Leadership

Immumem’s leadership team represents an unprecedented convergence of scientific innovation, clinical translation expertise, and commercial execution excellence that positions the company as a dominant force in next-generation cellular therapeutics. This carefully assembled team creates synergistic advantages that few competitors can match in the rapidly evolving landscape of iPSC-derived cell therapies.

The partnership between cutting-edge discovery capabilities and clinical oncology expertise from premier institutes creates a unique bench-to-bedside translation engine. This dual perspective ensures therapeutic candidates are not only scientifically superior but clinically relevant and efficacious from the earliest stages of development.

The regulatory and commercial expertise combines dual MD/MBA backgrounds with 20+ years of IND-enabling activities and proven track records of scaling biotech companies through successful exits, including leadership roles in transformations from startup to public company status. This foundation is amplified by experience managing $150M+ in revenue and launching FDA-cleared products.

Together, Immumem’s leadership team delivers comprehensive competitive advantages: unprecedented development timelines, dramatically increased clinical success probability, superior market access and partnership opportunities, and the ability to develop next-generation cellular therapies that overcome current limitations in persistence, efficacy, and manufacturing scalability in the rapidly expanding solid tumor immunotherapy landscape.

Team

Shubhranshu (Shubh) Gupta, PhD

CEO/Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), President & Founder

Shubh Gupta brings over a decade of cutting-edge expertise at the intersection of immunological memory and cell therapy innovation to Immumem as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) & President. With deep specialization in Natural Killer (NK) cell, B-cell, and T-cell research in both academia and industry, Dr. Gupta represents the rare combination of entrepreneurial leadership and scientific depth that positions Immumem at the forefront of next-generation cellular therapeutics against a myriad of indications.

His rapid career growth spans leadership roles at premier cell therapy companies, including Fate Therapeutics and Caribou Biosciences, where he spearheaded the development of off-the-shelf iPSC-derived cellular products that have successfully advanced to Phase I clinical trials. Dr. Gupta’s track record includes discovering novel gene candidates for next-generation CAR platforms and developing proprietary enhancement technologies. His research portfolio encompasses metabolic reprogramming in immune cells across multiple malignancies, providing critical insights into how immune cells adapt and respond to disease states – knowledge directly applicable to the development of more effective cellular therapies. Dr. Gupta’s gene-editing expertise, risk management acumen, and proven ability to secure significant funding enable Immumem to navigate the complex technical and regulatory landscape of cellular therapy development with precision.

Dr. Gupta’s expertise spans systems-level immune cell metabolism, activation, and immunological memory formation, complemented by over a decade of leadership experience and a demonstrated track record of completing 100% of projects ahead of schedule. His proven track record of managing cross-functional teams that achieved rapid promotions reflects his ability to bridge the gap between breakthrough science and commercial execution with exceptional operational excellence. This dual expertise in scientific innovation and leadership execution allows Immumem to translate complex immunological research into transformative therapeutics for refractory diseases, while accelerating the company’s path from discovery to clinical translation in the competitive solid tumor therapy landscape and positioning Immumem to capture significant value in the rapidly expanding cellular therapy market.

Scientific Advisors

Andrew Sikora, MD, PhD

Tumor Immunology & Clinical Oncology

Dr. Sikora is a nationally recognized cancer immunotherapy expert and head-and-neck surgical oncologist whose dual roles span basic/translational discovery and patient-centered clinical care. As a Professor of Head and Neck Surgery and Immunology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, he leads pioneering research into the immunobiology of solid tumors, focused on identifying and reversing mechanisms of cancer-mediated immunosuppression. Dr. Sikora has served on national cancer immunotherapy committees and working groups, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI’s) Head and Neck Cancer Steering Committee and Immuno-Oncology Translational Network (IOTN), He currently serves as the chair of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Tumor-Host Interaction (THI) grant review study section. His experience across the entire continuum of basic, translational, and clinical research ensures seamless alignment between Immumem’s early discovery efforts and rigorous clinical trial design. With over 12,500 citations for work defining and targeting immune vulnerabilities of cancer cells, suppressive immunocytes, and the tumor immune microenvironment, Dr. Sikora brings unmatched translational insight with the goal of transforming Immumem’s cell-therapy candidates from the bench, through IND planning, to first-in-human efficacy studies.

Najeebah Abdul-Musawir, MD, MBA, MScEng

Clinical Strategy & Regulatory Affairs

Dr. Abdul-Musawir is a veteran clinical development executive whose combined MD, MBA, and MScEng credentials fuel end-to-end IND strategy and Phase I readiness. With roles as Senior Medical Director at AEON Biopharma and Director of Clinical Research & Development at Supernus Pharmaceuticals, she has authored and filed INDs, NDAs, BLAs, and MAAs, crafted Investigator’s Brochures, protocols, and Safety Management Plans, and led cross-functional medical monitoring for Phases I-IV. Her deep regulatory acumen accelerates Immumem’s early-stage filings and aligns clinical protocols with global FDA/EMA requirements. By integrating robust safety monitoring and adaptive trial design, she streamlines Immumem’s transition into first-in-human studies with precision and compliance.

Syed Shahabuddin, PhD

Regulatory Project Management

Dr. Shahabuddin offers 20+ years of comprehensive biopharma development expertise, specializing in preclinical, CMC, and IND-enabling activities through his SS BioPharma consultancy. He has guided lead optimization, GLP tox, analytical assay validation, and translational bioassay development- all critical for robust IND packages.

Dr. Shahabuddin’s extensive involvement in CMC stage of IND-enabling studies, as well as strategic oversight of PMO structures and cross-geography collaboration ensures Immumem’s programs meet corporate objectives while reducing timelines and cost. Through his proven track record at Sangamo Therapeutics, NGM Biopharma, and Syngene-Baxter collaborations, Dr. Shahabuddin brings disciplined project management and scientific rigor that power Immumem’s rapid, risk-mitigated path to clinical entry.

Innovating Cellular Therapies Through Science, Insight, and Rigor.