Leadership

Douglas Manion, MD, FRCP (C), has served as Aclaris' Chief Executive Officer and President, and as a director, since January 2023. He joined Aclaris in August 2022 as President and Chief Operating Officer. Doug brings over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in both large and small companies. 

Prior to joining Aclaris, Doug served as Executive Vice President of Research & Development of Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, from July 2021 until its acquisition by Pfizer Inc. in March 2022. Doug previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Global BioShield, a not-for-profit company developing immunotherapies for COVID, from January to July 2021. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of Kleo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an immuno-oncology company, from May 2017 until its acquisition by Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. in January 2021. Between 2005 and 2016, Doug served in roles of increasing responsibility at Bristol-Myers Squibb, or BMS, mostly recently as Senior Vice President, Head of Specialty Development and Head of R&D China and Japan. During his tenure at BMS, he held leadership roles overseeing global clinical research, clinical development, pharmacovigilance and biostatistics across various therapeutic areas, including virology, immunology, neurology, cardiology, metabolic diseases, genetically-defined diseases and fibrosis. Doug’s previous biopharmaceutical experience included leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline, DuPont Pharmaceuticals and DuPont Merck Pharmaceuticals. 

Doug received a B.A.Sc in Civil Engineering followed by an M.D. from the University of Ottawa in Canada. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, completed an Infectious Diseases Clinical Fellowship from the University of Ottawa and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Doug serves on the board of directors of the private biopharmaceutical company Lakewood-Amedex, Inc.

Kevin Balthaser has served as Aclaris’ Chief Financial Officer since January 2023. Mr. Balthaser has served in various roles at Aclaris of increasing responsibility since 2017, most recently as Vice President, Finance since January 2022.

Kevin is a financial executive with over 13 years of progressive leadership experience. Before joining Aclaris, he held various positions of increasing responsibility within the accounting and finance department at Lannett Company, Inc., a publicly traded generic pharmaceutical company, where he was also a member of the team responsible for executing capital market transactions and acquisitions. Prior to his tenure with Lannett Company, Kevin began his career with international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Kevin is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Pennsylvania State University and his Master of Business Administration from Villanova University. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Gail Cawkwell, MD, PhD has served as Aclaris’ Chief Medical Officer since June 2022. Dr. Cawkwell, a pediatric rheumatologist and epidemiologist, has over 20 years of pharmaceutical development and medical affairs experience in large and small companies, and multiple disease areas.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Dr. Cawkwell served as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs, Safety & Pharmacovigilance at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from September 2018 to June 2022 and prior to that as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs from February 2018 to September 2018. Prior to Intercept Pharmaceuticals, from 2015 to 2018, Dr. Cawkwell worked for Purdue Pharma L.P. in multiple roles, including as Special Advisor to the Board of Directors, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Medical Affairs. From 2000 to 2014, Dr. Cawkwell served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility at Pfizer Inc., including most recently as Vice President Medicine Team Lead for Pfizer’s tofacitinib franchise. Dr. Cawkwell also served as a Clinical Instructor of Pediatrics at Columbia Presbyterian Health Center from 2002 to 2015 and previously held several other clinical and academic posts.

Dr. Cawkwell received her Doctor of Philosophy in epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati, her Medical Degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and her bachelor’s degree from Duke University.

Joseph Monahan, Ph.D., has served as Aclaris’ Chief Scientific Officer since January 2021, and has more than 35 years of pharmaceutical research experience. Previously, Joseph served as Aclaris’ Executive Vice President, Research and Development.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Joseph founded the biotechnology company, Confluence Life Sciences, Inc. in 2010 and functioned as the Chief Scientific Officer. He has also held multiple research leadership positions at Pfizer Inc., including Executive Director, Inflammation Research, global kinase platform leadership team lead, site head of enzymology and biophysics, and inflammation research and development lead. Throughout his career, he led the advancement of project portfolios from early discovery through phase 1 and 2 clinical development. He has held adjunct and visiting professor positions at Washington University Medical School, University of Missouri and University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. He has published over 85 peer-reviewed publications and is listed as co-inventor on 14 patents.

