Our Team
FSD Pharma was founded by Thomas Fairfull (retired), Zeeshan Saeed and Anthony Durkacz. The first initial of the last names of each of the founders represent the letters FSD. Dr. Lakshmi Kotra who is the recipient of the Julia Levy Award joined FSD Pharma with the acquistion of Lucid. Dr. Kotra serves as the CEO of Lucid and is incharge of the Biosciences division and is Head of drug development for FSD Pharma
Our leadership consists of a passionate management team with diverse industry knowledge, committed to science, therapeutic drug discovery and development.
With a highly-accomplished Board of Directors and BioSciences team, we have the adequate depth and breadth required to pursue our strategic vision.
Board of Directors
Mr. Saeed is the “S” in FSD. Mr. Saeed started as a partner in FSD when it was just a business plan on paper. He was instrumental in raising the initial seed capital and assisted FSD’s transition into a public company. He played a key role in bringing together a team of professionals to facilitate crucial relationships and develop the Company’s business plan.
Prior to founding the Company, Mr. Saeed served as President of ZZ Telecommunications Inc., a long-distance telecommunications common carrier. He has experience in international capital markets and has helped various start-ups with raising initial funding and obtaining listings on various stock exchanges. Before entering capital markets, Mr. Saeed was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Platinum Telecommunications Inc. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.
Mr. Durkacz is the “D” in FSD. Mr. Durkacz has served as a director and the Executive Vice-President of First Republic Capital Corporation since 2014. Prior to co-founding the Company, Mr. Durkacz was President of Capital Ideas Investor Relations.
He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer and a director of Snipp Interactive Inc., a global marketing solutions company that provides a modular software-as-a-service technology suite. Mr. Durkacz was instrumental in the financing and public listing of Snipp Interactive Inc. with operations in Canada, the United States of America, Mexico and India. From 2006 to 2009, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MKU Canada Inc. and engaged in mergers and acquisitions of companies around the world. Mr. Durkacz also served as the Chief Financial Officer and a director of Astris Energi Inc., a dual-listed public company in the United States and Canada which was acquired by an international conglomerate. Mr. Durkacz began his career at TD Securities on the capital markets trading floor. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Brock University with a major in both Accounting and Finance.
Dr. Lakshmi Kotra received his Ph.D. in Pharmacy (Medicinal Chemistry) from the University of Georgia under Prof. David Chu’s supervision, and completed postdoctoral training at Wayne State University under Prof. Shahriar Mobashery’s supervision. He joined the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto in 2000, and University Health Network in 2006, where he led a very active research group and drug discovery program with multiple portfolios.
An academic entrepreneur, Dr. Kotra has contributed to a number of important drug discovery and development projects, including metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative and immunological disorders, anti-HIV drugs, antibacterials, and antimalarials. He has authored/co-authored over 130 publications and delivered over 140 scientific talks internationally. Dr. Kotra is the recipient of several awards for his accomplishments, including the Julia Levy Award in 2021 from the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Canada in recognition of his substantial contribution to the successful commercialization of innovation in Canada in the field of biomedical science and engineering. In addition to Lucid Psycheceuticals, he co-founded WinSanTor Biosciences, a San Diego, CA-based company developing treatments for peripheral neuropathies, and CannScience Innovations (Scientus Pharma), a Toronto, ON-based company focused on medical cannabis and cannabinoids. Dr. Kotra served as the CEO of Lucid Psycheceuticals since 2020, which was acquired by FSD Pharma in 2021. Dr. Kotra transcends early and clinical development incorporating commercial and regulatory vision for efficient drug development and commercialization with solid leadership.
Dr. Eric Hoskins is a medical doctor and public health expert with more than 30 years’ experience in healthcare, public policy, economic development and international trade. Dr. Hoskins recently served as the Chair of the Federal Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare.
He previously served as president of War Child Canada and was awarded the Order of Canada in 2007 for his humanitarian work. During Dr. Hoskins’ nearly 10 years as a member of provincial parliament in Ontario, he held several cabinet positions including Minister of Health and Long-Term Care; Economic Development, Trade and Employment; Children and Youth Services; as well as Citizenship and Immigration. As a tireless health advocate, Dr. Hoskins has many years experience creating and delivering health programs in Africa and the Middle East.
Sanjiv Chopra, MD, is Professor of Medicine and served as Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical Education at Harvard Medical School for 12 years. He serves as a Marshall Wolf Distinguished Clinician Educator Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Chopra has more than 170 publications and ten books to his credit. Dr. Chopra is Editor-in-Chief of the Hepatology Section of UpToDate, the most widely used electronic textbook in the world subscribed to by more than 1.5 million physicians in 195 countries.
