We are entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, nature lovers, and business leaders with a shared ambition to dramatically expand our understanding of the natural world and to revolutionize health. We are driven to bring clarity to the complex, tackle the most important and difficult problems, and lead where others fail to see opportunity.
About Kapoose Creek
Team
A team of entrepreneurs and innovators committed to reshaping health.
Dr. Brown leads Kapoose Creek Bio and is a Distinguished University Professor at McMaster University in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. He is known for a large body of top-flight research in antibiotic discovery and for innovating in diverse areas of drug discovery, using tools of chemical and systems biology to probe the complexity that underlies disease. Dr. Brown is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and has received a number of other awards including the Canadian Society of Microbiologists Murray Award for career achievement.
Mr. Jackson is a Chartered Accountant and Corporate Director with over 25 years of M&A and operations experience with both public and private companies. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan, and is a designated member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia and the Institute of Corporate Directors of Canada.
Dr. Stewart has an extraordinary background at the nexus of science and business. He is a McMaster alumni with both a PhD (Biochemistry) and MBA. Dr. Stewart has co-founded and led several innovative technology firms and served as an advisor to many Canadian companies, entrepreneurs and investors in the biotechnology and technology sectors.
Mr. Walle holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria in Biochemistry. He has deep expertise in cultivating and extracting compounds from medicinal mushrooms in academic, clinical and pharmacological settings. He has led pioneering work with Victoria based non-profits facilitating and exploring the role of psilocybin in treating addiction. He has a background combining more than a decade of laboratory work in therapeutics and biochemistry, human capital management, business, media and applied mycology.
Ms. De Gouw studied Marine Biology at the University of Victoria and has worked in fungal cultivation for nearly a decade, where she has played a critical role in spawn development, bulk substrate preparation, harvest, and pest management. These skills are complimented by a strong background working in research laboratories, staffing, SOP development, client care and inventory management.
Mr. DeJong is an innovative Computational Drug Discovery Scientist and Technology Leader with a proven track record in leveraging AI and software development to accelerate therapeutic discovery. As VP Technology at Kapoose Creek Bio, he spearheads the design and implementation of AI-enabled drug discovery platforms, leading to analytical automation of hit identification and acceleration of novel lead candidates. Mr. DeJong has extensive experience in developing and deploying machine learning models, managing cloud-based systems, and leading technology teams. He holds a Master's degree in Computational Biology from McMaster University and has contributed to several high-impact publications in the field of drug discovery and bioinformatics. His expertise spans data science, machine learning, software development, and strategic leadership, making him a valuable asset in advancing the frontiers of drug discovery and development at Kapoose Creek Bio.
Robyn is an accomplished microbiologist with over a decade of hands-on experience in bioscience, specializing in industrial-scale microbial fermentation, strain and extract library generation, and drug discovery. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Mount Allison University, and has previously worked with private biotechnology companies, academic research labs, and within the bioanalytical services environment. She is recognized for her skills in project management and laboratory leadership, as well as her great appreciation for rigorous documentation and quality control practices.
Dave has over two decades of experience working in scientific research, beginning with his MSc thesis at the University of Waterloo where he studied the genetics and biochemistry of plant-growth promoting bacteria in agriculture. This was followed by a move to McMaster University where Dave obtained his PhD in Microbiology, during which he studied a family of developmental proteins from antibiotic-producing bacteria and published the first direct evidence linking amyloid fiber formation to the multicellular development of these bacteria. After deciding to hang up his lab coat and move away from the bench, Dave worked for a brief period in the field of medical communication and education, engaging with multi-national pharmaceutical companies and key opinion leaders in healthcare on projects related to oncology, cardiology, rheumatology, respirology, and dermatology. For the past 10 years, Dave has found his true calling, becoming an expert in science operations management, working tirelessly behind the scenes to support and elevate research and development initiatives in both academia and the private biotech sector.
