Leadership Team
Our leadership team is comprised of experts in clinical development, commercialization and pipeline development who are passionate about the advancement of science and medicine.
Core Values

JD Finley
Chief Executive Officer

Mitch Jones, MD, Ph.D.
President & Chief Medical Officer

Ryker Willie
SVP, Finance and Corporate Controller

Sharon Skare, PhD(c)
VP, Global Head of Clinical Operations

James Izanec, MD, AGAF
VP, Head of Clinical Development

Joerg Heyer, Ph.D.
Head of Translational Science & Medicine

Daniel J. Larkins, MS
Head of Global Regulatory Affairs

Adarsh Patel, MS, MBA
Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC)

Ramesh Donthamsetty, CFA
Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations
Our Technology
Our Pipeline
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JD Finley
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Finley is an experienced financial executive, having played instrumental roles in raising nearly $1 billion in capital for companies as both an internal Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and an independent investment banker. Prior to joining Palisade Bio (formerly Leading BioSciences) as the company’s CFO, Mr. Finley was the Chief Executive Officer, President and CFO for PointAcross, Inc., a software company providing business messaging and communications services. Mr. Finley previously co-founded Proteus Capital Partners, Inc., a firm specializing in providing financing for a variety of businesses, and was a Principal and CFO at Phillips Capital, a broker/dealer firm specializing in private debt and equity capital raises. During his career, he also served as Executive Vice President and CFO of MetroGolf, Inc., where he successfully completed MetroGolf’s initial public offering and was instrumental in growing the start-up company to over 125 employees. Mr. Finley began his business career as a tax specialist with Deloitte & Haskins and Sells (now Deloitte LLP), and later was co-owner of Mitchell Finley & Company, a full-service accounting firm.
Mr. Finley earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boise State University and a Master’s degree in Taxation from the University of Denver.

Mitch Jones, MD, Ph.D.
President & Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Mitch Jones is an accomplished physician and executive with extensive experience in the development of innovative therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. As Chief Medical Officer at Palisade Bio, Dr. Jones oversees all clinical development programs, regulatory strategies, and medical affairs, ensuring the advancement of the company’s pipeline in inflammatory, autoimmune and fibrotic disease.
Dr. Jones has a distinguished track record of advancing innovative therapies from translational research through clinical development and achieving regulatory approvals. He most recently served as Vice President of Corporate Development & Strategy at Chemomab Therapeutics, where he directed corporate strategy, program development, and strategic partnerships. His efforts were instrumental in advancing Chemomab’s clinical-stage programs and supporting the company’s financing and M&A activities.
Prior to Chemomab, Dr. Jones held key leadership roles at Finch Therapeutics and Biora Therapeutics (formerly Progenity). At Finch Therapeutics, he was Vice President of Clinical Discovery and Development, contributing to the company’s IPO and the early clinical development of novel therapeutics for IBD, chronic hepatitis B, and solid tumor immunotherapy. At Biora Therapeutics, he served as Vice President of Innovation and Clinical Translational Development, where he lead the development of the company’s technology platforms including Navicap™ and Biojet™, executed early clinical development and proof of efficacy studies, created strategic roadmaps and played a pivotal role in securing $125 million in venture financing and leading the company through its IPO. His early role within the company was building the GI therapeutics division as Vice President of Translational and Clinical Development.
Dr. Jones founded Interface Therapeutics, where he developed a novel sampling platform for multi-omics analysis of GI tract samples, leading to the discovery of locally acting therapeutics for IBD. Interface Therapeutics was later acquired by Biora Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, he founded Micropharma, where he developed the FDA-approved product LRC™, now sold globally by Chr. Hansen, and achieved regulatory approvals for microbiome-based therapeutics for metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
Dr. Jones is an inventor on nearly 200 patents and has authored numerous scientific publications. He holds MD and PhD degrees.

Ryker Willie
SVP, Finance and Corporate Controller
Mr. Willie has served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller of Palisade Bio since February of 2023 and previously served as Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller. Prior to joining Palisade Bio, Mr. Willie held various senior roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP where he provided key assurance services to clinical-stage biotechnology companies as they navigated the complexities of international collaborations, clinical trials, and follow-on offerings.
Mr. Willie earned a Master’s degree in Accountancy and Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in the state of California.

Joerg Heyer, Ph.D.
Head of Translational Science and Medicine
Dr. Heyer is an accomplished leader in Translational Science, Translational Medicine, and Clinical Research with over two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Throughout his career he has played a pivotal role in the successful development and strategic management of multiple clinical drug programs including: FOTIVDA® (tivozanib), a next-generation VEGFR TKI approved by the FDA in March 2021 for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC); Ficlatuzumab which is a potent, humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that targets HGF and is now tested in Phase 3 for HPV negative R/M HNSCC; CP101 which is a Phase 3, investigational, microbiome candidate in recurrent CDI; FN211 which is in Phase 1 for Autism Spectrum Disorder; and DCSZ11/DCBY02 fully humanized anti-CD93 antibodies regulating vascular normalization. In addition, Dr. Heyer worked on various preclinical molecules (i.e PDE4A inhibitor MEM1414) for neurodegeneration and Asthma. His contributions in drug development to disease modeling, gene expression profiling, histology, NGS and Translational Research have been documented in publications, presentations, patents and regulatory filings.
Dr. Heyer received his postdoctoral training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Human Genetics following receipt of his Ph.D. in Human Genetics from Julius Maximillians University in Wuerzburg Germany.