He is a sought after inspirational speaker across the United States and abroad, addressing diverse audiences on topics related to medicine, leadership, happiness, and living with purpose.
Dr. Sanjiv Chopra's recent literary contributions include three impactful books:
"Coffee: The Magical Elixir"
Uncover fascinating facts that will astound and perk you up.
"Conquer Your Diabetes: Prevention. Control. Remission"
Co-authored with Martin Abrahamson, this book delves into comprehensive strategies for managing diabetes.
"Ignite The Fire Within: Master Your Speaking and Writing"
Co-authored with Rick Najera, this book is a guide to mastering the art of speaking and writing, igniting the fire within for effective communication.
Zappy Zapolin is a well-known futurist, psychedelic concierge to the stars, and award-winning filmmaker who is dedicated to expanding human consciousness.
As the youngest Vice President in the history of investment bank Bear Stearns, Zappy is a frequent commentator on investment opportunities in the biotech and emerging psychedelic industry.
Mr. Bashir is one of the first investors of FSD Pharma. He brings a wealth of over 14 years of experience in strategic management and operations. In the last decade, Mr. Bashir was General Manager for Al Batha group, a diversified business conglomerate based in Dubai, UAE. Mr. Bashir was responsible for overseeing the management and operations of 4 companies within the group and was instrumental in acquiring and developing new businesses and partners from Europe, the US and China.
Mr. Bashir also has extensive experience in executing turnaround strategies, transforming weak businesses into sustainable and profitable ones, and implementing new technologies. Mr. Bashir holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology Lahore and has completed extensive executive education, including in strategic management, audit, sales management and technical management.
Board Advisors
As an original “shark” on the hit TV show Shark Tank, the creator of the infomercial, pioneer of the As Seen on TV brand, and co-founding board member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization, Kevin Harrington has pushed past all the questions and excuses to repeatedly enjoy 100X success.
His legendary work behind the scenes of business ventures has produced more than $5 billion in global sales, the launch of more than 500 products, and the making of dozens of millionaires. He’s launched massively successful products like The Food Saver, Ginsu Knives, The Great Wok of China, The Flying Lure, and many more. He has worked with amazing celebrities turned entrepreneurs including, like Billie Mays, Tony Little, Jack LaLanne, and George Foreman to name a few. Kevin’s been called the Entrepreneur’s Entrepreneur and the Entrepreneur Answer Man, because he knows the challenges unique to start-ups and has a special passion for helping entrepreneurs succeed.
Gerry David is a solutions-focused Entrepreneur, Leader, and Board Member with more than 40 years of success across the consumer products, manufacturing, and high-tech industries. Leveraging extensive experience leading five comprehensive turnarounds of both public and private companies with global scopes spanning 72 countries.
He is a valuable asset for startup or established companies looking to drive long-term, sustainable growth. His broad areas of expertise include sales and marketing, operations management, financial analysis, capital raising, supply chain management, M&A, regulatory and strategic planning. In recognition of his professional achievements, he was one of only 25 Gold Winners in the prestigious 2016 CEO World Awards and was selected as “The Leader” in the CEO of the Year category.
Throughout his executive career, Gerry has held leadership positions at organizations including Celsius Holdings, Vitarich Labs, Home Shopping Network Direct and his consulting firm Gerry David & Associates LLC, where he currently serves as CEO. He has been responsible for leading the turnaround of Celsius Holdings (CELH: NASDAQ), a beverage company on the verge of going out of business, driving 5 consecutive years of record revenue, increasing shareholder value by 35x, establishing a subsidiary in Hong Kong, launching products in Asia, South America, Europe, and the Middle East, and establishing manufacturing in Germany, China, and the US; Gerry began his career by founding a systems integration company specializing in the hospitality industry, growing the organization to offices in six states prior to its sale to a public entity.
Alexander Bar is an Emmy-winning TV producer, screenwriter and children’s author with more than 20 years’ experience in the children’s media business having created and produced many hit preschool TV series including Ricky Zoom, Ranger Rob and Mike the Knight. In 2015, Alexander moved to Toronto from the UK and founded Milkcow Media Inc., an independent media entertainment company specialising in TV and digital content creation for kids and family.