Haoxin is a seasoned scientist with a passion for unlocking the secrets of natural products through metabolomics. He holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of New Brunswick. Following his Ph.D., Haoxin transitioned to a Postdoctoral Fellowship at McMaster University, where he honed his skills in analyzing complex biological samples and developing bioinformatic tools. This experience further solidified his foundation in analytical chemistry and bioinformatics. Before joining Kapoose Creek Bio, Haoxin served as the Director of Analytical chemistry at Adapsyn Bioscience, where he led the development of an industry-leading LC/MS platform for high-throughput metabolite detection and spearheaded the identification, purification, and structure elucidation of over 100 novel natural products. His contributions have not only advanced scientific knowledge but also hold immense potential for future drug development.
Board of Directors
A seasoned group of business leaders and visionaries who have done it, and are driven to do it again.
Mr. Feldman is a successful music business executive, serial entrepreneur, and investor. With nearly 50 years of experience in the music, media, and entertainment sectors, Sam has become a Canadian icon, honing his ability to identify, bring together, and manage some of the world’s most influential talent. He is a full partner in A&F Music Ltd and its group of companies, which include Macklam Feldman Management, Bruce Allen Talent, Watchdog Management, The Characters Talent Agency, and INF Influencer Agency. Mr. Feldman is also a Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Inductee.
Mr. Petrelli is a biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry leader with a proven track record of success built over 23 years of experience at companies like GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Biogen and most recently, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, which under his leadership has been recognized as a Great Place to Work in Canada. Paul's experience includes extensive product launch expertise, lifecycle management and breadth of understanding in sales, marketing, market access, medicine, government relations and regulatory affairs.
Dr. Balboni is a partner, senior advisor and member of the Board of Directors of Bloom Burton & Co., a leading Canadian advisory firm that specializes in accelerating the path to monetization for high potential life sciences and biotech companies. He recently completed a period of active duty in the U.S. Army as the Deputy Director, Office of Regulated Activities (ORA), an 80-person team that provides clinical and regulatory oversight and advisement for more than 100 FDA clinical trials and all associated regulatory filings and approval processes.
Ms. Biln has over 30 years of experience across a range of commercial roles at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Amgen and Abbott Laboratories; has served as a director on the board of several biotechnology organizations; and has been recognized as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women and a leading figure in the Canadian biotech sector.
Scientific Advisors
A brain trust featuring some of the top minds in biology, chemistry, computation and health.
Dr. Max Cynader CM OBC PH.D FRSC FCAHS is the Founding Director of the Brain Research Centre, and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC. Max is one of Canada’s leading neuroscientists and his research career includes studies of neuroplasticity, visual and auditory processing mechanisms, and neurodegenerative disorders. He has received many honours and awards, including the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia, Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada, Fellow of The Canadian Academy for Health Sciences, and induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. He was a semi-finalist in the Canadian Astronaut Programme and has served as President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience. Max is also a serial entrepreneur, and has founded or cofounded four startups based on advances in Neuroscience research.
Dr. Cowen is Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Toronto, Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, co-Director of the CIFAR Fungal Kingdom: Threats & Opportunities program, and co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Bright Angel Therapeutics, a company focused on development of novel antifungals. She has received a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award, Grand Challenges Canada Star in Global Health Award, E.W.R. Steacie Award, and Canada Research Chair in Microbial Genomics & Infectious Disease. She is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
André Brown is a Reader in Behavioural Phenomics at Imperial College London and a Programme Leader at the MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences. He has made conceptual and technical advances in whole-animal tracking, behavioural profiling, and machine learning applied to phenotypic screens. His lab has developed a platform for tracking the response of nematode worms to drugs at unprecedented throughput and applied it to model rare genetic diseases, predict the mode of action of drugs, and detect the effects of microbes on the nervous system. André has consulted with agchem and biotech companies including Syngenta and Perlara on the use of worm screens in pesticide discovery and drug repurposing.
Dr. Wright is the M.G. DeGroote Chair in Infection and Anti-Infective Research and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Science at McMaster University. He was the founding director of the DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (2007-2022), the David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery (2018-2022), and McMaster’s Global Nexus School for Pandemic Prevention and Response (2020-2023). Gerry was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2012) and the American Academy of Microbiology (2013). His research interests are in the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and the discovery of microbial natural products using synthetic biology methods.
