Pulsar Vascular Management Team
Timothy Mills, Chairman and CEO has over twenty-five years of experience in biomedical research, corporate management and venture investing, currently a Managing Director at Sanderling Ventures in San Mateo CA. Prior to joining Sanderling, Dr. Mills served as the Corporate Vice President of New Business Development and Chief Scientific Officer of Target Therapeutics, a medical device company that was acquired by Boston Scientific in 1997. From July 1994 to July 1997, he was a director for Prograft Medical, a Target affiliate that was acquired by W.L Gore & Associates. Prior to joining Target in 1994, Dr. Mills served as Director of Business Development and Advanced Research & Development in the Interventional Cardiology Division of Baxter Healthcare, now Edwards Life Science. Dr. Mills' previous academic appointments included service as the Director of the Artificial Heart Program at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center and membership in the University of California, San Francisco Radiology Department. Dr. Mills received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley & San Francisco School of Medicine, his M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Joseph M. Eskridge, M.D. Founder, President & Chief Medical Officer co-founded and serves as president and chief medical officer of Pulsar Vascular, Inc., founded in August 2005. Joe serves as director of interventional neuroradiology of Seattle Neuroscience Institute at Swedish Medical Center. Before joining Seattle Neuroscience, Joe served as director of interventional neuro-radiology and professor of radiology and neurosurgery at University of Washington Hospitals, University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, for 18 years. During the course of his extensive career, Joe has performed in excess of 4,000 interventional procedures. Joe is a recognized innovator in the field of interventional devices and co-founded CardioNexus, a company involved in device design to prevent post-operative restenosis in cardiac stenting procedures. Additionally, Joe is a senior advisor to multiple clinical advisory boards within the device industry including Boston Scientific, Cordis Neurovascular and Target Therapeutics, a division of Boston Scientific. Joe earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky. and his medical degree from the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Ky. Joe’s medical findings have been published in more than 60 trade journals.
Gibb Clarke Founder, Chief Operating Officer co-founded and serves as Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary at Pulsar Vascular, Inc. Gibb has been working directly with Dr. Eskridge since 2004 and together they have filed over 10 patents for innovative device concepts that address unmet clinical needs in the interventional neuroradiology market. In his capacity as COO, Gibb handles all operating and financial responsibilities for the design and development of Pulsar Vascular’s innovative endovascular device systems. Gibb successfully identified key venture capital partners whose expertise and capital has contributed substantially to the development of Pulsar’s unique endovascular device system. Working with the company’s venture capital partners, Gibb secured and closed the company’s Series A financing in the 1st quarter of 2006. Prior to focusing on the medical device arena, Gibb served in the elite U.S. Marines Corps Reconnaissance Unit for eight years. In addition to his duties as a Marine Reconnaissance team leader, he was cross-trained as a combat emergency medical technician. Gibb holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Colorado and a master’s in business administration from Duke University. Gibb is an avid bicycle racer and has completed over 100 triathlons, including two Ironman distance triathlons.
Rob Abrams, Chief Technology Officer has over 27 years of experience in biomedical device product development, research, operational management, new business development and strategic investments. Prior to joining Sanderling, Rob served 12 years at Boston Scientific Corp. as Group Vice President of New Business Development for BSC’s Cardiovascular Group Divisions, which included Neurovascular, Cardiac Surgery, Neuromodulation, Electrophysiology, and Peripheral Interventional Divisions. During his tenor at BSC, Rob completed acquisition of Smart Therapeutics, Precision Vascular Systems, Inc., and Advanced Bionics Corp. He also led the corporate program to explore technology for acute ischemic stroke therapy, and transacted several investments in that realm. Rob had become a part of BSC via their acquisition of Target Therapeutics, where he was Director of New Business Development. Prior to joining Target, Rob was Director of Product Development for LocalMed, Inc., a start-up dedicated to devices for catheter-based local drug delivery.From 1988 through 1995, Rob served various roles at Guidant Corporation in their Cardiovascular Business. He served as Director of R&D for the intrapreneurial Guidant Division, Heart Rhythm Technologies. Earlier, at Guidant’s Advanced Cardiovascular Systems (ACS) Division, he contributed to the product development and launch of guidewires, balloon catheters and stent technologies for interventional cardiology. Overall, Rob has 65 patents in medical devices. Prior to ACS, Rob’s entry into medical technology began at Howmedica Orthopedics, where he contributed to new bone in-growth technologies for hip and knee replacement prosthetic devices. Rob received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude.
Brent Gerberding, Director of Research and Development brings 17 years of extensive technical and management experience in the medical devices field. Prior to Pulsar Vascular, he worked as Director of Research and Development for Barrx Medical, a maker of gastroenterology products used to treat Barrett’s Esophagus. Mr. Gerberding also worked for Boston Scientific in a number of technical and program management roles that included interventional cardiology and interventional neuroradiology. He has over 25 patents issued and pending related to gastroenterology, catheters, stents and therapeutic aneurysm therapies, along with multiple commercial product launches. Mr. Gerberding holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Masoud Molaei, Director of Technology has 20 years of experience in medical device design and development, as well as nitinol and steel processing and applications. Prior to joining Pulsarvascular, Mr. Molaei spent over six years at Boston Scientific Neurovascular in various management and engineering positions. As an expert in stent design and nitinol applications, he was instrumental in all aspects of research and development of stents, including design, processing, testing as well as regulatory and clinical submissions. Prior to joining Boston Scientific, Masoud was a Project Group Leader at Guidant Endovascular Solutions. In that position, he was a co-leader in the development of a percutaneous AAA device, which included several different stent frames and a polymer covering. Prior to joining Guidant, he served as Director of Tubing Operations and Quality Systems at Shape Memory Applications. His achievements included substantial technical and metallurgical advancements that led to 12 times increase in nitinol tubing production in less than 3 years. In addition to his technical and operational leadership, he also led the company’s efforts to achieve ISO9000 certification. Mr. Molaei has also spent several years in the steel industry in various engineering positions. He holds an MSc. and a BSc. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and an MBA in Operations Management.