Joseph received his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of New York at Buffalo and Doctor of Philosophy in biochemistry from the University of South Carolina.

Matthew Rothman has served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since November 2022. He joined Aclaris in 2018 and has served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility within the legal department. Prior to joining Aclaris, Matt was an associate in the corporate and securities group at the global law firm Dechert LLP.

Matt received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Jim Loerop has served as Aclaris’ Chief Business Officer since January 2022.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Jim served as Executive Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning at Anika Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly held global joint preservation company, where he was responsible for global business development activities. He also previously served as Chief Corporate Development Officer for Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he was a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team and was responsible for global business development and corporate development activities. Prior to joining Lupin, he held senior leadership roles at various companies in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, including at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as Senior Vice President of Global Business Development, GlaxoSmithKline as Vice President of North America Business Development, and Stiefel Laboratories, Inc. as Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Development, prior to GSK’s acquisition of Stiefel.

Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Western Michigan University.

Jill Conwell has served as Aclaris’ Chief People Officer since August 2023.

Jill has more than 30 years of experience and brings a unique combination of deep HR, strategic and business capabilities, including invaluable industry experiences from Idera Pharmaceuticals, Shire Pharmaceuticals, and Accenture. In Jill’s most recent role at Idera, she was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources and a member of their senior leadership team where she actively led the alignment of the overall company organization, culture, people leadership, and HR operations to Idera’s business strategy. 

Jill holds an MBA in Strategic Management & Organizational Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Gary DeCrescenzo serves as Aclaris’  Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Research and Development and has more than 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical research and development. His experience spans both discovery and early development, having led medicinal chemistry, chemical development and pharmaceutical science units.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Gary served as Executive Director of Chemistry at BioMed Valley Discoveries, Inc., the translational sciences division of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.  He has also held multiple scientific and leadership positions at Pfizer and Pharmacia, including Executive Director of Medicinal Chemistry and Immunology & Inflammatory Diseases.  Gary successfully led multiple programs from discovery through early clinical development across several therapeutic areas, including inflammation, cardiovascular, infectious diseases, and oncology.  Over his career Gary has focused on the inhibition of aspartyl and metalloproteases, kinases, chemokine and nuclear hormone receptors. Gary has co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and is listed as co-inventor on more than 100 patents.

Gary received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry and Master of Science in industrial chemistry from the University of Central Florida. 

Robert Doody joined Aclaris Therapeutics in September 2022 as Vice President, Investor Relations.  Bob brings 20 years of communications and investor relations experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry. 

Prior to joining Aclaris, Bob served as Vice President of Investor Relations at Provention Bio.  Previously, Bob served in leading IR and communications roles at Idera Pharmaceuticals and ViroPharma Incorporated, respectively. Bob began his communications career with Dorland Sweeney Jones, a health care public relations firm in Philadelphia.

Bob earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Rowan University after having served honorably in the United States Navy. 

Ian Anderson, PhD, has served as Aclaris’ Executive Vice President, Translational R&D since April 2022. Ian has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and most recently held the position of Chief Scientific Officer for Flame Biosciences. Prior to that, Ian served as Senior Vice President, Immunology Discovery & Scientific Innovation for Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Ian also led Respiratory and Inflammation and Autoimmune Discovery at MedImmune, and served as Vice President, Research at Cambridge Antibody Technology. Ian started his career at Glaxo Group Research.

Throughout his career, Ian led the advancement of small molecule and antibody drug projects from early discovery through phase 1 and 2 clinical development. He has experience across therapeutics areas including respiratory and autoimmune, CNS and oncology. Ian has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications.

Ian received his Pharmacology BSc from Manchester University and Doctor of Philosophy from University College London.

