The ProgenaBiome Team

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Sabine Hazan,

MD, Founder & CEO
As a specialist in gastroenterology, internal medicine, and hepatology, Dr. Hazan has used her expertise in many regards over the last two decades.

Dr. Hazan is also the Founder & CEO of the Malibu Specialty Center and Ventura Clinical Trials, where she conducts and oversees clinical trials for cutting-edge research on various medical issues. Dr. Hazan is a top clinical investigator for multiple pharmaceutical companies, and also acts as the series editor of Practical Gastroenterology on the microbiome, a peer review journal that reaches 18,000 gastroenterologists. She was and is a speaker for the World Congress of Digestive Disease, MAGI, Microbiome Congress, International Drug Discovery Science and Technology Conference, and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).

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Brad Barrows

MD, Medical Director
Dr. Barrows is a doctor of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pathology in Ventura, CA, and is affiliated with Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura.

He received his medical degree from Touro University, California College of Osteopathic Medicine, and has been practicing as a pathology specialist for seven years. He is partnering with ProgenaBiome to serve as a Medical Director and Clinical Pathologist.

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Andreas Papoutsis

PhD, Scientific Consultant
An expert in oversight and execution of molecular Clinical Trial Testing under GxP, GMP, GLP guidelines with rigorous Quality Systems programs.

Deep understanding of NGS methodologies and data analysis focused on endpoint characterization of human genome and microbiome profiling. Extensive proficiency in assay development and analytical/clinical validation centered on the commercial launch of NGS assays in CAP/CLIA-certified laboratories. Researched/investigated new technologies for analysis of BRCA-I, CART-19, and TCR repertoires.

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Lydie Hazan

MD, Head of Clinical Trials & Quality, Board Advisor
Dr. Lydie Hazan, a licensed pediatrician specializing in childhood obesity, is the founder and medical director of Powerplay MD, a Los Angeles-based organization that has empowered over 4,000 children to choose a better lifestyle through nutrition and fitness education.

She is also the founder of Axis Clinical Trials and has been a leading investigator in over 250 studies in pediatrics, gynecology, and dermatology.

She graduated from McGill University and completed her residency in pediatrics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

She is a popular speaker, a published author on childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, a childhood obesity expert to the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a medical consultant for TV series Scrubs, E.R., and Discovery Health Channel’s National Body Challenge.

Axis Clinical Trials has expanded in the last three (3) years, holding offices in New York, Miami, and Las Vegas in addition to its locations in Los Angeles.

http://www.AXISTODAY.COM

http://www.POWERPLAYMD.COM

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Carole Hazan

MD, Head of Dermatology, Board Advisor
Dr. Carole Hazan is the dermatologist behind hair transplants. Published as New York's best dermatologist, she has served on numerous clinical trials for psoriasis and is a Mohs Expert.

She is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the greater New York area, including NYU Langone Hospital and Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System-Brooklyn. Dr. Hazan received her medical degree from McGill University's Faculty of Medicine.

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Diana Katsman

MD, Ophthalmology Consultant
Dr. Diana Katsman is a fellowship-trained, board-certified Retina Specialist. She attended UCLA for her undergraduate studies and received her medical doctorate from UC Irvine.

She earned her PhD from UCLA and has been recognized for her medical research. She's authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented her work in the field of retina disease.

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Henry Oster

MD, Infectious Disease Consultant
Dr. Henry Oster is an infectious disease specialist in Ventura, California. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and has been in practice for more than 40 years. He also speaks multiple languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
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Ray De La Garza

Chief Operating Officer
Ray is a former C-suite executive at iHeartMedia, Quetzal/J.P. Morgan, Universal Music Group, The Walt Disney Company, and Business Rockstars in the roles of VP, Sr. VP, General Manager, and COO positions. Specialist in entrepreneurship, business development, and operation strategies.
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Doug DeLuca

Marketing & Media Production Manager
The Co-Executive Producer for ABC's high-profile, late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live". Doug is a seasoned producer with an extremely diverse background that encompasses over 25 years of experience producing feature films, TV series, specials, commercials, music videos, and a wide variety of live events around the world.
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Stephanie Davis

Director of Operations
Stephanie is passionate about working for innovative and ethical companies that are making a difference in healthcare. She comes most recently from WellMed, a division of UnitedHealth Group.

She received both her Master's Degree in Communication and Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations from Pepperdine University, graduating summa cum laude from both programs.

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Lee Sacks

General Attorney
Lee Sacks received his degree in political science from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School.

He is the President and Partner of Law Offices of Lee Sacks in Malibu, and has been a member of the California Bar Association and New York Bar Association for more than 40 years.

Lee also served as the production counsel for a number of independent films, and as Judge Pro Tempore in the Beverly Hills Municipal Court and the Santa Monica and Los Angeles Civil Courts.

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Skylar Steinberg

Research and Development
Skylar Steinberg earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Southern California, with a major in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and a minor in Natural Sciences.

She is a contributing author to the Microbiome and Disease Series in Practical Gastroenterology and has served as a Research Assistant for USC and Ventura Clinical Trials.

