Leadership Team

Prior to becoming CEO of Tvardi, Imran Alibhai was a Senior Vice President and Managing Director of DNAtrix, a clinical stage biotech company developing oncolytic viruses for cancer. Previously, Imran was an investment banker in PJ Solomon’s Healthcare Advisory Group, focused on M&A transactions in science based markets including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices/diagnostics and life science tools. Formerly, he was the Senior Director at Alexandria Venture Investments, where he was responsible for investments in emerging companies and funds in the healthcare sector. He also directed investments for PIPE’s and long/short positions in MPM Capital’s BioEquities hedge fund. Imran began his career in early stage venture capital at the Accelerator Corp., where he was involved in every facet of company/project formation and management. He currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for NASA’s Translational Research Institute for Space Health. Imran holds a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and a BS in Biology from Duke University.

Jeno Gyuris Ph.D. brings 25 years of scientific leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and a deep understanding of basic cancer research and translational biology as well as oncology drug discovery and development. A veteran of the Cambridge biotech cluster, Dr. Gyuris previously served as the Chief Scientific Officer of Trieza Therapeutics and has held a number of scientific leadership positions including Chief Scientific Officer of Aveo Pharmaceuticals and Executive VP, Research and Development and Chief Scientific Officer for Quiet Therapeutics. Dr. Gyuris received his Ph.D. from the University of Szeged, Hungary, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

David Tweardy, M.D. is Head of the Division of Internal Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center and a physician-scientist recognized for his contributions to our understanding of the biochemistry and molecular and cellular biology of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, as well as its contribution to inflammation, fibrosis, and oncogenesis. His group claims several firsts in the STAT3 field, including the identification, molecular cloning, and full characterization of the β isoform of human STAT3, identifying the contribution of STAT3 to human oncogenesis, and discovering competitive small-molecule inhibitors of STAT3 through targeting its Src homology (SH) 2 domain. He has obtained $15M in non-diluted funding to support development of small-molecule STAT3 inhibitors from concept to Phase I testing. Dr. Tweardy is the major inventor of all patents licensed to or owned by Tvardi. Dr. Tweardy received his M.D. at Harvard Medical School and an A.B. in Chemistry from Princeton University.

Ronald Depinho, M.D. has had a distinguished career in cancer research including his role as President of the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. During his tenure as MD Anderson’s president, Dr. DePinho conceived and launched the Cancer Moon Shots Program, maintained MD Anderson’s top ranking, dramatically enhanced its research and training excellence, recruited many world class faculty, and expanded its global network to reach one-third of the human population. His research program has made fundamental contributions to our understanding and treatment of cancer, aging and degenerative disorders. He is a member of the National Academy of Science and National Academy of Medicine and recipient of honorary degrees and many awards including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and knighthood from Portugal. Dr. DePinho has successfully founded and raised capital for numerous biotech companies including publicly traded Aveo and Karyopharm. He was an advisor for biotech firms, Epizyme and Agios as well as Abbott and GSK. He holds an M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a B.S. from Fordham University.