is committed to women’s health is an advocate for women’s reproductive and sexual equity.
Dr Stuart Lavery
Board Advisor / Clinical Expert – Fertility
Stuart Lavery is the Divisional Clinical Director of Women’s Health at UCLH NHS Foundation Trust, an Honorary Associate Professor at UCL and former honorary senior lecturer at Imperial College Medical School. He is a leading consultant in gynaecology, reproductive medicine, and surgery at the Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte’s Hospitals in London, leading the Preimplantation Genetic Testing team and the Fertility Preservation Service. He was a founding partner of The Fertility Partnership, the largest provider of assisted conception services in the UK, with eleven clinics. Mr Lavery has served on several national committees including NICE, HFEA Panel, and NHS England IVF Expert Advisory Group. Dr Lavery’s research interests are assisted conception, fertility preservation, and PGT. He has presented his research work at numerous international and national meetings on these topics and has over 50 peer-reviewed articles published. He is the official spokesman for the British Fertility Society and plays an active role in a myriad other professional bodies including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Dr Janet Halliday
Board Advisor – CMC
Dr Janet Halliday is formerly of Ferring Controlled Therapeutics, part of Ferring Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for pharmaceutical product development in women’s health, and in-sourcing of new drug delivery technologies. She led, motivated and managed a team of scientists in developing pharmaceutical drug products (including formulations, processes, analytical methods and control strategies). Janet is the CLCC’s CMC advisor with vast experience in vaginal drug delivery and experience with a phase 2 endometriosis product for the vaginal treatment of endometriosis.
Dr Alex Hooi
Board Advisor / Inventor
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