Our Leadership
Deborah Kurrasch, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
& Co-Founder
Dr. Kurrasch founded Stream Neuroscience to develop drugs addressing unmet needs in neurological disorders. She was recently honored with the Alberta Science and Technology Foundation Women in Innovation award for her entrepreneurial achievements and is a nominee (pending) for 2024 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100.
In addition to her role as CEO of Stream Neurosciences, Dr. Kurrasch is a Professor and Deputy Department Head of Medical Genetics at the University of Calgary. Research from her lab led to the creation of MitoREAD, a patented drug discovery platform leveraging the potential of neurometabolism to uncover novel drug targets. She is an expert in neuropharmacology and disease modeling, and she is an early innovator of patient-derived brain organoids as a model system in drug discovery. Dr. Kurrasch has authored over 70 publications in prestigious journals such as Science, Cell, Neuron, Developmental Cell, and PNAS.
Dr. Kurrasch earned her PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Purdue University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and the University of California, San Francisco.
Jong Rho, MD
Chief Medical Officer
& Co-Founder
Dr. Rho is a board-certified pediatric neurologist and clinical-academic epileptologist with over 30 years of experience in academia at multiple institutions in North America. Additionally, he has held numerous leadership positions and has led both national and global efforts in the broad area of brain metabolism and experimental therapeutics.
Dr. Rho is highly published and a recognized global leader in the field of metabolism-based treatments for neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. For his scientific contributions, Dr. Rho was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Rho’s work has spanned multiple areas, including epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder, and he has collaborated with experts in brain cancer and multiple sclerosis. He has authored over 180 original research publications and has edited numerous book chapters, reviews and books.
Dr. Rho earned an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University. He obtained his MD at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed Pediatrics and Adult Neurology/Pediatric Neurology residencies at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and the University of California Los Angeles, respectively.
Tim Hagen, PhD
Vice President, Medicinal Chemstry
Dr. Timothy Hagen has 20 years of expertise as a medicinal chemist in drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry as well as 15 years of experience in academic research.
Dr. Hagen is a Full Professor at Northern Illinois University (NIU). Before NIU, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a synthetic organic and medicinal chemist for more than 20 years. He worked for Searle, Pharmacia/Pfizer (the same company that underwent multiple mergers) and deCODE. He is the author of over 55 peer-reviewed journal articles and a contributor to several book chapters. He is an inventor with over 100 patents. Several compounds he invented went to clinical trials or are currently in the clinic. He has extensive experience with PDE4 inhibitors.
Dr Hagen received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Illinois State University his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the pharmaceutical company Searle.
Cassandra Kinch, PhD
Vice President, Business Development
Dr. Kinch has 10 years of pharmaceutical industry experience supporting assets across lifecycles in Global, Canadian and US markets. She has successfully developed and implemented Global Strategic and Operational plans for multiple indications and has published 10+ industry-sponsored publications.
During her tenure at Medicure Inc. Dr. Kinch supported the successful launch and integration of a niche hospital product within the Southeastern United States. While at Pfizer Inc., Dr. Kinch pursued roles of increasing responsibility across the Canadian and the Global organization within Medical departments; She liaised cross-functionally with Research & Development, Business Development, Marketing, Access, Regulatory, and Legal teams supporting multiple indications for a blockbuster product from pre-launch to loss of exclusivity.
Dr. Kinch earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and PhD in Medical Genetics from the University of Calgary.
Alicia Vandenbrink, BSc
Director of Operations
Ms Alicia Vandenbrink has 11 years of experience overseeing R&D operations in academia and industry.
During Alicia’s role at the University of Calgary, she has developed strong project management skills in protocol and SOP development, budgeting, literature reviews, organization, data management, financial reporting and other research administration duties. Her position at Steam Neuroscience includes payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable, financial reporting, contracts, investor relations, fundraising support and other corporate administration.
Alicia received her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from the University of Lethbridge.
Board of Directors
Aiping Young, MD, PhD
Chairwoman of the Board
Dr. Young brings 30 years of experience in the biotechnology sector as a co-founder, senior executive, and investor.
Dr. Young co-founded GeneSense Technology and successfully transformed it into a robust public company, leading to a merger with Lorus Therapeutics and a subsequent buyout by Aptose Biosciences. Throughout her career, she has held key positions, including VP of R&D, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and President & CEO. Dr. Young has raised over $100M in private equity for both small and large biotechs. She has also been involved in several private startups from the earliest stages.
Dr. Young earned her MD from Jiangxi Chinese Medical University in China and her PhD in Pharmacology from Toyama Medical & Pharmaceutical University in Japan.
Jim Wright, PhD
Advisor / Board Member
Dr. Jim Wright has expertise in pharmaceutical executive leadership as well as over 35 years’ experience in academic research.
Starting as a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Wright rose to become Associate Director of the Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology before moving to the University of Toronto and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Transitioning from academia, he co-founded a biotech company specializing in anti-cancer agents, successfully leading it to become a publicly traded entity. Dr. Wright has held pivotal roles as President, CEO, Board Member, and Chairman in various biotech firms, steering them from early-stage research through to advanced clinical development.
Dr Wright received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Microbiology and his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Manitoba.
Elena Ma, PhD
Advisor / Board Member
Dr. Ma has over a decade of experience as a biotechnology investor and in incubating early-stage companies.
Dr Ma is the Associate Director of Viva BioInnovator, a venture firm accelerating the development of new therapies with cash and in-kind services. Before joining Viva, she spent two years at Sorenson Impact Institute, connecting capital to social and environmental solutions. Dr Ma brings deep expertise in rational drug design.
Dr. Ma holds an undergraduate degree from Tianjin University in China and a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Utah.