Our People
Team
Dr. Dhiren Thakker has been familiar with pharmacy and pharmaceutical concepts since middle school when his father and uncle bought a pharmacy, and rights to produce several over-the-counter medicines.
Dhiren R. Thakker, Ph.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Bob Blouin joined Med Aditus International, Inc. as President and CEO in November 2023.
Prior to joining Med Aditus International, Inc., Blouin served as Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Under his leadership as Dean, Bob Blouin brought the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to prominence and recognized by US News and World Reports as the #1 program in the United States.
Robert A. Blouin, Pharm.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Med Aditus International, Inc.
Ms. Chiara Canzi is responsible for optimizing internal and external communications at Med Aditus, including the website management, print and social media communications, and public relations. Chiara works with the leadership to enhance and convey Med Aditus brand and to manage stakeholder relations, and serves as a liaison with the Board of Directors.
Chiara Canzi, M.A.
Chief Communications Officer
Ms. Lauren Frank is responsible for identifying and coordinating the preparation and submission of funding proposals to foundations, government agencies, and private sector establishments. Lauren works closely with the leadership to operationalize initiatives and manage projects.
Lauren McQuillan Frank, B.A.
Chief Operations Officer
Astrid Vallat is currently in her third year as a Biology and German Literature and Slavic Languages Major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her education has a pre-dental focus with a Peace, War, and Defense concentration integrated into her curriculum.
Astrid Vallat
Intern
Katherine Egan is currently enrolled in her third year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing a major in Quantitative Biology and a minor in Asian Studies.
Katherine Egan
Intern
Board of Directors
Dr. Dhiren Thakker has been familiar with pharmacy and pharmaceutical concepts since middle school when his father and uncle bought a pharmacy, and rights to produce several over-the-counter medicines.
Dhiren R. Thakker, Ph.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Bob Blouin joined Med Aditus International, Inc. as President and CEO in November 2023.
Prior to joining Med Aditus International, Inc., Blouin served as Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Under his leadership as Dean, Bob Blouin brought the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to prominence and recognized by US News and World Reports as the #1 program in the United States.
Robert A. Blouin, Pharm.D.
President & Chief Executive Officer
Med Aditus International, Inc.
Prior to launching Arkane Innovation, an international advisory services firm (based in Ireland, the UK and the US), Mr. Mark Crowell served as Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development at King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST)
W. Mark Crowell, M.R.P.
President and Co-Founder, Arkane Innovation
Mr. Pape Gaye is a native of Senegal and a lifelong advocate for health workers, strong health systems, and access to health care for all.
Pape Gaye, M.B.A.
Med Aditus Board Chair
Founder and President, Baobab Institute
President and CEO Emeritus, IntraHealth International
In addition to his responsibility as the Executive Vice Provost at UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. Ron Strauss was Chief International Officer for the University for nearly a decade.
Ronald P. Strauss, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Adams Distinguished Professor of Dentistry and Professor of Social Medicine,
Director and Chief Global Officer, ASOD-Global
Ambassador Brenda Brown Schoonover is a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer. She was appointed United States Ambassador to Togo, where she served for three years.
Brenda Brown Schoonover, B.A.
Emeritus Board Member
Former U.S. Ambassador to Togo in West Africa
With extensive multidisciplinary technology and business leadership background, Ngozi Bell is an entrepreneur and investment partner at Trans-Sahara Investment Corporation, a private equity and business development consultant corporation based in the U.S. and West Africa.
Ngozi Bell, M.S.
Entrepreneur and Investment Partner at Trans-Sahara Investment Corporation
Dr. Wagoner has over thirty years of experience as a leader in drug discovery, drug development and health care. Dr. Wagoner founded and led a not-for-profit cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation company for which she raised funding, led multi-faceted teams of healthcare workers, and provided direct patient care.
P. Kay Wagoner, Ph.D.
Founder, Icagen, Inc.
Steve Hammond retired in 2018 after 39 years with Pfizer. He is now an independent consultant. Hammond joined Pfizer from Unilever’s Perfumes Division in 1979, to work as an Analytical Chemist in the Global Fermentation Development Group, where he developed a number of Process Analytical Technology (PAT) Applications for Pfizer’s Bioprocess Manufacturing Division.
Steve Hammond, M.S.
Former Pfizer Executive for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Dr. Jason Cross (Ph.D., J.D.) is a specialist in global health innovation law, policy and business strategy. He is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the healthtech company Rymedi. Rymedi provides a blockchain-based digital workflow and data automation platform for health care and health research.