Darius Walker, Ph.D.

Vimelea Therapeutics is an emerging pre-clinical biopharmaceutical company that is developing a novel class of small molecules to treat various inflammatory diseases, including, but not limited to, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and asthma. Our compounds were designed to mimic the natural immune modulatory function of helminths. Growing up, I suffered from severe asthma attacks and continue to experience difficulties due to asthma in adulthood. Additionally, I recently discovered that I have an irritating skin disease, psoriasis. Both ailments are due to an aberrant immune system which results in inflammatory conditions such as asthma, lupus, and psoriasis. Many inflammatory diseases disproportionately affect Black and Brown people. Due to my bouts with asthma, the lopsided impact inflammatory diseases have on minority communities, and the lack of representation in developing treatments and cures for such conditions I decided to launch Vimelea Therapeutics.

I authored and published my first children's novel entitled: "The Ship and the Jungle" in October 2020. Writing and publishing this book was a four year journey that was born from bedtime stories I made up and told to my children. The Ship and the Jungle is a family fantasy chapter book in which a family of four purchase a piece of furniture that sends them to a mystical island. In order to return home, they must fulfill a challenging mission while developing new-found friendships along the way. It's my aim for The Ship and the Jungle to serve as an inspiration for Black and Brown youth through positive imagery and a fun, yet educational ,adventure. On a personal note, this project served as a catalyst and springboard for my other entrepreneurial project(s).

Direct the external and internal grants and contracts processes and relationships for Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar (WCMCQ)

Analyze, evaluate and manage inventions at various stages of development Devise intellectual property (IP) and commercial development strategies for biotechnologies. Negotiate legal contracts including: Sponsored Research Agreements (SRAs)/Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), License Agreements, Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs), Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs)/Non-disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs). Oversee and coordinate the R&D interests of internal clients (clinical and pre-clinical Research Scientists) Evaluate commercial feasibility and perform value inflection assessments of biotechnologies Develop, design and edit strategic marketing campaigns and materials Build relationships with internal and external clients to meet their product development needs Portfolio management of intellectual property, co-development partnerships and legal contracts

Devised pharmaceutical company alliance and partnership strategies Performed market analysis and research for health related industries Developed cost savings models for device management companies Analyzed insurance provider databases Performed Health Economic Outcomes Research