Board of Directors
Dr Steve Slilaty
Dr. Slilaty was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors on October 15, 2009. Dr. Slilaty is an accomplished scientist and business leader. His scientific publications are widely cited.
Sunshine Biopharma is the third in a series of biotechnology companies that Dr. Slilaty has founded and led. The first, Quantum Biotechnologies Inc. later known as Qbiogene Inc. was founded in 1991 and is now part of a family of companies owned by MP Biomedicals, one of the world's largest suppliers of biotechnology reagents and other research products. The second company founded by Dr. Slilaty, Genomics One Corporation, completed an initial public offering in 1999 and, through its ownership of Dr. Slilaty's patented TrueBlue® technology, Genomics One has become one of the main participants in the human genome project and reached a market capitalization of one billion dollars in 2000.
Previously, Dr. Slilaty was a research team leader at the Biotechnology Research Institute (Montreal), a division of the National Research Council of Canada. Dr. Slilaty is one of the pioneers of gene therapy, having developed the first gene delivery system applicable to humans in 1983. During his scientific career, Dr. Slilaty notably discovered a new class of enzymes, the S24 family of proteases. In addition, Dr. Slilaty developed the first site-directed mutagenesis system applicable to double-stranded DNA, cloned the gene for the first yeast lytic enzyme, developed a new molecular strategy to increase the rate of enzymatic reactions and built a powerful new cloning system for genomic sequencing. More recently, Dr. Slilaty, in collaboration with the National Institute of Applied Sciences (France), the State University of New York at Binghamton (USA) and the École polytechnique, Université de Montréal (Canada), designed, patented and advances the development of the first and currently only known anti-cancer compound (Adva-27a) capable of destroying multi-drug resistant cancer cells. This and other work by Dr. Slilaty is cited in research papers, editorials, review articles, and textbooks.
Dr. Slilaty is the author of 18 original research articles and 10 published or pending articles. This and other work by Dr. Slilaty is cited in research papers, editorials, review articles, and textbooks.
Dr. Slilaty received his doctorate in molecular biology from the University of Arizona in 1983 and his BS in genetics and biochemistry from Cornell University in 1976. Dr. Slilaty has received research grants from the NIH and the NSF and in 1981 received the University of Arizona Foundation Award for meritorious performance in teaching. Dr. Slilaty's scientific knowledge and experience qualifies him to serve on our Board of Directors.
Dr. Abderrazzak Merzouki
Dr. Merzouki was appointed Director and Chief Operating Officer in February 2016. In addition to his duties
Since January 2016, he has been an independent consultant in the fields of biotechnology and pharmacology.
From July 2007 to December 2016, Dr. Merzouki worked at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering within the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Chemical Engineering at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, where he taught and acted as a senior scientist involved in research.
and the development of plasmid and siRNA-based therapies.
Dr. Merzouki is a molecular biologist and immunologist with extensive experience in the field of gene therapy. He has performed several preclinical studies for pharmaceutical companies regarding the use of adenoviral vectors for cancer therapy and plasmid vectors for the treatment of peripheral arterial occlusions.
Dr. Merzouki also has extensive expertise in the design of expression vectors, as well as the production and purification of recombinant proteins. He has developed technologies for the production of biogeneric therapeutic proteins for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, hepatitis and multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Merzouki obtained his doctorate in virology and immunology at the Armand-Frappier Institute in Quebec and completed post-doctoral training at the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Center of Excellence for Research on HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Merzouki has published over 30 articles and 70 communications in various highly respected scientific journals in the field of cellular and molecular biology. Dr. Merzouki's scientific knowledge and experience qualifies him to sit on our Board of Directors.
Dr. Rabi Kiderchah
Rabi Kiderchah has been a director of the company since October 2021. Dr. Kiderchah is a licensed physician in Canada.
From 2000 to August 2021, he worked at Argenteuil Hospital, in Lachute, Quebec, Canada, as an emergency physician. He also worked as what is known in Canada as a "dépanneur doctor", in rural areas where there are not enough emergency doctors.
Since August 2011, he has been working for Rabi Kiderchah Medecin Inc. as an independent doctor in the region of Quebec, Canada. He obtained a bachelor's degree in science in 1994 and a medical degree in 1998 from the University of Montreal.
Dr. Kiderchah's medical and scientific knowledge and experience qualifies him to serve on our Board of Directors.
M. David Natan
Mr. David Natan has been a director of the company since February 2022. In addition, since 2007, Mr. Natan has held the following positions
President and CEO of Natan & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm providing CFO services to public companies.
and private companies in various business sectors.
From February 2010 to May 2020, Mr. Natan served as the Managing Director of ForceField Energy, Inc. (OTCMKTS: FNRG), a company specializing in the solar industry and LED lighting products. From February 2002 to November 2007, Mr. Natan served as Executive Vice President, Reporting and Chief Financial Officer of PharmaNet Development Group, Inc., a drug development services company, and from June 1995 to February 2002, Chief Financial Officer and Vice -President of Global Technovations, Inc. a manufacturer and marketer of oil analysis instruments, loudspeakers and loudspeaker components. Previously, Mr. Natan held various positions of increasing responsibility at Deloitte & Touche LLP, an international consulting firm.
Mr. Natan is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Global Diversified Marketing Group, Inc. (OTCMKTS: GDMK), a manufacturer, marketer and distributor of food and snack products, since February 2021, and Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Sunshine Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBFM),
a pharmaceutical and dietary supplement company, since February 2022. In addition, in December 2022, Mr. Natan was appointed as a member of the board of directors and chairman of the audit committee of Vivakor Inc. (NASDAQ: VIVK).
Previously, Mr. Natan was Chairman of the Board of Directors of ForceField Energy, Inc. from April 2015 to May 2020, and a member of the Board of Directors of Global Technovations, Inc. from December 1999 to December 2001. Mr. Natan holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Boston University. Mr.
Natan's experience as a business executive and public company director qualifies him to serve on our Board of Directors.
Dr. Andrew M. Keller
Andrew M. Keller has been a director of the company since February 10, 2022. From 2016 to November 2019, Dr.
Keller served as chief medical officer for Western Connecticut Medical Group, Bethel CT, a multi-specialty organization. He was employed by this group from 1989, and in 2003 he became head of the cardiovascular disease section. In 2014, he was appointed Director of Medical Informatics.
Previously, Dr. Keller was Assistant Professor of Medicine/Radiology at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. Dr. Keller retired as a physician in 2019 and in 2020 became a full-time student at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he is currently in his third year.
Dr. Keller received an MD in 1979 from Ohio State University and a BS in Physics, Magna Cum Laude, from Ithaca College in 1975.
Dr. Keller's medical and scientific knowledge and experience qualifies him to serve on our Board of Directors.