Board of Directors
Jack A. Khattar
Mr. Khattar founded and is the current CEO of Supernus Pharmaceuticals, a company with five marketed products and a robust pipeline of programs in neurology and psychiatry. Prior to founding Supernus, Mr. Khattar served in various positions, including board member, president and CEO of Shire Laboratories Inc., the drug delivery subsidiary of Shire plc. Prior to that, he was an executive officer and the chairman of the management committee at CIMA, a drug delivery company where he was also responsible for business development, corporate alliances and strategic planning. Earlier in his career, Mr. Khattar held several marketing and business development positions at Merck & Co., Novartis, Playtex and Kodak in various locations, including the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In addition, he serves as the chairman of the board of scPharmaceuticals, a board member at Navitor Pharmaceuticals and an advisor to New Rhein Healthcare. Mr. Khattar earned his degrees in marketing, with a BBA from the American University of Beirut and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Khattar founded and is the current CEO of Supernus Pharmaceuticals, a company with five marketed products and a robust pipeline of programs in neurology and psychiatry. Prior to founding Supernus, Mr. Khattar served in various positions, including board member, president and CEO of Shire Laboratories Inc., the drug delivery subsidiary of Shire plc. Prior to that, he was an executive officer and the chairman of the management committee at CIMA, a drug delivery company where he was also responsible for business development, corporate alliances and strategic planning. Earlier in his career, Mr. Khattar held several marketing and business development positions at Merck & Co., Novartis, Playtex and Kodak in various locations, including the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In addition, he serves as the chairman of the board of scPharmaceuticals, a board member at Navitor Pharmaceuticals and an advisor to New Rhein Healthcare. Mr. Khattar earned his degrees in marketing, with a BBA from the American University of Beirut and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Jack A. Khattar
Aaron Fletcher, Ph.D.
Dr. Fletcher has worked as an independent consultant for the biotech/healthcare equity industry for over 10 years. Dr. Fletcher has a strong understanding of commercial viability in the marketplace through his activities as a healthcare consultant to provide fundamental healthcare intelligence focused on the biotech and medtech sub-sectors. He is the founder and president of Bios Research, a financial services firm that provides public equity research in the healthcare space tailored to institutional firms and large family offices. Dr. Fletcher holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Colorado State University and serves as a professor at Dallas Baptist University where he teaches biochemistry, bioethics and cell biology.
Dr. Fletcher has worked as an independent consultant for the biotech/healthcare equity industry for over 10 years. Dr. Fletcher has a strong understanding of commercial viability in the marketplace through his activities as a healthcare consultant to provide fundamental healthcare intelligence focused on the biotech and medtech sub-sectors. He is the founder and president of Bios Research, a financial services firm that provides public equity research in the healthcare space tailored to institutional firms and large family offices. Dr. Fletcher holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Colorado State University and serves as a professor at Dallas Baptist University where he teaches biochemistry, bioethics and cell biology.
Aaron Fletcher, Ph.D.
Brett P. Monia, Ph.D.
Brett P. Monia, Ph.D. is a founding member and the current CEO of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a pioneer in antisense drug development. Dr. Monia joined Isis Pharmaceuticals (now Ionis) at the time of its founding from SmithKline & French Laboratories, the predecessor of GlaxoSmithKline. His initial role as senior scientist was followed by director-level positions of increasing responsibility in R&D. In 2018 Dr. Monia was promoted to chief operating officer and SVP of translational medicine and in 2020 to the role of chief executive officer. During his tenure at the company, Ionis has advanced its antisense platform from a nascent technology to one with a recognized potential that has been licensed to pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners worldwide.
Dr. Monia holds Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry and biology from Stockton University and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Brett P. Monia, Ph.D. is a founding member and the current CEO of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, a pioneer in antisense drug development. Dr. Monia joined Isis Pharmaceuticals (now Ionis) at the time of its founding from SmithKline & French Laboratories, the predecessor of GlaxoSmithKline. His initial role as senior scientist was followed by director-level positions of increasing responsibility in R&D. In 2018 Dr. Monia was promoted to chief operating officer and SVP of translational medicine and in 2020 to the role of chief executive officer. During his tenure at the company, Ionis has advanced its antisense platform from a nascent technology to one with a recognized potential that has been licensed to pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners worldwide.
Dr. Monia holds Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry and biology from Stockton University and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Brett P. Monia, Ph.D.
Lisa Ricciardi
Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Ricciardi joined Cognition Therapeutics in March 2019 as a member of the Board of Directors and was appointed CEO in March 2020. She possesses a unique perspective and breadth of knowledge formed during a career working in multiple industry segments, including drug development and commercialization, healthcare services and genomics. She has a proven track record launching large-market therapeutics as well as negotiating financial and business development agreements, from small to multi-billion-dollar deals.
