Board of Directors

R. John Fletcher, MBA
Chairman of the Board

John Fletcher brings more than 35 years of healthcare and medical device experience to PathMaker. He founded Fletcher Spaght Inc. (FSI), a strategy consulting and venture capital firm, in 1983 and remains active as the Managing Director Emeritus. FSI has been applying analytic rigor coupled with operational expertise to a broad range of clients, portfolio companies and the investment community. John has particular interests in medtech, serving as a board member of numerous medtech companies. Prior to founding FSI, John was a Senior Manager at The Boston Consulting Group, advising a broad range of companies in healthcare and high technology industries. John currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for ClearPoint Neuro, Koru Medical, Metabolon and Optinose. Previously, he served as Chairman of Spectranetics during its turnaround and subsequent sale to Philips N.V. For this work as well as his work on the board of Axcelis Corporation, he was selected as Director of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Corporate Collaboration Council at the Thayer School of Engineering/Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and serves on the Board of Advisors of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Whitehead Institute at MIT. John received his MBA from Southern Illinois University, a Master’s degree in International Finance from Central Michigan University, and a BBA in Marketing from George Washington University. He was an Instructor for courses in international business and a PhD Candidate at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a Captain and jet pilot in the U.S. Air Force and continues to be active in aviation.

John Donoghue, Ph.D.
Board Director

Dr. John Donoghue is one of the world’s most recognized neuroscientists and has over 35 years of experience leading translational research in brain function, motor control and neurotechnology. Most recently, as Founding Director of the Wyss Center for Bio and NeuroEngineering in Geneva, Switzerland, he led the Center’s research activities and translational programs focused on advanced neurotechnology. He was founding Chairman of the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University and Founder of Brown University’s Carney Brain Science Institute, and earlier developed the BrainGate brain-machine interface for the rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury and ALS. He has received numerous international awards and honors for his work, is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has published over 125 scientific papers. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Boston University, Master’s degree from the University of Vermont and Ph.D. from Brown University.

Nader Yaghoubi, M.D., Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Yaghoubi has over 20 years of experience in the creation, operations and financing of life science companies. Before starting PathMaker Neurosystems, he established, as President and CEO, Symbiotix Biotherapies, a pioneering microbiome company developing novel molecular therapeutics based on the human microbiome. Prior to that, he was the first employee at Selecta Biosciences (Nasdaq:SELB) and BIND Therapeutics (Nasdaq:BIND), where he worked with the founders to launch the companies and establish operations and corporate development. Previously, he was at Zero Stage Capital, a venture capital firm where he was responsible for investing in the life sciences sector, and earlier completed an internship at Advent International. Prior to this, he was a Health Care Entrepreneurship Fellow at Boston University, where he worked with scientists and physicians to develop new businesses in the healthcare and life science sector. Before his fellowship, he was a surgical resident in the Department of Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Dr. Yaghoubi received an M.D. and Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology from the combined degree program at Boston University School of Medicine. His doctorate work on the development of high-throughput automated electrophysiological systems resulted in five issued US patents, received one of the University’s highest awards for dissertational research, and was the basis of a venture-backed biotechnology company focused on neuroscience. He is extensively involved in mentoring young companies, and has served/serves as a mentor, advisor and reviewer with MBC’s MassCONNECT program, Mass Life Sciences Center programs, Springboard Venture Capital Forum and numerous international and university business plan competitions.

Jake Maslow, J.D.
EVP and Chief Intellectual Property Officer

Jake Maslow has 30 years of experience in various aspects of entrepreneurialism and IP commercialization, including recognition of innovation and commercial opportunity in new technologies, assisting startups and business formation, managing team formation and strategic growth, fund raising, strategic partnering, high-tech new product development and marketing, university licensing, and corporate and IP law. He was a former Director of the CUNY Technology Commercialization Office and was former Assistant Director of MIT Patents and Technology Licensing Office. Jake has been co-founder of several startups based on technologies out of MIT. As co-founder and CEO of Synkinetics, Inc., Jake successfully built a high-tech engineering company based on a proprietary high precision drive system for industrial and military applications, securing sponsorship of several leading F-500 companies, and supported by 30 angel investors, while generating substantial federal and commercial grants and revenues. As Co-founder and IP counsel / Strategic Advisor of Sionex Corporation, Jake introduced successful VC investment to support development of state-of-the-art lab-on-a-chip for real-time chemical detection; while working closely with C-level engineering and marketing to build substantial IP portfolio and to secure market entry; He is a graduate of Columbia University (CC’73, PS) and Brooklyn Law School (Juris Doctorate ‘76), and is a member of the New York and Massachusetts Bar and a registered US patent attorney. Jake also is an Air Force veteran, having graduated USAF Radar Electronics School (1968) and served as radar technician for the F4 Phantom Jet.