Jon Jacobsen, PhD, has served as Aclaris’ Senior Vice President, Chemistry since January 2022. Jon has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and previously served as Director of Chemistry at Confluence Life Sciences, Inc. since 2011.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Jon held multiple science and leadership positions at Pfizer and legacy companies, including that of a senior fellow, chemistry director, as well as in project and chemistry team leadership roles for drug discovery projects. Over his career, Jon worked on multiple projects within CNS, cancer, cardiovascular and inflammation disease areas. He successfully led teams that advanced a number of compounds from discovery to clinical development and worked closely with development teams to advance candidates. During the last twelve years, his research has focused on the inhibition of multiple kinase targets involved in cancer and inflammation pathways. He has co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and is listed as a co-inventor on more than 50 patents.

Jon received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Harvey Mudd College and Doctor of Philosophy in synthetic chemistry from the University of California, Irvine. He also carried out post-doctoral studies at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. 

Ajay Aggarwal, MD, has served as Vice President, Clinical Development of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. since October 2021, and has more than 10 years of experience in clinical research. He is a clinical scientist and a board certified Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Physician who has executed many studies in a variety of therapeutic areas including respiratory, immunology, and oncology.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Ajay served as Chief Medical Officer of CereXis Inc., developing drugs for rare neurology and oncology indications. He also held clinical leadership positions at Insmed, Inc. and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals plc, successfully moving several compounds from the preclinical setting to late stage clinical development.

Ajay is also a practicing clinician and volunteers at a clinic in the greater Philadelphia area serving the poor and uninsured patients in the community, and has worked at the VA Hospital prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry. He has published many peer reviewed papers, and is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Ajay received his Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, and his medical degree (MBBS) from All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Brad Barnes, Ph.D., has served as Vice President, Toxicology of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. since March 2018, and has more than 35 years of pharmaceutical research and development experience in Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Brad held scientific and leadership positions at both large and small pharmaceutical companies, including Cephalon, Inc., DuPont Merck Pharmaceuticals Co., Ciba-Geigy AG, and Wyeth Laboratories Inc. He has been responsible for the safety evaluation of pharmaceuticals from discovery through development, contributing to the successful submission of numerous regulatory filings for clinical trial and marketing applications, worldwide. Over his career, he has worked on multiple projects within the immuno-inflammatory, oncology, pain, cardiovascular, and central nervous system therapeutic areas.

Brad received his Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Purdue University and a Doctor of Philosophy in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Mississippi.

Paul Changelian, Ph.D., serves as Aclaris’  Vice President, Biology and has more than 30 years of experience in drug discovery. As an immunologist and research leader, his work has focused on several areas, including renal transplantation, autoimmune disease, mitochondrial metabolism and oncology.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Paul held positions at both large and small companies, including Confluence Life Sciences, Inc.; Pfizer Inc., Lycera Corp., and Infinity Pharmaceutical. At Pfizer, he validated JAK 1/3 as a therapeutic target and his laboratory was responsible for the preclinical candidate delivery and development of tofacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and renal transplant. In 2012, Xeljanz® (tofacitinib) was approved as the first new oral drug for rheumatoid arthritis in over ten years.

Paul received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Michigan, his Doctor of Philosophy in immunology from Harvard University and his postdoctoral fellowship in neurobiology from Washington University.

Meghan Dunsmore has served as Aclaris’ Vice President, Finance since January 2023. Meghan has served in various roles at Aclaris of increasing responsibility since 2018.

Meghan is a financial executive with over 15 years of progressive leadership experience. Before joining Aclaris, Meghan worked for Grant Thornton LLP for 11 years, most recently as a Senior Manager in their audit and accounting advisory practices where she provided audit and business advisory services to pharmaceutical and life science companies. Meghan also previously served as a Global Business Controller at DuPont.

Meghan is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Rick Martin MBA, MS, has served as Vice President, Quality since November 2022.

Rick has over 35 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical in QA, QC and Validation. His accomplishments include leading Quality groups in the approval of orphan drug candidates, oncology drugs and leading successful inspections from multiple regulatory authorities.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Rick started his career in analytical then increased his responsibilities to include oversight for the overall Quality strategy for multiple organizations as well as building integrated GXP compliance systems. Rick has built many Quality departments over his career that have contributed to the successful submission of several drug candidates to the clinic and commercialization.

