Our Team

Meet Our Team.

Rani Therapeutics is led by an experienced management team with substantial scientific, formulation and drug development expertise in a number of therapeutic areas including immunology, gastroenterology, cardiology, metabolic diseases and oncology. The development and manufacturing of the RaniPill capsule is led by a highly experienced team with deep expertise in engineering, material science, anatomy, physiology, manufacturing and automation. Rani's management team members have held successful and diverse roles leading research, clinical development, product development, strategy, corporate development and operational functions.

Talat Imran

Chief Executive Officer

Talat Imran

Chief Executive Officer

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Talat Imran

Chief Executive Officer

Talat was appointed CEO in June 2021.  Talat has been a key member of Rani’s executive team, most recently serving as the company’s Vice President, Strategy since 2014. In addition to his role at Rani, Talat has been a venture capitalist with several healthcare-focused Silicon Valley funds, including InCube Ventures, LP, and VentureHealth. Previously, he also served as Chief Executive Officer of Venture Web Partners, a web application development firm.  He earned a B.A. in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Mir Imran

Executive Chairman

Mir Imran

Executive Chairman

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Mir Imran

Executive Chairman

Mir Imran is a prolific healthcare innovator and entrepreneur who has been developing and commercializing breakthrough medical innovations for more than 40 years. Since 1995, Mir’s innovations have been developed at his life science R&D lab and incubator, InCube Labs. As an entrepreneur, Mir has founded more than 20 life sciences companies; 15 of his companies have seen “liquidity events” (IPO/Acquisition). Mir is perhaps most well-known for his pioneering contributions to the first FDA-approved Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.  Mir has received a number of industry accolades for his work including being named one of the most inspiring people in life sciences (PharmaVoice) and one of the “Top 50 Medical Device Inventors of All Time” (QMed). Mir has also been recognized as a fellow for both the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He holds an M.S. in bioengineering and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Rutgers. Mir also attended CMDNJ/Rutgers Medical School.

Mir Hashim

Chief Scientific Officer

Mir Hashim

Chief Scientific Officer

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Mir Hashim

Chief Scientific Officer

Mir Hashim has more than 30 years of pharmaceutical research and development experience, including leadership and management of a multi-laboratory, multi-group, pharmacology section. His breadth of knowledge and experience in pharmacology and physiology spans a variety of therapeutic areas including CNS, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, anesthesia, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Previously, Mir spent 18 years at Glaxo Smith Kline where he most recently served as the head of Pharmacology. Mir has deep experience in drug discovery and development, international regulatory submissions, international product development, as well as in-licensing and out-licensing of drug candidates. Mir holds a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from Osmania University, India; an M.S. in Biology from Central University of Hyderabad, India, as well as a PhD in Medicine/Pharmacology from Memorial University, St. John’s, Canada.

Svai Sanford

Chief Financial Officer

Svai Sanford

Chief Financial Officer

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Svai Sanford

Chief Financial Officer

Svai has over 25 years of accounting, finance and management experience in the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries for both public and private companies.  Prior to joining Rani, Svai served as executive consultant and interim CFO for pH Pharma and Intuity Medical.  Previously, Svai held the position of CFO for SFJ Pharmaceuticals, a drug development company, and CFO and Chief Accounting Officer for VIVUS, Inc., a publicly traded, commercial stage biopharmaceutical company.  Svai began his career with KPMG LLP, in its audit practice, where he earned his license as a certified public accountant.  Svai holds a BS degree with emphasis in accounting from Kansas State University.

Eric Groen

General Counsel

Eric Groen

General Counsel

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Eric Groen

General Counsel

Eric Groen has more than 25 years of legal experience in corporate and private practice, including more than 20 years in the healthcare industry. Prior to joining Rani, Eric served in various US and international roles of increasing responsibility over nearly 20 years at Amgen, including leading the legal teams responsible for Amgen’s business development transactions (including M&A, licensing and collaborations), operations/manufacturing, clinical trials and procurement. Most recently, Eric served as regional general counsel to Amgen’s commercial business in Canada, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Eric began his career in private practice at the law firm of TroyGould, where he practiced in the areas of corporate finance, securities compliance, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Eric holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara.

