Invectys Inc. is led by a team of experienced industry professionals, combining vision, scientific knowledge and management skills.
Dr. Jake Kushner, President & CEO, Invectys Inc.
Dr. Jake Kushner is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Invectys, Inc. Dr. Kushner also serves as Medical Director for McNair Interests, a private equity firm in Houston, Texas. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Dr. Kushner completed his MD at Albany Medical College, pediatric residency at Brown, pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Harvard, and a research fellowship at the Joslin Diabetes Center. He then held full-time medical school faculty appointments at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and lastly Baylor College of Medicine, where he was Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology and also a McNair Scholar. Dr. Kushner is an internationally renowned type 1 diabetes researcher with extensive previous NIH and JDRF funding. He has served on numerous review panels for industry, the NIH (DDK-B study section chair), and foundations including the JDRF and the ADA. Dr. Kushner has received numerous honors, including awards from the March of Dimes, the Hood foundation, and the NIH, elected membership to the ASCI, and served as President of the Society of Pediatric Research.
Melissa Yang, Ph.D., Vice President, Scientific Affairs, Invectys Inc.
Melissa pilots the scientific development of Invectys. She has nearly 20 years of experience in R&D across a broad range of indications. While launching Lexicon’s first drug to market, she has had a full experience in every stage of the program from target validation, in vivo pharmacology through IND filing, approval, commercialization and life cycle management. Her background ranges from field scientist, with hands-on know-how of laboratory operations, to Senior Director of R&D Programs, managing R&D portfolio, budgets and timelines, conducting business development, competitive intelligence, and alliance management. Her experience also includes 8 years’ experience in managing cross-functional teams, which include preclinical, CMC, clinical, safety, regulatory, quality, medical affairs, HEOR, marketing. Melissa earned her B.S. in Biochemistry from the Wuhan University, and her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS).
Richard Goeggel, MBA, Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer, Invectys Inc.
Richard brings more than 45 years of experience in accounting and financial management roles, including over 20 years in the biotechnology and life sciences. Prior to joining Invectys, he was the vice president, finance and principal financial and accounting officer of Encysive Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biotechnology company headquartered in Houston, Texas. After leaving Encysive he joined Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Houston, Texas as director of accounting.
At Invectys, Richard manages the company’s financial and accounting affairs focusing primarily on forecasting and budgeting, treasury management and financial reporting.
He is a graduate of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. where he earned an A.B. degree in Economics and an M.B.A. from the Johnson School of Business. Although no longer an active CPA, he held that certification for over 35 years.
