ABOUT US

A team of experts

Frédéric SOTTILINI, CEO

Frédéric has an engineering background from ENST in Paris and an MBA from EM Lyon. After beginning his career at Siemens in Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy, he held various international management positions over 20 years and has built solid experience in launching new medical technologies. As Business Manager at EDAP TMS, he led the launch of Ablatherm®, the first device using therapeutic ultrasound for the treatment of prostate cancer. He was also CEO of Accuray Europe and launched the first CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery systems in Europe. Before joining Carthera®, he was the Director of the Strategy and Business Development of the Healthcare Incubator at Philips in Eindhoven.

Carole DESSEAUX, Chief Clinical Officer

Carole obtained her PhD in biochemistry from Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris. From 1998 to 2017 she held several roles in the pharmaceutical industry (Parexel, Cellectis, LFB) including International Project Manager, Head of Operations and Head of Clinical Development. Prior to joining Carthera®, she was the head of the Clinical Department at Unicancer where she was leading six clinical research groups in charge of cancer research activities and promotion of Investigator Sponsored clinical Trials internationally.

Michael CANNEY, Chief Scientific Officer

Michael obtained his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, where he performed his doctoral research on therapeutic ultrasound.  He was awarded the Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in 2009 and performed research at INSERM in Lyon, France before joining Carthera in 2010.  He has served on the board of the International Society for Therapeutic Ultrasound (ISTU), is an author on more than 25 peer-reviewed articles in the field of therapeutic ultrasound, and a co-inventor on more than 10 patents. 

Pascal GIRIN, Chairman of the Board

Pascal is currently the CEO of BALT. He has spent most of his career in the Medical Devices sector and has in-depth expertise of the Neurovascular industry. From 2003 to 2010, he acted as President Europe, President International, Executive Vice President and President, in charge of the worldwide neurovascular activities and COO at ev3 (sold to Covidien in 2010). He also worked as VP Europe at Baxter, CEO of Keystone Dental and most recently, COO for Wright Medical Technology.

Diana SARACENI, Panakès

Diana is Co-Founder & General Partner at Panakès, a Venture Capital firm dedicated to early stage investments in Life Sciences in Europe and Israel. With over 20 years of venture capital experience, she has also co-founded and managed 360 Capital Partners, another leading pan-European Venture Capital firm. She has led investments in a significant number of companies all over Europe, not only in the Life Sciences sector, and generated several exits as IPO and M&A transactions. Diana is also part of several national and international committees in Europe and in the US for the allocation of awards and grants for start-ups.

Bervin BOUANI, Turenne Capital

Bervin represents Turenne Capital on the board of Carthera. He has over 12 years’ experience in venture capital, particularly in the Life Sciences.  Before joining Turenne Capital, Bervin spent six years as an Asset Manager at SHAM and was involved in the development of the private equity business (€30 million invested in several companies, including Adocia). He began his career as a junior financial engineer at CM-CIC. Currently, Investment Director at Turenne Capital, Bervin is in charge of the SHAM Innovation Santé fund (more than €50 million under management) and serves on the boards of several companies.

Celia HART, Supernova

Celia Hart is currently General Partner and member of the executive committee of Supernova. She serves on the boards of several companies. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the chemical and biotechnology sector. Following her chemistry Ph.D. at Oxford University (UK), Celia worked for Cambridge Antibody Technology, UK (now MedImmune) holding different positions including Head of Lead Optimization. She was involved in the development of several therapeutic antibodies in collaboration with international biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners. In France, she assessed new business opportunities for the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).

Alexis DE LONGEVIALLE, BOUSCAS

Alexis is the co-founder of BOUSCAS, a seed and angel capital funding company established in 2002. As part of its strategy and aim to invest in meaningful long-term projects, BOUSCAS has supported Carthera and its founder since the launch of the project in 2010. Confident in Carthera’s ability to execute its research program, BOUSCAS has participated in four consecutive financing rounds to date, proudly demonstrating its belief that Alexandre Carpentier’s revolutionary solutions will improve the prognosis of patients with brain diseases. Alexis de Longevialle is CEO and co-financier of BOUSCAS. He serves on the board of several companies including Téléophtalmo and IXcellerate LTD.