Kate McKinley

Chief Business Officer

Kate McKinley

Chief Business Officer

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Kate McKinley

Chief Business Officer

Kate comes to Rani with over 20 years of experience in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, including positions in executive leadership and as a board director. Kate has a demonstrated history of exceptional leadership, successfully steering executive teams, and driving corporate strategies to achieve remarkable business growth. Most recently, Kate was CEO and founder of Spark Lifesciences. Prior to joining Rani, Kate was also CEO and Board Director for Elvar Therapeutics (formerly known as LSK Biopharma), having previously been Elvar’s Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Business Officer. She began her career at Abbvie Biopharmaceuticals / Abbot Laboratories where she served as Vice President of National Sales in the urology, oncology, and gynecology space. Kate is a summa cum laude graduate of The University of Tulsa. She holds an MBA from the university’s Collins College of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with degrees in Marketing, Management, and Psychology.

Jacques Van Dam

Vice President, Medical Affairs

Jacques Van Dam

Vice President, Medical Affairs

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Jacques Van Dam

Vice President, Medical Affairs

Dr. Van Dam joined Rani Therapeutics in 2021. After completing his postgraduate medical education at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Van Dam joined the faculty until being recruited to Stanford University as Professor and Clinical Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology. Before joining the Rani team, Dr. Van Dam was an NIH-funded investigator and published more than 300 peer reviewed papers, reviews and abstracts. He has filed more than 20 patents and was elected to the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Van Dam is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association and is past president of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Bockus International Society of Gastroenterology.

Alireza Javadi

VP of Technical Operations

Alireza Javadi

VP of Technical Operations

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Alireza Javadi

VP of Technical Operations

With over 15 years of technical and operational leadership within the medical device and life science industry, Alireza stands at the forefront of Manufacturing Scale up, Continuous Improvement and Process Development Optimization. As Vice President, Technical Operations at Rani Therapeutics, Alireza has responsibility for Rani’s technical R&D, manufacturing and automation teams and has spearheaded improvements in critical manufacturing processes, boosting device manufacturing yield and most notably setting up supply chain and manufacturing scale up system, which has resulted in a 50% reduction in materials cost and a 20% improvement in yield efficiency.

Alireza’s career began at Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, where his keen insights and curiosity led to the discovery and development of novel nanoparticles for targeted anti-cancer drug delivery. He spent the next decade of his career in various technical and operational leadership roles at prominent Research or Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMO) Including Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and Cretex Medical. His passion for continuous improvement and his ability to foster collaborative team environments have been the driving force behind his successful launch of more than 25 innovative products into the market for top Medical Device and Pharmaceutical companies.

Alireza holds a PhD in Materials Science from University of Wisconsin and a Master’s degree in Advanced Engineering Materials from Chalmers University in Sweden.

Betsy Gutierrez

Vice President, Quality Assurance

Betsy Gutierrez

Vice President, Quality Assurance

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Betsy Gutierrez

Vice President, Quality Assurance

Betsy Gutierrez has over 18 years of experience in areas of Quality Systems, Regulatory Compliance and Engineering in large organizations as well as in start-up environments. Prior to joining Rani, Betsy was the Sr. Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Oraya Therapeutics.  She has also held leadership positions of increasing responsibilities at Auxogy Inc., LuMend (a J&J company) and Edwards Lifesciences. She has extensive experience in managing all aspects of the Quality Management Systems, Quality Engineering, Regulatory Compliance and Product Development support under US (FDA) and International (ISO) Regulations.  Betsy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic.  

Bella Vazquez

Vice President, Human Resources

Bella Vazquez

Vice President, Human Resources

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Bella Vazquez

Vice President, Human Resources

Bella is a professional with 25+ years of human resource management experience, specializing in small to mid-size organizations, most recently InCube Labs, where she has spent the last seven years of her career. She has notable expertise in strategic human resource planning, performance management, staffing, federal and state law compliance, employment contract negotiations, employee benefits, compensation and payroll, training and development, organizational structure, and management coaching. Bella has extensive hands-on experience leading HR initiatives, providing innovative ways to engage employees, and establishing company culture. She holds a Senior Certified Professional  (SHRM-SCP), Human Resources Management associate certificate, and is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Kyle Horlen

VP of Nonclinical Development & Safety Assessment

Kyle Horlen

VP of Nonclinical Development & Safety Assessment

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Kyle Horlen

VP of Nonclinical Development & Safety Assessment

Dr. Kyle Horlen has been part of Rani since its inception and brings over 15 years of pharmaceutical and medical device research & development experience to the role. As a veterinarian, Dr. Horlen also brings his unique expertise and passion to nonclinical research drawing from the collaborative, transdisciplinary One Health approach. His prior experiences include positions of increasing responsibility at InCube Labs, Sinclair Research Center, and Kansas State University, where he was involved with a broad range of nonclinical development, project management, and regulatory activities for multiple products and therapeutic areas including implantable medical devices, oncologic therapies, metabolic and infectious diseases. Dr. Horlen earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. He has authored numerous scientific publications and abstracts, has presented at multiple national conferences, and holds several patents.

