Babak E. Azad, Ph.D.
Founder, CEO
Babak brings more than 25 years of experience in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical industries to CellCure. He attended High School in Memphis, Tennessee; completed his undergraduate degree in Biology at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida; and obtained a Masters and Ph.D. degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at University of California, Santa Barbara. He then started his professional career by completing postdoctoral studies at The Scripps Research Institute (Johnson & Johnson Laboratories at Scripps) in La Jolla, CA. He later joined Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute as a research scientist. Babak’s research at J&J involved design, development and performance of high throughput drug screening assays based on the molecular biology of Cancer, Apoptosis, Inflammation, Antibiotic Resistance, and Signal Transduction. In 1995, he joined SRA Technologies Inc. at Rockville Maryland, where he became Group Leader and Director of Research & Development. At SRA, Dr. Esmaeli-Azad focused his research on the application of Structural and Functional Genomics to the area of disease diagnosis, therapy, and patient management. In 1998, he joined BioArray Technologies Inc. as senior scientist, director of R&D where his research focused in functional genomics and proteomics utilizing microarray based miniaturized technologies. Babak’s research focused in the area of genomics and proteomics resulting in the development of several proprietary innovative omics display technologies. In 1997, Dr. Esmaeli-Azad founded DNAmicroarray, Inc. (www.dnamicroarray.com), the first company to commercialize DNA microarray related products and services to the research community via the world wide web. For 16 years (1997-2014), as the CEO of DNAmicroarray, Inc., Babak managed day to day operation and organic growth of this profitable biotechnology company which currently employs an international staff of Ph.D., MS., and BS. scientists in United States, and Latin America. Dr. Esmaeli-Azad is the inventor/ co-inventor of several patent pending technologies that are currently under development at the company. These enabling technologies address unmet needs in the areas of Genomics, Proteomics, Human Stem Cell Growth, Differentiation and Transplantation, Theranostics, Pharmacogenomics, and Agricultural Biotechnology. DNAmicroarray, Inc. is involved in several collaborative R&D projects with internationally recognized academic and industrial laboratories. Additionally, company continues several ongoing corporate partnerships with other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. In 2014, he completed acquisition of genomics and proteomics divisions of DNAmicroarray Inc. by a private investment group and assumed the chairman of the board position at the company. In 2013, he was one of the founding members of CiBots, Inc., a California startup, and was a key figure in invention, design and development of mobile health technologies and telemedicine applications for Next Generation Patient Doctor communication. Babak was the team leader for Team SMART McCoy (lead entity CiBots, Inc.), ranked Top 20 among 300 teams in the international QUALCOMM TRICORDER X PRIZE competition (http://www.qualcommtricorderxprize.org). Dr. Esmaeli-Azad is the inventor of CellCure’s chemically induced pluripotent stem cells, directly converted Neural Progenitor Cells and related issued patents and IP portfolio.