Meet Our Management Team

Dr. Talton is a co-founder, President, and CEO at Nanotherapeutics. Prior to founding Nanotherapeutics, Dr. Talton was the President and CEO of D&E Management Systems, a leading service organization in Florida, from 1993 to 1994. Dr. Talton is a co-inventor of Nanotherapeutics' technologies and has several authored peer-reviewed publications and book chapters involved in drug delivery systems with a primary focus in drug analysis and controlled release formulations, pharmacokinetics, and pulmonary drug delivery. Dr. Talton received his B.S. and M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering and his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Florida. Dr. Talton is also a Director of BioFlorida, on the Advisory Council at Keck Graduate Institute, and has been a reviewer for the NIH for over six years.

Bärbel Eppler joined Nanotherapeutics in April 2001 as Director of the Bioanalytical Department and recently became the VP of Preclinical Development and QA. Prior to joining Nanotherapeutics she held a Postdoctoral Traineeship from 1999 to 2001 at the University of Florida. Dr. Eppler received a B.S. in Zoology and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Florida. Her graduate and postdoctoral research focused on anti-oxidants and aging, as well as the neuropharmacology of cocaine and chronic ethanol exposure. Dr. Eppler has presented over 16 abstracts and published over 14 papers in the fields of pharmacodynamics and neuropharmacology.

Dennis Tomisaka joined Nanotherapeutics in 2005 as VP of Operations and Product Development. Mr. Tomisaka has extensive experience and success in leading multi-functional, technology teams in the development and successful commercialization of products in the biotechnology, implantable, and disposable medical device markets at companies including Johnson & Johnson, Baxter Healthcare and Regeneration Technologies. He earned his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, his M.S.E. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Arizona State University, and his MBA. from The Ohio State University. He has four issued U.S. patents and has had membership and certification training in the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Product Development Management Association (PDMA).

Dr. Kirk earned his M.S. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in polymer science and his Ph.D. at the University of Florida in Materials Science and Engineering, particularly in drug delivery and bio-erodible devices. Most recently he has been consulting with a variety of biomedical companies on materials selection and process development. Prior to joining Nanotherapeutics he held the position of Research Manager at Regeneration Technologies, Inc. from 2001 to 2003 and Scientist positions at Vistakon and Genzyme.  He joined Nanotherapeutics in 2004 as Director of the Manufacturing Department and oversees the newly FDA-approved bone graft product, OrigenTM DBM with Bioactive Glass Bone Graft.  Dr. Kirk has presented over 30 abstracts and been involved in 6 patents in the fields of biomedical materials and polymers.

Dr. Cobb earned his PhD in biochemistry from the Medical College of Georgia with an emphasis on molecular biology. He has over 20 years experience in biopharmaceutical and medical device Research and Development and has provided molecular biology expertise to numerous projects ranging from early stage research to supporting protein expression and purification for a Phase II clinical program. Prior to joining Nanotherapeutics, he was Director of Research and Development at RTI Biologics. Under his leadership over 20 new products and line extensions were launched and a stem cell based technology was initiated. Dr. Cobb joined Nanotherapeutics in 2011 as Vice President of Biologics and currently leading projects focused on drug and vaccine development as well as medical devices. He has over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has been a reviewer for several different journals for over 10 years.

Dr. John Abernethy is the Medical Director for Nanotherapeutics. He is currently President of AMK Research, Inc. and holds a Clinical Assistant Professor position at the University of Florida. Dr. Abernethy has had experience with all aspects of Phase I through Phase IV clinical protocols and has been involved in over 30 trials over the last 10 years .

Dr. Abernethy graduated from University of Miami and received his M.D. from the University of Florida. His graduate training was at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida where he was Chief Resident in his final year of Residency. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine.

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Gaines was a founder and Managing Director of Americas Biotech Distributor LLC (Latin American distribution of US products). Before founding ABD, Mr. Gaines was a co-founder of Ixion Biotechnology, Inc. where he served as Chairman and CEO until 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Gaines was a Senior Advisor on the Bush/Quayle 92 national campaign staff. From 1985 to 1992, he held various executive positions with The Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, including Executive Vice President responsible for law, external affairs, and certain non-insurance operating subsidiaries. Previously he was vice president for corporate development of Indian Head, Inc., a multi-billion dollar, privately-held, industrial product manufacturing company and before that a Senior Staff Counsel at the Insurance Company of North America. He began his professional career at the Wall Street law firm of Dewey Ballantine (now Dewey LeBoeuf).

Mr. Gaines is also a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Unified Financial Services, Inc., He is also a co-founding director of the Florida Research Consortium and is a co-founder, director emeritus, and Chairman emeritus of BioFlorida, the Florida biomedical trade association. He is a member of the Industry Advisory Council of the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences and a Trustee of the Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies.

Mr. Ascani has over 35 years of experience in the biotechnology/medical products industry and has held management and executive positions with Hyland Labs, a Division of Baxter - Travenol, Chicago, IL; Monoclonal Antibodies, Inc. a biotechnology company located in Mt. View, CA; Molecular Analysis, Inc., a biotechnology start-up in Houston, TX; T Cell Diagnostics, a biotechnology start-up in Cambridge, MA; Diamedix, Inc. a division of Ivax Corp. Miami, FL., and Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. a development stage in vitro diagnostics company, in Gainesville FL.  Mr. Ascani also co-founded Vulcan Medical Ventures, Inc., Birmingham, AL (VMV), a small venture capital firm focused on seed stage venture financing. In 2001, VMV closed a Series A Preferred Stock Financing for PNP Therapeutics, Inc. (PNP Inc.) at which time Mr. Ascani became PNP Inc.'s Chairman and CEO. PNP Inc. is an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a platform technology and proprietary products for the treatment of cancer.

Mr. Matthew has over 30 years of financial experience, including 10 years as the Chief Financial Officer of private and public companies and 20 years of experience with KPMG where he specialized in transactions and financings of all kinds in the Health Care and Life Sciences Industry Group.