Arvinder Dhalla

Vice President, Clinical Development

Arvinder Dhalla

Vice President, Clinical Development

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Arvinder Dhalla

Vice President, Clinical Development

Arvinder joined InCube labs in 2016 with more than 15 years of experience in pharmaceutical research & development, project management and regulatory submissions across several therapeutic areas including, cardiovascular, metabolic diseases and PAH. Previously, Arvinder was Director of Biology in the Cardiovascular Therapeutic Area at Gilead Sciences from 2009-2015 where she led multiple drug development programs from early discovery to clinical development. Arvinder led several programs as a scientist and senior scientist from 2001-2008 at CV Therapeutics which was acquired by Gilead Sciences. Arvinder holds several patents and has authored 50 scientific papers. Arvinder hold a BS and MS in Biophysics from Panjab University, India and a PhD in Physiology from University of Manitoba, Canada.

Andrew Farquharson

Managing Director, VHM and InCube Ventures

Andrew Farquharson

Managing Director, VHM and InCube Ventures

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Andrew Farquharson

Managing Director, VHM and InCube Ventures

Andrew is an investor and entrepreneur with two decades of success shaping and building companies in life sciences. The co-founder of VHM and InCube Ventures, his passion is biotech innovation that dramatically improves lives.

Prior to becoming a professional investor, Andrew helped to build Operon Technologies into the world’s most successful DNA synthesis company by launching the world’s first whole-genome tools for interrogating the malaria and tuberculosis genomes. He and his partner sold that business to QIAGEN, where he became a member of the senior executive team, leading M&A. He began his career at Genentech, where he led teams in various operational and research roles.

Andrew holds a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s with high honors from the University of California at Berkeley.

Maulik Nanavaty

CEO of Anumana

Maulik Nanavaty

CEO of Anumana

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Maulik Nanavaty

CEO of Anumana

Maulik is the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Anumana, Inc., an AI-driven health technology company.

Prior to Anumana, Maulik spent 18 years at Boston Scientific, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and President, Neuromodulation Division and a member of the Executive Committee. Prior to this role, Maulik was President, Representative Director of Boston Scientific Japan and before that he was Vice President and General Manager of the Company’s Interventional Cardiology business in Japan. During his tenure, Maulik managed the successful expansion of Cardiology business in that country. He joined Boston Scientific in 2005 as Vice President for Corporate Strategy for Japan, where he led business transformation and increased operational efficiency.

Prior to joining Boston Scientific, Maulik spent 16 years working in various executive positions at Baxter International, Inc., and Baxter Japan. Maulik earned a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Illinois and a M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Maulik is a member of the Board of Directors for the California Health Institute (CHI). CHI is an independent 501(c)(6) organization devoted to researching and advocating policy to forward the interests of California’s biomedical community.

Jean-Luc Butel

Director at Takeda, Novo Holdings, and SG Innovate

Jean-Luc Butel

Director at Takeda, Novo Holdings, and SG Innovate

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Jean-Luc Butel

Director at Takeda, Novo Holdings, and SG Innovate

Jean-Luc has served as a healthcare executive for more than 30 years and is a well-respected global healthcare advisor.

Currently, Jean-Luc serves on various boards at Takeda, Novo Holdings, and SG Innovate, in addition to several healthcare startups in both Asia and Europe. Previously, he served on the board of Varian Medical Systems, the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore, as a senior advisor to McKinsey’s healthcare practice and as an advisor for Singapore’s National Research Foundation. Further, during his extensive career he held senior executive positions with Johnson & Johnson, Becton Dickinson, Medtronic and Baxter International.

Jean-Luc received his B.A. from The George Washington University and an M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of International Management.