Alexander was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2019 and is firmly committed to raising awareness about the challenges of living with this disease and promoting innovative research programs and treatments, especially those aimed at progressive MS for which there is a great unmet need. Alexander holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and French Law. He’s been a keen amateur body builder all his life and has starred in two major musicals in the West End of London, UK.
Management Team
Recipient of the Julia Levy Award (2021) Dr. Lakshmi Kotra, Senior Scientist at Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network (UHN), and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Toronto, joined FSD Pharma as CEO of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lucid, upon completion of its acquisition of Lucid Psycheceuticals in September 2021.
Dr. Kotra received his Ph.D. in Pharmacy/Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Georgia and completed postdoctoral training at Wayne State University. He has authored/co-authored over 130 publications and delivered over 140 scientific talks internationally. Dr. Kotra is the recipient of several awards, including the Julia Levy Award from the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Canada in recognition of his substantial contribution to the successful commercialization of innovation in Canada in the field of biomedical science and engineering. An academic entrepreneur, Dr. Kotra has contributed to a number of important drug discovery and development projects, including anti-HIV drugs, antibacterials, insulin, antimalarials, medical cannabis-based therapeutics, and drugs targeting multiple sclerosis. In addition to Lucid Psycheceuticals, he co-founded WinSanTor Biosciences, a San Diego, CA-based company developing treatments for peripheral neuropathies, and CannScience Innovations (Scientus Pharma), a Toronto, ON-based company focussed on medical cannabis and cannabinoids.
Dr. Chruscinski will be leading our clinical programs and help lead our clinical trials as Associate Vice-President, Clinical Affairs. Dr. Chruscinski received his MD, PhD from Stanford University, followed by residency in internal medicine at Stanford, fellowship in cardiology at Stanford and Toronto General, and recently led two major clinical trials investigating tolerance in transplantation and new biomarkers discovery.
He is a board certified cardiologist and carries active medical license in Michigan.
Nathan Coyle joined FSD Pharma Inc in 2020 as Corporate Controller and was appointed to the Interim Chief Financial Officer role in 2021. Mr. Coyle has 15 years of executive business experience as a finance leader in both public and private roles. With a keen eye for analytical analysis and innovative ideas he has always led his team to success.
Coyle was previously with Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) where he was a key player in restructuring the organization, shaping the growth and streamlining businesses within his industrial packaging segment. His involvement in multiple mergers and acquisitions and integrating those organizations was key to company growth. After ITW, he worked with a private organization implementing the same corporate strategies to maximize growth. Coyle holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with honours from Brock University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.
Mr. Carroll joined the Corporation as interim CFO in 2018 and was appointed to the position on a permanent basis in December 2019, where he served until May 2021. Mr. Carroll was appointed as COO of the Corporation on August 15, 2021. Mr. Carroll has also served as a director on the Corporation's Board from May 2018 to July 2018 and since May 2021. Mr. Carroll has 20 years of corporate finance leadership and public company experience, as well as experience in syndicate investing both in equity and debt securities. From June 2005 to January 2008, he served as an Accounting Supervisor with Alberto Culver (now Unilever (NYSE:UL)), from February 2008 to October 2013, Mr. Carroll has served as Controller with Videojet Technologies, and from October 2013 to July 2017, he served as a Corporate Controller with Cardinal Meats, where he was instrumental in major restructuring activities, mergers and acquisitions and the implementations of new internal controls and ERP systems. Mr. Carroll has been a Director of Bird River Resources Inc. since August 2019 and a Director of Climb Credit Inc. since May 2020. He holds a CPA-CMA designation as well as a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Dublin.
Ms. Ashwini Joshi is a pharmaceutical drug development professional with over 9 years of experience developing formulations on small molecules for global markets in mid to large generic and pharmaceutical industries. She worked in various drug developmental stages starting from product development at R&D to its successful scale-up and subsequent regulatory filings.
Ms. Joshi received her Master’s in Pharmacy (Pharmaceutics) from NMIMS, Mumbai, India and a Post Graduate Diploma in QA & RA from Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Patrick Onyango joined FSD Pharma in early 2022, and in his role is focused on facilitating FSD/Lucid operations in U.S. with the goal of fulfilling the FSD/Lucid-USA mission of developing novel solutions for brain and inflammatory disorders. Dr. Onyango is the founder of Sparks-based American BioInnovations LLC (ABI), a biotech company implementing innovative technologies to help improve human health by manufacturing pharmaceutical ingredients, advanced drug intermediates, and cell culture solutions. Prior to founding ABI, Dr. Onyango was a faculty in the Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for over a decade.
