Guiding Innovation from Bench to Bedside. The Crossroads of Clinical Insight and Strategic Innovation.
A multidisciplinary group of leading clinicians, seasoned researchers, and experienced administrators, all sharing deep expertise in the medical device sector and a passion for healthcare innovation. They provide strategic guidance, leveraging their diverse backgrounds to ensure our initiatives are clinically relevant, scientifically sound, and operationally effective.
Damiano Barone, MD, PhD
Damiano Barone, is a multi-awarded neurosurgeon specializing in complex brain, spine, and peripheral nerve conditions. He has dual fellowships in Functional and Complex Epilepsy Surgery from the Walton Centre and Peripheral Nerve Surgery from the Mayo Clinic and completed his residency at Cambridge University Hospitals in England. Dr. Barone’s research focuses on brain-machine interfaces and advanced bioelectronics where he leads a multimillion-dollar funded research group developing innovative solutions to restore lost neurological functions.
John Cooke, MD, PhD
John Cooke, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Houston Methodist Research Institute and the director of the Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration in the DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, has published over 500 papers, reviews, book chapters and patents in the arena of vascular medicine and biology with over 20,000 citations. His translational research focuses on vascular regeneration, and is funded by grants from the NIH, American Heart Association and industry.
William (Billy) Cohn, MD
Dr. William E. “Billy” Cohn is the former Vice President for Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies and the Executive Director of the new Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. Dr. Cohn has a passion for medical device development and has more than 90 US patents granted or pending for his medical innovations that have provided the core technology for six venture-backed medical start-ups.
Stuart Corr, PhD
Stuart Corr is director of Innovation Engineering at The Bookout Center and Associate Research Professor for the Department of CV Surgery at Houston Methodist Academic Institute and Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Corr is an NIH- and NSF-funded investigator with over 15 years of research experience documented throughout 35 peer-reviewed publications & book chapters, 16 grants and funding awards, and multiple national and international conference proceedings. Prior to his appointment at Houston Methodist, Dr. Corr served as Director of Surgical Innovation in the Baylor College of Medicine Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery where he founded and launched the Interdisciplinary Surgical Technology and Innovation Center (INSTINCTTM) to develop cutting edge technologies from concept to commercialization.
Tanya Herzog, DVM, DACLAM
Tanya Herzog, director of the comparative medicine core at Houston Methodist, oversees a team that conducts studies in both large and small preclinical models in the pursuit of scientific excellence for the benefit of public health. Herzog has more than 15 years of experience directing all aspects of Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC)-accredited animal programs and working with investigators to successfully navigate novel translational research projects from inception through efficacy trials and GLP-compliant safety assessments.
Edward Jones, MBA
Edward Jones, chief executive officer at Houston Methodist Research Institute, oversees academic administrative functions, including governance, communications, financial services, grants and contracts, regulatory oversight and research protections. He also is responsible for the Academic Office for Clinical Trials, which provides leadership for clinical trial operations and for regulatory and coordinator support.
Christopher Lincoln, PhD
Christopher Lincoln serves as Senior Director of Translation & Quality at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute, where he drives the strategic vision and operational execution of translational development and quality initiatives. In this role, he provides leadership for key enterprise functions, including Translational Development, Translational Production & Quality, the Translational Imaging Center, and the Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics, while overseeing Pilot and Product Development Funds. Dr. Lincoln manages the full translational pipeline, from early development through clinical trial delivery, and forges external partnerships to accelerate innovation and advance patient-focused solutions.
Alan Lumsden, MD
Alan Lumsden, the Walter W. Fondren III Distinguished Endowed Chair, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Houston Methodist, is a leader in the field of endovascular surgery. He has clinical and research expertise in stent graft treatment of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, stenting and endarterectomy in carotid arterial disease, renovascular hypertension, aortoiliac occlusive disease, mesenteric vascular and minimally invasive therapy in venous disease.
John Schultz, MBA, CLP
John Schultz, director for the Office of Technology Transfer at Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute. Previously, he was Acting Vice President of Business Development at Pharmozyme Inc., an engineered enzyme production platform company. Prior to that he was Vice President of Corporate Development at Intrexon Corporation where he led all corporate development activities supporting a portfolio of synthetic biology assets in the healthcare, food and industrial biotech sectors.