We lead with love. We innovate with empathy, trust, and respect. Creating space for diverse perspectives and better decisions. By lifting others and doing what's right, we unlock the full potential of our team.
A team deeply experienced in neuroscience, drug development, and the technology that brings them together.
Dr. Desai is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Neuro, where he is building a new category of brain-targeted therapeutics that pair precision focused ultrasound with advanced medicines. A Stanford-trained physician and Biodesign faculty member, he most recently served as Chief Strategic Innovation Officer at Insightec, where he helped build the global focused ultrasound business in neurosurgery — including the market access, medical affairs, and research infrastructure supporting therapeutic delivery across multiple neurologic indications. Before that, he was Global Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Johnson & Johnson Innovation. The through line of his career: turning breakthrough technology into treatments that reach patients at scale.
Dr. Desai is a frequent contributor to Forbes Healthcare and the Milken Institute and a keynote speaker on the global innovation stage. He has been featured in Life Force, Becker's, CNN, BBC, and Medtech Strategist.
Most importantly, he is the proud father of four children under 15, one Chocolate Labrador, and husband to a much smarter wife.
A neurologist, neuroscientist, and veteran drug developer with a career spanning biopharma, academia, and clinical medicine. He has held senior leadership roles across the industry, including Chief Medical Officer at United Neuroscience, Executive Vice President of Research and Experimental Medicine at Codiak BioSciences, and leadership positions in neurology drug development at Biogen, Novartis, and Merck, where he helped advance programs across neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. Dr. Verma's work focuses on translational neuroscience and precision drug development, with deep expertise in biomarkers, experimental medicine, and early clinical strategy across a wide range of therapeutic modalities. A former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and professor of neurology, he received his MD and PhD from Johns Hopkins University and has dedicated his career to advancing innovative therapies for complex brain disorders.
The operators, scientists, and program leads turning the platform into trials, partnerships, and treatments.
A neurosurgeon and physician-scientist specializing in skull base and endoscopic cranial surgery, with deep expertise in managing complex intracranial pathologies, including pituitary tumors, meningiomas, gliomas, and brain metastases. Most recently, he served as a neurosurgeon at UCI Health and a faculty member in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, Irvine, where he led multidisciplinary basic science teams and ran clinical trials to deliver advanced, patient-centered care for neuro-oncological patients. He earned his medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine after a postdoctoral research fellowship at Johns Hopkins, and completed his neurosurgery residency at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in endoscopic skull base surgery at Stanford. At Lotus Neuro, he bridges complex surgical practice with cutting-edge science, translating discoveries in tumor biology into innovative trial designs, robust protocol strategies, and actionable clinical development programs.
A clinical development operations executive with more than 20 years building and scaling global clinical organizations, from early-stage biotech through large pharma. She has led programs across oncology, neurology, immunology, and women's health, spanning first-in-human studies through registration and approval. Most recently she served as Executive Director, Clinical Operations & Excellence at Myovant Sciences and Sumitomo Pharma America, where she led late-stage pivotal program delivery and established a clinical operations excellence function through the companies' integration. Previously, as Global Head of Clinical Development Operations at Rakuten Medical, she oversaw multiple IND approvals and a phase 3 head-and-neck cancer program. At SanBio she built the clinical operations organization from the ground up, achieving record enrollment in stroke and traumatic brain injury trials. She spent seven years at Genentech leading global oncology and immunology programs, and holds a BA in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley.
An executive administration and operations specialist who partners with C-suite and senior leadership to keep high-profile business initiatives moving. She has planned, executed, and led programs across technology, finance, and legal, with a background spanning administration, operations, and project planning management, and depth in complex calendar, travel, and event management. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she studied at Florida International University and is based in Miami. At Lotus Neuro, she supports the executive team and keeps the company's day-to-day operating rhythm running.
Senior advisors lending clinical and scientific depth across neuro-oncology and focused ultrasound.
Graeme is a neurosurgeon and clinician-scientist who serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and directs its Brain Tumor Program within the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. Trained at Johns Hopkins and Cornell, he specializes in neurosurgical oncology, and his research targets the brain-invading tumor cells behind most cancer recurrence. His team is leading the first-in-human U.S. clinical trials of focused ultrasound–mediated blood-brain barrier opening, advancing localized drug-device combination therapies for brain tumors.
Manmeet is a board-certified neuro-oncologist and medical oncologist who serves as Chief Scientific Officer, Chief of Medical Oncology, and Deputy Director at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, where he holds the Fernandez Family Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. A leading expert in primary brain tumors and brain metastases, he previously held the Dean and Diane Miller Family Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. An internationally recognized clinical investigator, he has authored more than 200 publications and led numerous multi-site national and international trials advancing new therapies for patients with brain tumors.
Stewardship from leaders across neuroscience, drug development, and company-building.
Maurice is a pioneering medical-technology entrepreneur and CEO of INSIGHTEC, where he is advancing non-invasive, focused-ultrasound therapies. With over two decades of leadership experience, he previously co-founded and led MAKO Surgical, acquired by Stryker for $1.65 billion, and founded Visualization Technology Inc., later acquired by GE Healthcare. Across his career, Dr. Ferré has consistently built and scaled breakthrough platforms that redefine how medicine is delivered.
Scott is a biotech entrepreneur, investor, and strategic advisor with more than two decades of experience building and financing life-sciences companies. He is the founder of The Branta Group, where he has led company formation, capital strategy, and transactions across biotechnology, medical devices, and diagnostics — helping raise over $600 million and supporting numerous IPOs and acquisitions. A venture partner focused on difficult-to-treat cancers such as glioblastoma, he also founded Mission GBM, a global initiative advancing brain-cancer research and care, reflecting his commitment to accelerating innovation and improving patient outcomes.
Lotus is backed by a strategic foundation with a focused investment effort in CNS therapeutics and diagnostics, bringing a long-term view and scale.
Three principles shape how we build, partner, and push through the hardest problems in medicine.
We innovate with empathy, trust, and respect. Creating space for diverse perspectives and better decisions. By lifting others and doing what's right, we unlock the full potential of our team.
We treat setbacks as fuel for growth. By taking smart risks, learning fast, and recovering stronger, we turn failure into momentum and better outcomes.
We take full ownership of hard problems and see them through. Accountable and resourceful, we run toward the work others avoid and deliver on it.
We're building a new category in medicine. One that redefines how therapies reach the brain and it takes exceptional people to do it. At Lotus Neuro, you'll work at the intersection of cutting-edge technology, clinical science, and real-world impact, alongside a team deeply experienced in neuroscience, drug development, and innovation.
Whether advancing our platform, partnering with global leaders, or translating breakthroughs into patient outcomes, every role here contributes to changing what's possible in CNS therapy. If you're driven to solve complex problems and want your work to matter at a fundamental level, we'd like to hear from you.
The connective tissue across our preclinical, regulatory, clinical, and partnership workstreams — turning company goals and meeting decisions into tracked, completed work.
Don't see the right role? We're always glad to meet exceptional people.
Get in touchWhether you're exploring a role, a therapeutics partnership, or a clinical collaboration, we'd love to hear from you.
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