About Us
Meet Our Team
Management Team
Kerry Clem
CEO
Kerry Clem
Chief Executive Officer: Joined Solaxa in 2024 as CCO before being appointed CEO. He has over 25 years of leadership experience in the life sciences industry, with a strong record of driving organizational excellence and long-term value creation for innovative life science companies. Kerry’s experience spans corporate strategy, product development, business development, and full life-cycle management. Before Solaxa, he served as CCO at Acorda Therapeutics, where he led the commercial success of Ampyra®, the extended-release formulation of 4-AP for multiple sclerosis, a franchise that generated over $5B in sales during his tenure. His prior roles also include VP, Sales & Marketing at Solstice Neurosciences and VP, Sales at Allos Therapeutics, both start-up organizations.
Amy Chappell
Chief Medical Officer
Amy Chappell, MD, FAAN
Chief Medical Officer: Amy is a board-certified neurologist with over 25 years of broad strategic and operational experience across all phases of drug development at Eli Lilly. She has led innovative clinical programs in epilepsy, ALS, MS, migraine, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, and played a key role in multiple FDA approvals, including duloxetine for fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and chronic low back pain. Amy brings deep regulatory expertise, successful out-licensing and due diligence experience, and a strong global network of neurologists and advocacy leaders.
Pete Zaudtke
Head of Business Development
Peter Zaudtke
Head of Business Development: Peter has over 20 years of experience across all life sciences sectors, primarily in corporate development for startups and SMEs. He served as CFO in an international biotech startup launching an oncology supportive care business before exiting. He also served as SVP, Head of Europe, building out the international corporate and commercial infrastructure for a gyno-urologic medtech. Pete founded and has run a successful strategic advisory firm for 15 years, specializing in route-to-market strategic consulting and global execution. He has successfully raised funds across Seed, A, and B rounds for multiple companies, with a first exit targeted for early 2027.
Mary Hogan
Head of Scientific Affairs & Patient Advocacy
Mary Hogan
Head of Scientific Affairs & Patient Advocacy: Mary is an SCA27B family member and has served as the liaison between ataxia patients and researchers for 16 years. She is the founder of the SAC27B Ataxia Foundation and served in the US Army Medical Service Corps.
Inventors, Scientific & Clinical Advisors
Christian Walker, MBA
Founder and Board Member
John Elfar, MD, MBA
Medical Co-Founder & Inventor; Chair of Orthopaedics, Univ. of Arizona
Mark Noble, PhD
Scientific Co-Founder & Inventor; Professor of Neurobiology, Univ. of Rochester
Matthis Synofzik, MD
Ataxia Neurology Advisor; Professor, University of Tuebingen
Michael Strupp, MD
Ataxia Principal Investigator, Ataxia Neurologist, University of Munich
Kristin Barañano, MD, PhD
Pediatric Ataxia Neurologist, Johns Hopkins
Foundation Partners