Delphine DE LA FERRIERE, Vendôme Committee

After graduating from the Paris Law School and from Dauphine University (Master’s degree in Company Taxation), Delphine worked for ten years as a lawyer at Deloitte & Touch and Francis Lefebvre law firms, acquiring expertise in business laws. She is now General Delegate of the Vendôme Committee where she works on economic issues in close relationship with the presidents and CEOs of the brands and the ministerial cabinets. In 2019, Delphine also became a member of the National Defense Military Educational Institute (IHEDN - 72nd national session), gaining expertise in decision-making, crisis management, and national safety. She co-founded Carthera® with Professor Alexandre Carpentier in 2010, was in charge of setting up the company and fundraising, and now represents historical shareholders as a board member of the company.

Alexandre CARPENTIER, Pr., Ph.D., Founder

Alexandre is a neurosurgeon, researcher, university professor and chief of the neurosurgery department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital. Convinced that surgery should undergo significant changes, he has focused his research on minimally invasive therapies under MR control. Since 2005, he has worked with an American team on the development and first clinical testing of a laser probe for the treatment of brain tumors under MR guidance. In 2010, he founded Carthera® to develop his inventions in the field of therapeutic ultrasound. He is now the chairman of the scientific board of the company.

Mitchel BERGER, M.D.

Dr. Mitchel S. Berger is director of the Brain Tumor at UCSF. He is a nationally recognized expert in treating brain and spinal cord tumors. Berger earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1975 and his medical degree from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 1979. He completed an internship and a residency at UCSF, and was awarded a clinical fellowship in neuro-oncology by the American Cancer Society and a research fellowship by the Brain Tumor Research Center. He completed further fellowship training in neuro-oncology at UCSF and in pediatric neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children, an affiliate of the University of Toronto. Berger was elected to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons' board of directors and appointed to the American Board of Neurological Surgery.

Patrick WEN, M.D.

Dr. Patrick Wen is Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Neuro-Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  His research is focused on novel treatments of brain tumors, especially targeted molecular agents. His other clinical interests include neurologic complications of cancer. Graduated from the Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, University of London, in 1981, he completed his internal medicine training at the University of London postgraduate hospitals and his neurology residency in the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Training Program. Dr Wen is Editor-in-Chief of Neuro-Oncology and a member of the steering committee of the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group.

Gabriela CONSTANTIN, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Gabriela Constantin is a Professor of General Pathology and Immunology and Head of the Laboratory of Neuroimmunology at the University of Verona, Italy. She is an internationally recognized leader in neuroimmunology and her studies are focused on the role of leukocyte trafficking in brain autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Dr Constantin is member of the ISNI (International Society of Neuroimmunology). Dr. Constantin received her medical degree and completed her residency in neurology at the University of Milan, Italy. She obtained a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Pathology at the University of Verona.

Eric LARTIGAU, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Eric Lartigau is Director of the Oscar Lambret Center (France). Oncologist-radiotherapist and professor in oncology at University of Lille, he led the radiotherapy department of the Oscar Lambret Center. Expert and editor of scientific journals, Dr Lartigau has been President of the French Society for Radiotherapy Oncology (2009-2011) and Secretary (1997-2004), then member of the Clinical Committee (since 2013) and member of the Advisory Committee in Radiation Oncology (since 2015) of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO).

Jean-Pierre BIZZARI, M.D.

Dr. Jean-Pierre Bizzari served as Executive Vice President, and Clinical Oncology Development at Celgene from 2008 to 2015. He is an oncology expert with accomplishments in the clinical development of several anticancer agents. He holds a medical degree from the University of Nice (France) and trained as an oncologist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital in Paris, at Ontario Cancer Institute, and Montreal Mac Gill Cancer Center in Canada before joining the pharmaceutical industry (Servier,  Rhône-Poulenc, and Aventis). Dr. Bizzari is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) and European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and Chairman of the New Drug Advisory Committee.