Rick received his Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University, a Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry/Biology from Ripon College.

Kristi Miller, PhD, has served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs since October 2022. Kristi has 19 years of industry experience in delivering both regional and international regulatory strategy and leadership for products in therapeutic areas including immunology/inflammation, ophthalmology, oncology and rare diseases.  Her accomplishments include leading teams to successful health authority interactions, INDs, orphan drug designations, rare pediatric disease designation, fast track designation, pediatric strategies and marketing applications.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Kristi served in a number of roles of increasing responsibility in regulatory affairs at Premier Consulting (previously Regulatory Professionals, Inc.). Additional prior positions included Director, Regulatory Affairs at Pharmacyclics, and Director, Regulatory Program Management at Genentech where she supported marketed products as well as served in the role of global regulatory lead for programs in development. 

Kristi received her Doctor of Philosophy in Tumor Cell Biology from Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degree from Cedar Crest College.

Rob Ortmann, MD, has served as Vice President, Clinical Development since April 2022. Rob has more than 10 years of experience in clinical research. He is a clinical scientist and a board-certified Rheumatologist who has executed many studies in a variety of autoimmune-related therapeutic areas including rheumatology, dermatology and gastroenterology.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Rob served as an Executive Director of Clinical Development at Horizon Therapeutics, leading development of two key assets for rare neurology and autoimmune indications. He also held several key clinical development positions at Eli Lilly and Co., successfully moving compounds from the preclinical setting through late-stage clinical development and submission, and also served as US Head of Immunology at AstraZeneca, leading the Medical Affairs team in anticipation of the launch of Saphnelo™ (anifrolumab-fnia). Prior to joining industry, he had a decade long career in academic medicine, serving as the director of rheumatology at two institutions, where he enjoyed educating the next generation of rheumatologists and leading his division in NIH and VA funded translational research.

Rob received his Doctor of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and received training in both Immunology and Rheumatology at the National Institutes of Health.

Monica Salamea has served as Vice President, Clinical Operations of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. since January 2022. As a proven leader with 16 years of cross-functional experience in clinical research, she oversees the operational execution of the organization’s clinical development program and contributes to development of the research and development business strategy. Previously, Monica served as Aclaris’ Senior Director, Clinical Operations.

Monica has deepened her diverse and extensive experience with previous positions at Endo Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Trevena Inc., and Botanix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. She has fostered strategic cross-functional experience through leading initiatives as site study coordinator, clinical trial associate, monitor, trial manager, data management, and head of operations. This broad perspective of the clinical research industry has enabled her to foster open and productive communication between stakeholders and lead teams to execute high quality clinical trials with innovative approaches to site training, online site communities, and adaptive study management.

Monica received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her minor in Sociology from the School of Education and Clinical Needs of Our Lady of the Lake University.

Walter Smith currently serves as a scientific and business development consultant. He was previously Aclaris’ Senior Vice President, Research and Development and has more than 40 years of pharmaceutical experience.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Walter was CEO of Confluence Life Sciences, Inc., and Vice President and Global Head of Pfizer’s Inflammation/Immunology research therapeutic area. In his various management roles, he led licensing and portfolio management teams along with line organizations that have delivered several new chemical entities to market. Walter is a board member of the Arthritis Foundation and serves as a member of its Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee.

Walter received his Bachelor of Science in bacteriology and a Master of Science in Immunology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Steve Tucker has served as Senior Vice President, Product Leadership of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. since January 2023. Having joined Aclaris in 2018, Steve has led Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing and Product Leadership during his time with Aclaris. In his current role, he leads cross-functional development teams and the portfolio steering committee. Previously, Steve served as Aclaris’ Senior Director, Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing.

Prior to joining Aclaris, Steve held positions at both large and small companies, including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Elan Corporation plc, and Cutanea Life Sciences Inc. for over nearly 20 years in the industry. His experience in drug development has extended from discovery into INDs, NDAs, and support of commercial products. His development experience includes topical, oral, and injectable products across many therapeutic areas.

Steve received his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Drexel University.