Acucela

Dr. Kubota, a world-renowned ophthalmologist who has performed over 1,000 eye surgeries, founded Acucela in 2002 and serves as the company’s president and CEO.

Dr. Kubota spent his early career performing ocular research at Keio University, where he earned his M.D. and Ph.D. In the course of his work there, he discovered the glaucoma gene, myocilin, a discovery that earned him the Suda Award for his contribution to the field of neurodegenerative retinal disease. Dr. Kubota continued his research at the University of Washington and later licensed his findings from the university as the core technology on which Acucela was formed.

Dr. Kubota practiced ophthalmology in Japan for 10 years before moving back to Washington to become an assistant professor at the University of Washington. He then founded Acucela to have a global impact through the development of novel and safe therapies for patients with blinding eye diseases.

Dr. Kubota is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the Japanese Ophthalmological Society, Keio Medical Society, and is a board member of the Japan-America Society of the State of Washington. In 2009, Dr. Kubota was named one of Seattle Business Magazine’s Top 25 Innovators & Entrepreneurs in Washington State. In August 2011, he was named one of the most inspiring people in the life sciences industry by PharmaVOICE and in October 2011 he was selected as one of the Nikkei Business 100, Nikkei Business Magazine’s inaugural list of the most influential people to Japan’s future. Dr. Kubota was also nominated as one of the Emerging Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders in 2010 by Pharmaceutical Executive magazine. The Emerging Leaders program recognizes professional accomplishments among the next generation of executives. Candidates for this award are age 45 or younger and display a track record of leadership in managing projects, operations, or people in private sector companies with a mission to develop and deliver medicines to patients.

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Ms. Carpenter brings to Acucela over 20 years of experience in operations, regulatory affairs, and commercialization strategies. Most recently, she held the position of executive director, regulatory affairs at Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences, where she developed and implemented global regulatory approval and lifecycle management strategies while focusing on the Company’s internal research, commercialization, and outsourcing capabilities. She has also held the position of vice president, regulatory affairs at Oculus Innovative Sciences in California and vice president, regulatory affairs and medical affairs at DEY Pharma, L.P. (a subsidiary of Merck) in California. Ms. Carpenter served as vice president, international regulatory affairs and project management at Santen Incorporated, an ophthalmic products company, where she led a large global team in the development and implementation of U.S. and EU regulatory strategies. Ms. Carpenter has been responsible for the development of nonclinical, clinical, and regulatory strategies for new product portfolios that have included ophthalmic indications. She is affiliated with the American and California State Bar Association, the Drug Information Association, and the Food and Drug Law Institute, as well as other well-respected organizations.

Ms. Carpenter received her J.D. at the Golden Gate University of Law with a specialization in Health Law and her B.A. at University of California, Santa Barbara, where her focus was pre-medicine. She also holds a Regulatory Affairs Certification.

Ms. DeYoung brings to Acucela deep experience in organizational strategies and infrastructure building for life sciences companies. She possesses particular expertise in management and team development; strategic planning; directing and managing benefits, compensation, incentive and stock options plans; strategic leadership planning and recruiting; and assisting with corporate governance. Prior to Acucela, she established and grew her own consulting business. She has also held senior-level positions in human resources for Calibra Medical, Inc. and CEPTYR, Inc. Ms. DeYoung is Co-Chair, Human Resources Group, Washington Biotech and Biomedical Association; and is a member of the Northwest Compensation Forum, The Society for Human Resources Management (Seattle Chapter), and the Human Resources Executive Forum. She is a Certified Predictive Index Assessment Analyst and has completed numerous training courses in the areas of executive coaching and quality workplace relations.

She completed her Senior Professional In Human Resources (SPHR) certification in 2004.

Dr. Chandler has been involved in a wide array of medical director activities for the development of ophthalmic therapeutics for more than 15 years including extensive work leading to regulatory approval of two drugs. Following residency and fellowship training at the University of Washington, he joined the faculty as associate professor, Department of Ophthalmology. Subsequently, Dr. Chandler was the professor and chair of the ophthalmology departments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also served terms on the National Advisory Eye Council and as chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Eye Institute and chair of the Ophthalmic Device Advisory Panel of the FDA.

Dr. Chandler received his MD degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.