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Henry Shin, Ph.D.
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Shin is a biotech entrepreneur and translational scientist with over +15 years of experience in ophthalmic and retinal disease research. As a co-founder and CEO of Excitant Therapeutics, he has successfully led the company from discovery through grant-funded preclinical development, securing multiple non-dilutive funding sources and advancing a strong IP estate around novel, selective PPAR-α agonists. Beyond his scientific expertise, Dr. Shin has demonstrated strategic leadership by building cross-functional teams, forging collaborations, and developing regulatory and commercial roadmaps to position the company for long-term success. On our team, he brings a unique combination of scientific depth, business strategy, and visionary leadership to drive program execution and corporate growth.
Joe Smith, M.S.E
Chief Business Officer (Acting)
& Executive Advisor
Mr. Smith is a seasoned life sciences executive with over 20 years of experience across consulting, equity capital markets, start-ups, and specialty pharma/biotech. He has played a key role in more than 40 M&A and licensing transactions worth over $20 billion and a dozen financings totaling ~$300 million, including leading turnaround efforts that helped rescue three public companies from potential bankruptcy. He has developed Board-ready strategic plans and long-term financial models integrating organic and inorganic growth, consistently driving value creation across diverse teams. On our team, Joe brings expertise in shaping corporate strategy, leading opportunity evaluation and diligence, and supporting execution of financing, M&A, and licensing to advance the company’s growth.
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