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Cathy Babayan

Project Lead, FMT for Autism Clinical Trial
Cathy is a Registered Dietitian working in Pharmaceutical/Clinical Research. She attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and received a BS in Nutrition and Medical Dietetics with the internship program.

With over 18 years of extensive experience in Clinical Nutrition and Clinical Research Consulting at various pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, she now joins ProgenaBiome as the Project Team Lead of our FMT for Autism Clinical Trial. Having experienced her own biomedical and nutrition healing journey with her family, she has a great deal to share about her work with Autism recovery. She also works with world-renowned Autism and Microbiome expert doctors on the forefront of Autism and gut disease recovery.

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Jordan Daniels

Writer
Jordan Daniels is a medical writer for ProgenaBiome. She received her master’s degree from California State University, Channel Islands, and her bachelor’s degree from MacMurray College, where she conducted independent research of her own design into the impact of agricultural runoff in aquatic ecosystems.

She is a published author in both scientific and creative writing. Jordan is thrilled to be working for a company at the forefront of microbiome research, and knows that the work being done will have a significant impact in medicine.

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Amelia Goudzwaard

Research Assistant and Coordinator
Amelia Goudzwaard is a research assistant and coordinator for ProgenaBiome and Dr. Hazan. She is a current undergraduate student at the University of Southern California, pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Biology with Minors in Health Care Studies and Environmental Health.

Both passionate and enthusiastic about research and the microbiome, she intends to take her research further into the medical field to make strides towards finding ways to treat major diseases the current health care system struggles with today.

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Advisory Board

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Hüseyin Sancar Bozkurt

MD
As a specialist in gastroenterology, internal medicine, and hepatology. He is currently working at the Istanbul Maltepe University in Turkey. Dr. Bozkurt is the owner of the Endoscopic Bifidobacteria Administration, which is called the second bacterial transfer method after FMT in IBD.

Dr. Bozkurt also received international awards from the American Gastroenterology Association and United European Gastroenterology for his trials on Bifidobacteria. Besides these, Dr. Bozkurt also works on Bifidobacteria's beneficial effects on nonmedical fields such as microplastic biodegradation, as a disinfectant on medical implant protection, and sea snot degradation.

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Alexander Bystritsky

MD, PhD
Professor Bystritsky graduated from the Pavlov Medical Institute (now Pavlov Medical University) in St. Petersburg, Russia, with his MD in 1977 and PhD in Pharmacology in 1979. In 1976, his paper won the Gold Medal for the Best Student Scientific Paper and the Maria Petrova National Award in Neuroscience.

Dr. Bystritsky has been on the UCLA Faculty since 1987 and is currently Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, where he has directed for 25 years and still helps to direct the Anxiety Disorders Program. Dr. Bystritsky pioneered in fMRI image-guided non-invasive brain stimulation and published the first paper in this field in 2008. Overall, Dr. Bystritsky has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and short publications and has served as the PI and Co-PI on several NIH, foundation, and industry-sponsored grants.

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Laurentius Harrer

30 year experience in asset management for global institutional and mutual fund clients; Asset classes: EM Debt, EM Equities, Global Fixed Income and US/Global High Yield (GHY); Successful asset raising (>USD50 bn) and building/leading of EMD + GHY teams; Innovating of EM Local FX, Linkers, Corporate, and EM Total Opportunity (ETOP) mandates
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Brad Hillstrom

MD
Brad Hillstrom, MD is co-founder and Chairman of the Board of vMocion, where he advises management on strategy regarding corporate structure, funding structure, and science and technology.
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Sheldon Jordan

MD
Sheldon Jordan, MD, is a board-certified neurologist considered a top doctor by Best Doctors in America, Who’s Who, Global Edition, and Super Doctors.

An artist and scientist trained at Johns Hopkins and UCLA, Dr. Jordan believes great things happen when we think beyond traditional boundaries. As the founder of The Regenesis Project, his philosophy is that every person is an amazing creation molded by an array of natural forces that can be harnessed for personal growth.

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Ira Kalfus

MD, CMO
Dr. Ira Kalfus was the CMO at Thar Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by Grunenthal in 2016 and was previously VP of Medical Affairs at Lev Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Kalfus completed his residency in Internal Medicine at LIJ and is a graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (M.D.) and Columbia University (B.A. in Biology).

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Peter McCullough

MD
Dr. McCullough has been a leader in the pandemic response to the COVID-19 disaster and has published the first guidance for the medical treatment of ambulatory patients. Finally, he has published a widely read OPED series on COVID-19 in TheHill. His opinions are his own and not necessarily those of his institutions.
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Daniel O'Connor

​Daniel O'Connor spent the last 25+ years developing ventures focused on health care and life sciences. Earning a joint Master's and Juris Doctor Degree at UCLA and UC Hastings College of the Law, Daniel founded multiple technology ventures focused on U.S.

FDA compliance-based systems for clinical research and regulatory affairs. While he participates in various business ventures, he founded TrialSite News, a leading research media and social network to emphasize transparent and accessible clinical trials.

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