James Izanec, MD, AGAF
VP, Head of Clinical Development
Dr. Izanec is a physician–scientist with over two decades of clinical and drug development leadership spanning immunology, neuroscience, and gastroenterology. He brings extensive experience directing registrational Phase 2 and Phase 3 programs, shaping asset-level development strategies, and guiding cross‑functional execution at leading pharmaceutical organizations including Bristol Myers Squibb and Janssen.
Prior to joining Palisade Bio, Dr. Izanec served as Senior Medical Director and Clinical Development Lead at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he led global Phase 2/3 development programs across autoimmune and neurological diseases. His responsibilities included oversight of a 1,200‑patient Phase 3 Crohn’s program, leadership of pediatric development programs in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and multiple sclerosis, and strategic ownership for the clinical development plans of ozanimod and deucravacitinib.
Previously, he served as Medical Director at Janssen, where he led global Phase 3 and Phase 4 studies in gastroenterology and immunology, contributed to lifecycle and label‑expansion programs for ustekinumab and infliximab, and helped support the successful launch of Stelara in ulcerative colitis, the largest franchise within Johnson & Johnson.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Izanec spent a decade as a practicing gastroenterologist and hepatologist, serving as principal investigator for more than 50 clinical trials across inflammatory bowel disease,
hepatology, functional GI disorders, and motility disorders. He has authored more than 100 peer‑reviewed publications and abstracts and has been a frequent invited speaker at global medical congresses including DDW, ECCO, ACG, and UEGW.
Dr. Izanec received his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College, completed his internal medicine residency at Temple University Hospital, and his gastroenterology fellowship at Drexel University College of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University.

Daniel J. Larkins, MS
Head of Global Regulatory Affairs
Daniel J. Larkins is an accomplished regulatory affairs leader with more than 30 years of experience guiding pharmaceutical products through global development and registration. He brings deep expertise in U.S. and international regulatory strategy, health authority engagement, and cross-functional leadership, with a strong focus on inflammatory and gastrointestinal diseases.
Most recently, Mr. Larkins served as Director and Global Regulatory Lead at Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he was part of the team developing duvakitug (anti-TL1A), a novel therapy currently initiating Phase 3 development for both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. At Teva, he led global and U.S. regulatory strategies for early- and mid-stage specialty programs in gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases.
Previously, Mr. Larkins held senior regulatory leadership roles at AbbVie, where he was a member of the upadacitinib (RINVOQ) development team supporting its Phase 2/3 programs in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. He also provided regulatory support for risankizumab (SKYRIZI). Earlier in his career, he held regulatory roles at Merck & Co., Inc., contributing to development and approval programs across immunology, infectious disease, vaccines, oncology, and women’s health, with direct engagement with the FDA and other global health authorities.
In addition to his industry leadership, Mr. Larkins has served as an Adjunct Professor of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at the Temple University School of Pharmacy since 2008. He holds a Master of Science in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Temple University.

Adarsh Patel, MS, MBA
Head of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC)
Mr. Patel has over 16 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry with deep expertise in end-to-end drug development, spanning pre-clinical development through late-stage clinical programs and NDA submission. He has a strong background in drug substance and drug product development, process optimization/scale-up, validation, regulatory filings, and global supply chain execution.
Prior to joining Palisade Bio, Mr. Patel held leadership roles at Elevar Therapeutics, AbbVie, Allergan, Lohmann Therapy Systems, Mylan, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Amneal Pharmaceuticals, supporting multiple clinical and commercial products across a range of dosage forms.
Mr. Patel holds an MBA from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, a Master of Science (MS) in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing from Stevens Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy.

Ramesh Donthamsetty, CFA
Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations
Ramesh brings over 20 years of experience across the life sciences ecosystem, with a unique perspective shaped by his roles as an investor, sell-side analyst, and corporate strategist. His background spans capital markets, corporate development, and strategic advisory, providing a comprehensive view of value creation across the sector.
Prior to joining Palisade Bio, Ramesh served as Portfolio Manager at Bioceptive Holdings, a family office focused on life sciences. His experience also includes serving as an advisor to PDL on private credit and royalty investments, as well as several years as a Wall Street analyst at J. P. Morgan, where he covered life sciences tools, diagnostics, and medical devices.
Earlier in his career, Ramesh worked in management consulting at Easton Associates and Extera Partners, advising companies on high-level corporate strategy. He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Bioengineering and Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder.





