Skip to main content

ABOUT US

Meet the Visionary Team Behind Psycheceutical

OUR MISSION

Our mission at Psycheceutical is to develop, improve, and commercialize cutting-edge delivery technologies that can be used across the mental health treatment spectrum while providing safe and effective delivery of psychedelic pharmaceutical medicines.

Meet The Team

FDA Drug Development Veterans

Our team of industry experts has 100+ years of combined experience in psychedelics, biotechnology, and business development across the pharmaceutical industry.

Savvy Technologists and Mental Health Science Experts

Our visionary founders are considered among the top minds in the psychedelic space, embracing the latest technologies to further the advancement of mental health science.

State-of-the-Art Biotech Solutions

Our groundbreaking Janus particle solution and NeuroDirect™ delivery system allow psychedelic compounds to be administered without unwanted side effects and toxicity.

Leadership Team

Click to read each team member’s bio

Chad Harman

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Anish Tuteja

Chief Science Officer

Michael Hlavsa

Chief Financial Officer

Medical Team

Julian E. Bailes, MD

Julian E. Bailes, MD

Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Thomas Cabell

Dr. Thomas Cabell

Medical Advisor
Dr. Tony Strickland

Dr. Tony Strickland

Medical Advisor

Science Team

Ronald Aung-Din, MD

Ronald Aung-Din, MD

Clinical Advisor
Dr. Anish Dhanarajan

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan

R&D Advisor
Dr. Aric Logsdon

Dr. Aric Logsdon

Scientific Director

Dr. James Cappola

Clinical Advisor

Brand Awareness Team

Kevin Harrington

Kevin Harrington

Strategic Advisor
Zappy Zapolin

Zappy Zapolin

Chief Visionary Officer
Kaia Roman

Kaia Roman

VP of Strategy & Communications

Advisory Team

Michael Gurin

Board Member
Dr. John Kutzko

Dr. John Kutzko

Formulations Advisor
Dr. Zachary Clayton

Dr. Zachary Clayton

Research Advisor
Dan Yerace

Dan Yerace

Strategic Advisor

Strategic Partners

Founded by Dr. Anish Dhanarajan, PhD and Francesca Minale, MEng in 2016, Vici is a world-class pharmaceutical product development company working hard to identify unmet pharmaceutical needs that can be solved by drug development through the 505(b)(2) NDA or ANDA pathway.

In pursuit of this goal, Vici operates a rapid, low-cost, high quality prototyping R&D facility capable of GMP operations in Maryland, USA, and is an end-to-end pharmaceutical R&D company capable of taking projects from inception through FDA approval.

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan

CEO
Francesca Minale, MEng

Francesca Minale, MEng

President
Chad Harman
Chief Executive Officer

Chad Harman is a 25-year cannabis and health insurance executive possessing unique leadership experience across operations, manufacturing, finance, product development, etc. Chad’s strength lies in focused corporate strategies to maximize efficiency and profitability.

Dr. Anish Tuteja
Chief Science Officer

Dr. Anish Tuteja is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. His work has led to over 20 patents and patent disclosures.

Michael Hlavsa
Chief Financial Officer

Michael Hlavsa has 44 years of executive and financial experience, receiving designations of CPA, certified internal auditor, and chartered global management accountant. He’s been an officer and director of numerous publicly traded companies on the NYSE, NASDAQ and OTCBB.

Julian E. Bailes, MD
Chief Medical Officer

Julian E. Bailes, MD is a recognized leader in the field of neurosurgery and the impact of brain injury on brain function. He’s been instrumental in the understanding of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). He was portrayed by the actor Alec Baldwin in the movie Concussion.

Dr. Thomas Cabell
Medical Advisor

Dr. Thomas Cabell is a cardiologist and is affiliated with the Centennial Heart group. Dr. Cabell is passionate about bringing awareness to and understanding the importance of emotional/mental health as it relates to physical health and disease.

Dr. Tony Strickland
Medical Advisor

Dr. Tony Strickland is a board-certified neuropsychologist and a retired associate clinical professor of neurology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Strickland established the Center for Postconcussion Syndrome and PTSD Treatment.

