About Us

Pathfinder Therapeutics, Inc. (PTI) is the developer of an image-guided “GPS” device that enables physicians to accurately and efficiently guide the delivery of cancer therapeutics (usually resection and/or ablation) in soft-tissue organs. 

 

Over the past two decades, the broader field of image-guided therapy has seen many patients benefit from technology that makes brain, spine, sinus, hip and knee surgery safer and less traumatic. PTI is the first company to develop an image-guidance system specifically designed for the abdomen, launching the first commercially available system for image-guided delivery of therapeutics to the liver.

 

Vision: PTI‘s technology provides clinicians with the ability to “see” through organs like the liver. This enhanced visualization can help the clinician visualize, plan and execute the optimal approach to the target anatomy.

Precision: With the ability to track rigid therapeutic delivery instruments to within a few millimeters, PTI’s image-guided therapy system helps make abdominal resections, ablations, and other procedures more precise.

Quality: Indicated for open liver procedures, our intraoperative guidance system is the first medical device cleared by the FDA in the category of Intraoperative Soft Tissue Tracking.

 

Pathfinder Therapeutics
ISO 13485:2003 Compliant


Our Quality Management System is dedicated to continuous improvement during the design, development, manufacture, sales, and service of our products.

Click below to view Pathfinder’s ISO 13485 certificates.
 

 

Management Team

 

 

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Jim Cloar
President and CEO

Profile

 

 

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James Stefansic, PhD, MBA
Co-founder and COO

Profile

 

 

 Brian Lennon
Director of Product

Development
Profile 

 

 
 
 

Jeannie Brooks
Director of Clinical Affairs

 
 
 
 John McKay
Global VP, Quality Assurance
and Regulatory Affairs
Profile 
 

 

 

 
 
 

 

Board of Directors
Marc Buntaine, President and CCO, Mevion Medial Systems
 

Marc previously worked for Varian Medical Systems in 2005, where he was Director of Stereotactic Products. He previously founded Zmed, a company sold to Varian Medical in 2003. Prior to this, he served as President and CEO of Surgical Navigation Technologies, now a division of Medtronic, and before that he served as President of the USA division of Elekta. Marc joined Elekta from Bain and Company after receiving his MBA from Yale University. Marc serves as the Execuitve Chairman of the Board for Pathfinder.

 
Clay Thorp, General Partner, Hatteras Venture Partners
 
Clay B. Thorp is an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist.  Since 1995, Clay has co-founded four companies in the life science arena and co-founded Hatteras in 2001.  As part of his work with Hatteras, Clay was a co-founder and served as CEO and Chairman of Synthematix Inc., a chemistry informatics company that was acquired in April 2005 by Symyx Technologies (SMMX) for $13 million in cash.  He is co-founder and former Chairman of PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  Prior to Hatteras, clay was the co-founder and head of corporate development for Novalon Pharmaceutical Corporation, where he led financing efforts and was head of business development from inception until Novalon’s sale to Karo Bio for $106.7 million in May of 2000.  Clay also serves as Lead Director of the Board for Pathfinder.
 
Richard Molloy, Principal and Co-Founder, Florida Gulfshore Capital
 
Florida Gulfshore Capital is a Naples-based investment company focused on early stage venture and small to mid-market private equity opportunities.  Richard serves as a board member of EmergingMed, Pasteuria Bioscience, Prioria Robotics, SpneUniverse, and Pathfinder.  Previously Richard was a principal in Booz Allen & Hamilton’s Consumer and Industrial Products and Healthcare practice.  His work within these industries was broad, including mergers and acquisitions, negotiation and execution, business and sales strategy and execution, organization design and operations management.  Prior to Booz Allen, Richard served as a Captain in the British Army, in a Commando Engineer Unit and then with the Defense Mapping Agency in Washington, D.C.  
 
Joe Cook III, Principal and Co-founder, Mountain Capital Group 
 
Prior to his involvement with MGC, Joe was a Director, Private Placements in the Investment Banking Group of Robert W. Baird & Co. in Nashville from January 2001 through February 2003, Joe, as head of Baird’s private placement group, was responsible for the private placement of equity and debt securities for both private and public companies. During these two years, Joe helped originate and led the team executing nine transactions raising almost $400 million. 
 
 
Robert Morff, PhD, Venture Partner, Hatteras Venture Partner 
 
Bob was CSO of the Wallace Coulter Foudation, Principal at Senmed Medical Ventures, and led research teams in Eli Lilly’s Medical Device and Diagnostics Division. He has founded and led several companies in the microfluidics, stem cell, and tissue engineering areas. Bob also served as interim CEO at Pathfinder.
 
Naji Abumrad, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center 
 
Dr. Abumrad is the Chair of Department of Surgery at Vanderbilt. Dr. Abumrad’s professional interests have earned him appointments to serve on many NIH study sections, such as the Surgery, Anesthesia, and Trauma (1991-94) and Metabolism (1996-1998) Study Sections. In addition, he has just finished a stent as a member (2000-2004) and Chairman of the GMA2 Study Section. He also has served as a member of Secretary Donna Shalala’s Task Force on Breast Cancer in 1994. Dr. Abumrad has authored well over 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and several book chapters.
 
Robert L. Galloway, Jr., PhD (Co-founder & Director)
 
Dr. Galloway is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Neurologic Surgery and General Surgery at Vanderbilt University.  He earned the BSE from Duke University in 1977, the ME from University of Virginia in 1979 and the PhD from Duke in 1983, all in Biomedical Engineering.  Dr. Galloway teaches courses in medical instrumentation, medical imaging and therapeutic bioengineering.  Dr. Galloway's research entails the design of systems for interactive, image-guided surgery (a term he coined in 1988).  He has published over 100 manuscripts in refereed journals, six book chapters, edited one book and presented results of his work at over 90 scientific meetings.  In addition he holds 9 U.S. and international patents on devices arising from his research.  Dr. Galloway has also worked as a consultant for several image-guided therapy companies throughout his career.
 
Jim Cloar, President and CEO, Pathfinder Therapeutics
 

 

Founders
William C. Chapman, MD Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Surgery, and Chief of the Abdominal Transplantation Section Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
 
Alan J. Herline, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Division of General Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
 
Benoit Dawant, PhD Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Vanderbilt University who is a recognized leader in the field of medical image processing and registration.
 
Michael Miga, PhD Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University who is an expert in deformable soft-tissue modeling.