Laureen DeBuono

Managing Partner, FLG Partners

Laureen DeBuono

Managing Partner, FLG Partners

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Laureen DeBuono

Managing Partner, FLG Partners

Laureen is a seasoned executive who spent most of her career in long-term, complex Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer roles at mid and large sized healthcare and consumer-facing companies. Laureen has also served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and General Counsel for various private and public companies across multiple sectors.

Currently, she is a Managing Partner at FLG Partners, focusing on interim CEO, CFO, and Board advisory services, as well as executive coaching. Additionally, Laureen has served on several public company Board of Directors, including Cadence Pharmaceuticals, VISX, and InVivo, and was the Audit Chair at both VISX and InVivo.

Laureen received her B.A. from Duke University, an M.A. from Stanford University, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Dennis Ausiello

Director of CATCH & Former Chief of Medicine, Mass General

Dennis Ausiello

Director of CATCH & Former Chief of Medicine, Mass General

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Dennis Ausiello

Director of CATCH & Former Chief of Medicine, Mass General

Dennis (Denny) Ausiello, MD is the Director of the Center for Assessment Technology and Continuous Health (CATCH), a program he founded as a joint effort between Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) physicians, scientists and engineers to provide real-time measurement and analysis of the human phenotype in wellness and disease. He previously served as Chief of Medicine at Mass General from 1996 until his retirement in 2013. In this role, he led one of the strongest departments of medicine in the country. He is a nationally recognized leader in academic medicine, having been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science (1999) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003). He has written for many publications, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, on various health subjects including human genetics, clinical trials, and the relationship between the academy and industry. As an internationally recognized scientist, with specific expertise in epithelial and membrane biology, ion and water channel regulation and signal transduction, Denny has served as a council member of the National Institute of Diabetes, the Digestive and Kidney Diseases Advisory Council and the National Advisory Council on Aging. He served on the Board of Directors of the Broad Institute, an independent partnership of Harvard and MIT faculty working in human genetics, as well as the Board of Directors of the nonprofit organization, Research!America, the leading advocate group for investment in biomedical research in the United States. Understanding the need for partnerships between the academy and industry, he previously served as the Lead Director on the Board of Directors of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and currently serves on the Board of microbiome company Seres Health; TARIS, a drug-delivery company; and Alnylam, an iRNA company. He also serves as an advisor to various biotech companies and venture capital companies working in the biotech and device area. Denny is also a consultant for Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences). He holds a BA from Harvard College and an MD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Lisa Rometty

President, CVS Kidney Care

Lisa Rometty

President, CVS Kidney Care

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Lisa Rometty

President, CVS Kidney Care

Lisa is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience in global commercialization, strategic partnerships, product development and marketing. She has led large global teams in China, Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe and the US, and her expertise includes leading operations within highly complex and regulated environments; commercializing new products and services; pioneering new customer experiences and creating new ecosystems via partnerships and mergers and acquisitions.

Lisa currently serves as President of CVS Kidney Care, a CVS Health start-up that is focused on disrupting the kidney disease market through patient-centric technology. Prior to her role at CVS Health, Lisa served as President, Global Client Solutions at Syneos Health. Before Syneos, she held roles as Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager, Oncology & Life Sciences at IBM Watson Health Solutions. Earlier in her career, Lisa held leadership roles with Baxter Healthcare and General Electric.

Lisa earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a BS in Social Science & International Business from Michigan State University.

Our Founder.

Mir Imran founded InCube Labs to focus on his passion: creating medical solutions that change the standard of care in critical healthcare markets.

Mir’s passion is identifying, understanding and solving poorly or unmet clinical needs, which has led to his prolific track record of building companies.  Mir is motivated by his desire to positively impact the lives of millions of patients, and he has become one of the leading inventors and entrepreneurs in the field. Rani has the potential to be one of his greatest inventions yet.
More on Mir
Mir with RaniPill

“Millions must take injections to slow the progression of their condition.  With pills, compliance is much higher than with injections which helps slow down chronic diseases.”

Mir Imran, Founder and Executive Chairman

“I am passionate about changing healthcare and coming up with new solutions that will impact the lives of millions of patients.”

Mir Imran, Founder and Executive Chairman

“Given the market demand and potential, it’s no wonder that there have been countless attempts and dollars spent by companies to try to convert painful injections into painless pills.”

Mir Imran, Founder and Executive Chairman