Before her appointment as interim CEO, Ms. Ricciardi served as an advisor at M.M. Dillon, a boutique life sciences investment bank, where she provided counsel to biotech companies on transactions with pharma and biopharma companies. Earlier, she was CEO of Suono Bio, which she led through a Series A fundraising. Ms. Ricciardi held senior business development positions at Foundation Medicine, where she negotiated the $1.03 billion transformational agreement with Roche in 2015, and at Medco, where she was involved in numerous deals including the $29 billion acquisition of Medco by Express Scripts in 2011. She also held positions at Pfizer in global licensing and development as well as in commercial operations, where she was involved in growing the company’s cardiovascular, arthritis/rheumatology and anti-infectives franchises and was responsible for the launches of Norvasc, Zithromax and Trovan.
In addition to her role at Cognition Therapeutics, Ms. Ricciardi is a member of the Board of Directors of United Drug Healthcare Group, a Dublin-based pharmaceutical outsourced supplier. Previous director roles include Sepracor (acquired by Dainippon), Chimerix and Contrafect. Ms. Ricciardi earned a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in English and religion from Wesleyan University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Management.
Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Ricciardi joined Cognition Therapeutics in March 2019 as a member of the Board of Directors and was appointed CEO in March 2020. She possesses a unique perspective and breadth of knowledge formed during a career working in multiple industry segments, including drug development and commercialization, healthcare services and genomics. She has a proven track record launching large-market therapeutics as well as negotiating financial and business development agreements, from small to multi-billion-dollar deals.
Before her appointment as interim CEO, Ms. Ricciardi served as an advisor at M.M. Dillon, a boutique life sciences investment bank, where she provided counsel to biotech companies on transactions with pharma and biopharma companies. Earlier, she was CEO of Suono Bio, which she led through a Series A fundraising. Ms. Ricciardi held senior business development positions at Foundation Medicine, where she negotiated the $1.03 billion transformational agreement with Roche in 2015, and at Medco, where she was involved in numerous deals including the $29 billion acquisition of Medco by Express Scripts in 2011. She also held positions at Pfizer in global licensing and development as well as in commercial operations, where she was involved in growing the company’s cardiovascular, arthritis/rheumatology and anti-infectives franchises and was responsible for the launches of Norvasc, Zithromax and Trovan.
In addition to her role at Cognition Therapeutics, Ms. Ricciardi is a member of the Board of Directors of United Drug Healthcare Group, a Dublin-based pharmaceutical outsourced supplier. Previous director roles include Sepracor (acquired by Dainippon), Chimerix and Contrafect. Ms. Ricciardi earned a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in English and religion from Wesleyan University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Management.
Lisa Ricciardi
Ellen B. Richstone
Ellen B. Richstone joined the Cognition Therapeutics board of directors in November 2021 and serves as the chair of the audit committee.
In addition to her role on the Cognition board, Mrs. Richstone serves on the boards of eMagin, a company developing OLED microdisplay technology for virtual and augmented reality applications; Superior Industries International, a manufacturer of cast aluminum automotive wheels; and Orion Energy Systems, a company dedicated to the manufacture of sustainable and energy efficient LED lighting systems. Earlier in her career, she was chief financial officer at public and private companies ranging in size up to Fortune 500, including Sonus Networks, Rohr Aerospace (Fortune 500) and Augat (former public company, now a division of TE Connectivity Ltd), in which positions she completed and integrated over 35 acquisitions and raised a combined $1 billion in equity and debt.
Mrs. Richstone graduated from Scripps College in Claremont, California and holds a Master of Arts in international affairs and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) with a specialty in international business law from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. In addition, she completed the Advanced Professional Certificate in Finance at New York University’s Graduate School of Business Administration. In 2020, Mrs. Richstone was named to the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship 100 for her work in board leadership and governance; and in 2013, was given the Distinguished Director Award from the American College of Corporate Directors. She also sits on the board of the New England chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Ellen B. Richstone
Peggy Wallace
Ms. Wallace joined the Cognition Therapeutics board in January 2017. She is a managing partner at Golden Seeds, a venture capital firm dedicated to raising capital for women entrepreneurs and to encouraging both women and men to become active venture investors. She is a general partner of Golden Seeds Fund and Golden Seeds Fund 2 and works with companies and their board representatives to build a post-investment environment that fosters the growth of companies in the portfolio. Ms. Wallace has more than 25 years’ experience on Wall Street at JP Morgan and other organizations, focusing on complex financial structures, credit, derivatives, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management. She holds a B.A. from The George Washington University.
Ms. Wallace joined the Cognition Therapeutics board in January 2017. She is a managing partner at Golden Seeds, a venture capital firm dedicated to raising capital for women entrepreneurs and to encouraging both women and men to become active venture investors. She is a general partner of Golden Seeds Fund and Golden Seeds Fund 2 and works with companies and their board representatives to build a post-investment environment that fosters the growth of companies in the portfolio. Ms. Wallace has more than 25 years’ experience on Wall Street at JP Morgan and other organizations, focusing on complex financial structures, credit, derivatives, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management. She holds a B.A. from The George Washington University.