At John Hopkins, Dr. Onyango trained more than 20 trainees, gave talks at several international scientific meetings, authored more than 25 peered reviewed scientific research publications, including pioneering work on functional genomics and discovery of protein deacetylation in mitochondria. Dr. Onyango received the 2003 Eminent Scientist of the year award from International Research Promotion Council in recognition of his Functional Genomics research. He did his postdoctoral studies on Neurobalstoma Tumor Suppressor genes at the International Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna and on Epigenetics in the division of Medical Genetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Onyango earned a PhD in Human Molecular Genetics from the University of Vienna. Prior to that, he graduated from University of Nairobi, where he obtained both his BSc (Hons. in Chemistry and Biochemistry) and MSc in Biochemistry.
Regulatory Advisory Board
Dr. Gobburu is Professor with the School of Pharmacy and the School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. He held various positions at the US FDA between 1998 and 2011.
He has experience with overseeing the review of 1000s of Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs), over 250 New Drug and Biological Licensing Applications, numerous FDA Guidance and policies pertaining to drug approval and labeling. At the FDA, he was part of the committee responsible for 21st Review Process and provided input into PDUFA planning. He received numerous FDA awards such as the Outstanding Achievement Award and recognized with the Senior Biomedical Research Scientist appointment. He also received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the American Conference on Pharmacometrics (2008), the Tanabe’s Young Investigator Award from the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (2008) and Sheiner-Beal Pharmacometrics Award from the American Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2019). He is also a Fellow of AAPS and ACCP. Dr. Gobburu is on the Editorial Boards of several journals. He has published over 100 papers and book chapters.
Dr. Melnyk is a has over 25 years of pharma/biotech experience in all phases of manufacturing, global regulatory landscape, technology transfer, and business leadership.
Her expertise spans small molecule drugs, biologics and medical devices, especially during development phases and late stage for approvals, in the context of manufacturing and regulatory compliance.
– President, Covar Pharma – a CDMO with global drug development expertise
– Regulatory strategies and product development
Expert Research & Clinical Team
Dr. Albert Wong, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and a Research Scientist in the Neuroscience Department and Staff Psychiatrist in the Schizophrenia Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, is a world-renowned expert on schizophrenia.
His research focusses on the investigation of genetic, cellular and developmental mechanisms underlying psychiatric symptoms.
Dr. Peter Stys, Professor of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, is a neurologist/neuroscientist and a world leader in the detailed study of pathophysiological mechanisms of white matter injury in stroke and trauma.
Dr. Stys and his team have discovered several novel injury mechanisms responsible for axo-glial damage in ischemia/trauma and glutamate excitotoxicity, due to reversal of Na-dependent glutamate transport in damaged spinal axons. Dr. Stys’ insights provide a rational basis for devising drug therapy for the acute phases of stroke, spinal cord injury, brain trauma, and neuroinflammatory conditions (such as multiple sclerosis), in which axons, oligodendrocytes, and myelin are prominent targets of damage. Dr. Stys is the recipient of the Dr. Frank LeBlanc Chair in Spinal Cord Research, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Axo-glial biology, and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Research (AHFMR) scientist award. He is an Adjunct Research Professor at the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University, an Adjunct Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Department of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Stys has published 88 peer reviewed articles, 17 book chapters, and two books.
Dr. Hance Clarke is a staff anesthesiologist and the Director of Pain Services at the Pain Research Unit at the Toronto General Hospital (TGH). He is currently the knowledge Translation Chair for the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, and in 2016, was awarded an early Career Award from the Canadian Pain Society.
His research interests include identifying novel acute pain treatments following major surgery, identifying the factors involved in the transition of acute post-surgical pain to chronic pain, studying the genetics of acute and chronic pain after surgery, and identifying risk factors associated with continued opioid use and poor health related quality of life after major surgery as well as the efficacy of hyperbaric medicine. To-date, Dr. Clarke has authored over 100 peer reviewed manuscripts. Dr. Clarke has played a leading role in educating the Canadian public about pain control, risk factors for chronic opioid use, alternatives to opioids as a pioneering strategy at TGH, misconceptions about opioid use, and the need for further studies on understanding the beneficial and adverse effects of cannabis. He is a public champion of evidence-based solutions for the opioid crisis and a national pain and addictions strategist.
– Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto
– World-renowned immunologist and cytokines researcher
– WHO Consultant
– Member, Expert Scientific Panel to Chief Scientific Advisor, Government of Canada
Investor Inquiries
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