Board of Directors
Edward P. Amento, M.D., Founder and Executive Director
Dr. Amento founded MMRI in 1995 to advance the understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of autoimmune and connective tissue diseases and cancer with the goal of fostering the translation of laboratory science to clinical care.
In addition to being executive director of MMRI, Dr. Amento is currently Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine (Immunology/Rheumatology) and of Dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Amento is an internationally recognized expert on the cellular and molecular biology of connective tissue disorders. He is the author or co-author of more than 160 published manuscripts, reviews, chapters and abstracts. Prior to his association with Stanford, he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an Assistant Physician in the Arthritis Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Amento has participated in the founding of biopharmaceutical organizations developing novel therapeutics, Connetics Corporation (formerly Connective Therapeutics, Inc.) and Theracos, Inc. where he served as founding CEO and President. Dr. Amento also serves as a Board member or Scientific Advisory Board member of several privately held biotechnology companies.
Dr. Amento received his M.D. degree from Albany Medical College and his B.S. degree from Boston College. He was Intern, Resident and Chief Resident in Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, after which he was a Clinical Fellow in Pulmonary Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. He completed his training in rheumatology at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital followed by postdoctoral research fellowships.
Eugene A. Bauer, M.D., Board of Directors
Dr. Bauer is the Chief Medical Officer of Dermira, Inc. and is emeritus Professor of Dermatology at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is former CEO and President, Neosil, Inc., former Vice President of the Stanford Health Center and former Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine and the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Professor.
Dr. Bauer is an internationally recognized expert on the cellular, molecular and genetic basis of skin diseases. He is a cofounder of Connetics Corporation (formerly Connective Therapeutics, Inc.). Dr. Bauer was Professor and Chair of Stanford’s Department of Dermatology from 1988-1995. He served as Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine from 1995 to 2001. He joined Stanford from Washington University School of Medicine, where he was professor of medicine and director of the Center for Research and Therapy of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). A graduate of Northwestern University Medical School, he is widely known for his work on EB, a hereditary blistering skin disease, and on other disorders involving collagen. Dr. Bauer’s research led to a molecular-level understanding of EB and to new methods of treatment. He has contributed fundamentally to an understanding of human collagenase, the key enzyme in initiating collagen remodeling, both under normal circumstances and in diseases such as basal cell cancer.
Widely respected in the academic community, Dr. Bauer has published more than 140 scientific publications. He has received an NIH M.E.R.I.T. award and is a member of the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Dr. Bauer serves on numerous scientific boards, including the California Health Care Institute, is a consultant and director to several biotechnology companies and is the past president of the Society of Investigative Dermatology.