Biomedical Innovation in TBI
Pioneering patient-oriented technologies for tomorrow's care.
Melissa Noble
Researcher at NJIT
For the past five years, Melissa Noble, MSW, has served as lead research-certified vision therapist, trained by Dr. Mitchel Scheiman for the CONCUSS randomized clinical trial studying the effectiveness of vision therapy and its underlying neural mechanisms at NJIT. She has treated more than 60 patients using the study protocol, achieving a 94% improved rate. Melissa is a co-author of five peer-reviewed publications and has developed protocol strategies to accommodate patients with ADHD. She also works at Vision Therapy Associates of Westfield, helping patients recover from concussion-related visual symptoms using the study’s proven approach.
John O’Donnell
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of Operations at Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration
Dr. O’Donnell is a Research Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of Operations for the Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration spanning UPenn and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. The O'Donnell Lab applies rotational head acceleration and neurointensive care in pigs to study vital clinical manifestations of Traumatic Brain Injury, such as coma and intracranial hypertension, that are unique to humans and other large animals. Dr. O’Donnell also collaborates with the Cullen Lab to develop implantable tissue-engineered constructs to facilitate restoration following neurotrauma and to use such constructs as human testbeds for discovery.
Janet Huffman
CEO, Oragenics
Janet Huffman is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American: OGEN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing brain-targeted therapeutics using proprietary intranasal drug delivery technology. Since joining the company as CFO and assuming the CEO role, Ms. Huffman has led Oragenics through a period of strategic transformation—strengthening the company’s financial position, restoring NYSE American compliance, and advancing the clinical development of its lead neurological program, ONP-002. Her leadership spans public company finance, operational strategy, and healthcare growth, including prior roles as Chief Financial Officer of Nasdaq-listed TRxADE Health and founding CFO of Banyan Pediatric Care Centers.
Under Ms. Huffman’s leadership, Oragenics is advancing ONP-002, a first-in-class intranasal neurosteroid currently in Phase IIa clinical trials for the treatment of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury. The company’s proprietary intranasal delivery technology is designed to bypass the blood-brain barrier and deliver therapeutics directly to the brain. Building on progress with ONP-002, Oragenics is pursuing a broader CNS portfolio strategy focused on brain health, brain recovery, and neuroinflammatory conditions.
Jennifer Perusini
CEO, Neurovation Labs
Dr. Jennifer Perusini, a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, is co-founder and CEO of Neurovation Labs. Her research forms the basis of Neurovation Labs’ pioneering work, which made the groundbreaking discovery that there is a physiological component to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that can be targeted to both diagnose and treat the disorder. Dr. Perusini and her team have developed a proprietary drug discovery platform to identify compounds with dual potential: as precision neuromedicines that act on specific brain areas and as diagnostic agents that reveal circuit-level dysfunction. Their lead asset is a precision therapeutic initially targeting PTSD that can be expanded to additional indications, with a patented detection method in the pipeline.
Dr. Perusini earned her B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior at Barnard College and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience at UCLA, where she studied the mechanisms underlying PTSD in a preclinical model. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship, which focused on models of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, at Columbia University in the departments of Psychiatry and Integrative Neuroscience.
Dr. Perusini is on the Board of Directors of both Women in Learning (WIL), a nationwide 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women in science, and the Pavlovian Society, an international scientific research organization. She is Chair of the Barnard Entrepreneurs Network (BEnet), an alumnae organization that supports entrepreneurs at all business stages across industries, and serves on Barnard’s Leadership Council at Athena Center. She is a presenter at national biotech industry events, has been featured in numerous publications, and frequently speaks on issues pertaining to women entrepreneurs across industries.