Ronald Aung-Din, MD
Clinical Advisor

Dr. Ronald Aung-Din practices General Neurology and Neuro-Psychiatry in Sarasota, Florida. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. He has participated as Principal Investigator in over 50 industry-sponsored clinical trials.

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan
R&D Advisor

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan has Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering/Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Anish managed formulation development at companies such as Pfizer, GSK, Mallinckrodt, and CorePharma. Anish is an expert in complex oral and parenteral product development and manufacturing processes.

Dr. Aric Logsdon
Scientific Director

Dr. Aric Logsdon is a biomedical researcher with expertise in preclinical drug discovery for human neurological disease. Aric earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from West Virginia University in 2016 and completed Postdoctoral training at the University of Washington. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals.

Dr. James Cappola
Clinical Advisor

Dr. James J. Cappola has over 25 years experience for Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance of drugs, biologics and devices development. He also has Medical Affairs product launch experience in Pharma and CRO environments, as well as medical monitoring for Phase I, II, III, and post marketing clinical studies.

Kevin Harrington
Strategic Advisor

Kevin Harrington is an entrepreneur, investor, business executive and best-selling author. He was one of the original members and investors (“sharks”) on the hit TV series Shark Tank. Harrington has been involved in over 500 product launches that have resulted in over $5 billion in sales.

Zappy Zapolin
Chief Visionary Officer
Zappy Zapolin is a well-known futurist, entrepreneur, and award-winning filmmaker who is considered one of the foremost experts in psychedelic therapies and companies. Playboy Magazine called him “The Man Who Wants to Change the World with Psychedelics.”
Kaia Roman
VP of Strategy & Communications

Kaia brings 20 years of PR and marketing work in Silicon Valley for clients such as Google, Twilio, and Doctor On Demand. She is an entrepreneur, film producer, and bestselling author of The Joy Plan – a practical guide to the neuroscience of joy – which was featured on the TODAY Show.

Michael Gurin
Board Member

Michael Gurin is a 25-year veteran of technology and business development. Gurin has been instrumental in creating the vision and technology road maps for coatings and membrane technologies through the use of integrated solutions advance surface coatings.  Gurin holds more than 80 U.S. patents and pending applications, plus additional international patent filings.

Dr. John Kutzko
Formulations Advisor

Dr. Kutzko has entrepreneurial experience in addition to consultancy and senior level operations management experience in the delivery of USP 795 and USP 797 compounding, home infusion services, specialty pharmacy services and medical devices. He also had full P&L oversight and responsibility for pharmacy operations throughout the southeastern U.S.

Dr. Zachary Clayton
Research Advisor

Dr. Zachary Clayton is an experienced researcher with expertise in designing fully translational preclinical studies that allow for maximum efficiency while creating reliable, applicable results intended to directly benefit human health. Dr. Clayton is a sought-after conference presenter and guest lecturer, and his research expertise is evidenced by authoring or co-authoring more than 35 peer-reviewed research publications to date.

Dan Yerace
Strategic Advisor

Mr. Yerace is a co-founder of Coeptis Pharmaceuticals and serves as the Vice President of Operations. Dan is the key strategist responsible for supply chain management, business development, portfolio management, and corporate strategy.

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan
CEO

Dr. Anish Dhanarajan has Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering/Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. Anish managed formulation development at companies such as Pfizer, GSK, Mallinckrodt, and CorePharma. Anish is an expert in complex oral and parenteral product development and manufacturing processes.

Francesca Minale, MEng
President

Francesca Minale manages all of Vici’s regulatory work, including p-INDs, INDs, and ANDA filings. Francesca also oversees the QA department to ensure GMP compliance is maintained.

Francesca worked as a formulation development scientist and manager at CorePharma and Wes Pharma prior to the founding of Vici Health Sciences. Francesca is well versed in formulation, quality, and FDA regulatory requirements, and brings a high-energy creative dynamic to the work-place.

Francesca graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biological/Biosystems Engineering and a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University.